500% Increase in Production With 0% increase in Engineering Cost

Remarkable story of an automobile company drastically improving new product development.

In the highly competitive landscape of automobile manufacturing, increasing plant production while keeping engineering and design costs in check is a paramount challenge. This challenge becomes even more critical for companies specializing in the production of CNG and electric buses, which are in high demand from various government agencies. Winning government contracts hinges on meeting technical standards and offering the lowest price bids.

Moreover, the complexity is compounded by the fact that different government bodies have unique requirements for these buses. To accommodate these diverse needs, a bus manufacturer often creates multiple design variants of the same bus. This can lead to a scenario where out of, say, five hundred buses, there could be fifty different versions.

Each of these versions demands the attention of a team of experts, including engineers and designers. These teams must also ensure that the sourcing team can seamlessly find the right parts for these different bus variants. This complexity adds layers to an already intricate problem, making it imperative for companies to strategize, to meet industry standards.

Amidst these multifaceted challenges, the quest to establish an efficient process that addresses these design & engineering intricacies and maximizes efficiency took centre stage. This is precisely what the leading bus manufacturer in the country sought when they engaged Brain Wave Consulting (BWC Labs).

We reached out to Brainwave Consulting (BWC Labs) after learning about their work for a bus manufacturer, where they streamlined their inventory by eliminating redundancy." explained the Director Of Manufacturing
BWC Labs conducted a thorough audit of the client’s operations to grasp the nuances of the situation. It became evident that the challenges were not merely surface level but could affect the very core of their operations:

Delayed Deliveries

The client struggled with consistently delayed deliveries, affecting their ability to meet their manufacturing targets.

No Visibility in Product Development Project Status

A lack of visibility into the status of product development projects created significant operational blind spots, making it difficult to track progress and allocate resources effectively.

Recurring Product Defects

The manufacturer faced recurrent product defects, tarnishing their reputation and incurring costs for rectification.

Penalties due to Faulty Parts

Heavy penalties were incurred due to faulty and incorrect parts in the final products, impacting the bottom line and eroding customer trust.

Intra team Animosity

Lack of process and communication was resulting in ground level errors resulting in frequent arguments and conflicts between the teams.

Within this intricate web of challenges, BWC Labs delved deep to unearth the root causes

Lack of Change Management Process

The absence of a robust design and engineering change management process resulted in changes happening without proper coordination and awareness, leading to chaos in the product development cycle.

Duplication of Parts

A non-standard part numbering system gave rise to duplicate parts, causing confusion and inefficiency.

Mismatched EBOM and MBOM

Lack of parts documentation process and coordination between engineering and R&D resulted in different versions of The Engineering Bill of Materials (EBOM) and Manufacturing Bill of Materials (MBOM), adding further complexity to critical documentation.

Armed with these insights, BWC Labs embarked on a mission to simplify these challenges. The strategy involved addressing glaring issues upfront and then focusing on nuanced discrepancies

Standardizing the Process

BWC experts meticulously crafted a standardized product design change management process, mapping business processes and creating dedicated workflows to inject much-needed standardization into a once-chaotic landscape.

Controlling The Changes

To minimize irregular design changes, BWC Labs defined a team, in collaboration with client-appointed group leaders, to initiate and approve changes, preventing impulsive alterations and ensuring adherence to a well-structured change management process.

Standard Parts Numbering System

A standard part numbering system was introduced to eliminate duplicate parts, meticulously monitoring design information’s creation, flow, and evolution to blend previously inconsistent segments.

PLM Integration with ERP

Synchronizing Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) ensured continuity from Engineering to Manufacturing, creating a seamless digital thread. EBOM and MBOM continuity provided a smooth transition and accurate products without redundancy.
Digit Position
Identification
1st Digit
Product Category
2nd Digit
Vehicle type
3rd & 4th Digit
Component Category/Sub Assembly
5th,6th, & 7th Digit
Serial Number
8th & 9th Digit
Process/Component Stage
10th Digit
‘M’:ZMFG/’B’:ZROH/’O’:Drawing Spec.

In addition to these solutions, BWC aided the client in cloud deployment and data migration while addressing other related engineering and design challenges.

The solution provided by BWC Labs was not only unique and effective but also user-friendly, successfully eliminating preexisting problems. This wave of change resulted in transformative outcomes:

  • A well-defined and accurately mapped design process fostered a new work culture.
  • Digital continuity was injected into operations, reducing manufacturing errors significantly.
  • The previously conflicting EBOM and MBOM were now in perfect harmony.

Accurate parts, lean inventory, reduction in product defects, and improved product release cycle. These were some of the outcomes of the custom solution provided by BWC using 3DEXPERIENCE.

The Results Delivered

Our solution was effective, easy to use, accurately mapped and addressed the problem head-on. The results were nothing short of a huge achievement,
  • Due to all improvements in efficiency the same engineering team was able to cater to 3 manufacturing plant and deliver three times the bus production output after implementation on 3DEXPERIENCE.
  • An astounding 94% slashed in terms of rework on parts design and engineering.
  • Previously, a bus took three months to finish. It jumped to an astonishing five buses in the same period.
  • A staggering 90-95% reduced duplicate parts.
  • The danger of penalties due to rework, faulty parts, and incorrect assemblies faded out of practice. The company never required costly hiring of design engineers for post-delivery fixes.
  • Product design defects plummeted by an impressive 89%.

The Conclusion

BrainWave Consulting's innovative yet effective approach brought about substantial changes, particularly in the engineering and design departments. BWC Labs not only solved critical problems but also demonstrated clever ideas, deep product knowledge, and domain expertise, delivering excellent results. This case study showcases the remarkable transformation that occurred on the design and engineering side of the production line, leading to unprecedented efficiency and success.