2018Case8KiernanStructuralSteelLimited

36 L EAN C ONSTRUCTION I RELAND A NNUAL B OOK OF C ASES 2018 Value Engineering – SIN Beam A project was identified by company management to identify a unique product that could separate us from our competitors and ultimately make us more competitive, and a product cal led “SIN Beam” was identi f ied. From a structural engineering point of view, the SIN Beam is a lightweight steel beam product which can provide significant weight savings and financial savings versus similar standard rolled steel sections. It is used for long-span roof structures, car parks, and portal frame structures. Portal frames are approximately 20% of all structural steel buildings built in the UK annually. KSSL see the export of the SIN Beam to other steel fabricators in the UK for portal frames as a potentially very large export market, and indeed interest has been gaining steadily in the UK amongst engineers and other structural steel firms. A major capital investment project was launched which resulted in the purchase of the SIN Beam machine from an Austrian manufacturer, and the machine was installed at our factory in Longford in June 2017. KSSL secured rights from the Austrian machine manufacturer for the manufacture and distribution of the SIN Beams for Ireland and the UK. During this project, KSSL machine operatives and engineers were trained in Austria and on site in Ireland. Figure 2. SIN Beam Robotic Welding. BIM Model & StruMIS Integration – Paint DFT As an add-on project to the production tracking project mentioned earlier, it was identified via our idea board – which ultimately became an A3 project – that a major potential time saving could be realised by integrating the paint dry film thicknesses (DFTs) to be applied to the steel sections in the paint shop via our steel-detailing BIM model. Inputting the paint details into the BIM model ensures that the details will be on the steel fabrication member drawing, and this thus removes the need for unnecessary additional paperwork lists. It also means that the various paint systems are included in the finished product labels. Process Mapping: StruMIS Integration The Lean team, led by our internal Lean champion, focused on the traditional 2D method of planning and process mapping to examine how StruMIS could manage a typical project from beginning to end, highl ight ing waste, duplication, and areas where errors were most likely to occur. The process map demonstrated the various points within the factory where StruMIS was not being utilised to its full potential, and furthermore additional opportunities were then identified for process improvement. Value Engineering: SIN Beam Our team of structural engineers reviewed the design of some standard designed structures used in previous projects where rolled steel sections were used. Very preliminary design was carried out using SIN Beam via the Austrian engineers, and potential steel weight savings were calculated. These weight savings were passed on to our quantity surveyors and a potential cost saving analysis was carried out wherein it was ident i f ied that signi f icant savings could be achieved dependant on the type of structure and its use. Idea Board & A3 Projects Over 900 implemented ideas by factory floor and office staff have been actioned via the visual idea boards located next to the daily stand-up whiteboard. Monthly recognition vouchers are used to acknowledge staff ideas. Any idea that is viable but not deemed a quick win, or is too complicated to make a quick decision whether to implement or not, becomes an A3 project provided management feel the ideas wi l l be worthwhile and provide production benefit. A3 projects involve putting a small, specialised team together to review a project in further detail and to carry out a cost-benefit analysis as to whether an idea is viable. Daily Whiteboard Meetings, 5S Audits & Waste Walks The introduction of daily whiteboard meetings started in November 2015. Each morning, safety, quality, maintenance, and production issues are discussed. It is an open forum that lasts 10-15 minutes in which participation by all employees is facilitated. Additionally, 5S workplace organisation was introduced across different departments within the factory. This resulted in much-improved safety through a daily area cleaning system, reduct ion of workplace r i sk, better work environment, reduced lost time in production, and increased employee participation and morale. Factory management, along with specific area charge- hands, carry out waste walks once a week. These generally take 15-20 minutes and identify waste and clutter in the work area, and also look at improvement in the methods of working to prevent time waste, which thus increases overall production. Potential safety hazards and opportunities for quick win ideas are also identified. Figure 3. KSSL Daily Stand-Up Meeting. LEAN INITIATIVE IMPROVEMENTS & IMPACT KSSL understands that for the construction sector to adopt Lean, the ent i re construct ion supply chain needs to implement Lean thinking and practices to enable quality-at- source, to improve right-first-time (RFT), and to deliver VA to its construction client base. By adopting Lean, KSSL is able to improve its own operational efficiencies, increase production, enhance its competitive advantage, provide a safer and more enjoyable workplace for its employees, and better satisfy its construction clients. KSSL is now utilising StruMIS to almost 85% of its potential across various departments. Training and upskilling i s cont inuing and fur ther oppor tuni t ies for process improvements are planned. Improved communication between all departments has led to enhanced production