Aerospace Component Manufacturer Needed to Increase Throughput to Service Customers

The company’s leadership team recognized that their front-line production supervisors and managers—while experienced—were not equipped with modern tools and thinking to manage production challenges proactively. Most had been in the business for many years but had limited exposure to Lean or continuous improvement practices. As a result, they often defaulted to a reactive approach to problem-solving.

The site leader saw an opportunity to improve the organization’s performance by helping his team “think outside the box,” develop proactive habits, and gain exposure to improvement tools used in world-class manufacturing operations. He wanted a structured program to build these skills, spark creative thinking, and make tangible operational improvements—especially in areas where lead times were exceeding targets by several weeks.

To support this customer’s goal of transforming a reactive culture into a proactive, improvement-driven organization, Alphanova Consulting designed a three-phase engagement that combined education, strategy, and execution:

•Phase 1 – Value Stream Mapping: We began by facilitating a value stream mapping workshop with cross-functional leaders. This exercise helped the team see their current processes end-to-end, identify root causes of long lead times and inefficiencies, and align on the most impactful areas to target. The outcome was a shared understanding of the operation’s pain points and a practical roadmap for improvement.

•Phase 2 – Leadership Development: Next, we launched a 6-month development program for frontline production leaders. Through hands-on training and applied learning, supervisors gained new ways to approach problems, manage performance, and lead continuous improvement efforts. The program gave them a common language, boosted their confidence, and sparked a more proactive mindset on the floor.

•Phase 3 – Rapid Improvement Projects: With the roadmap and leadership capability in place, we collaborated with plant teams to execute a series of targeted improvement events across key production cells. These projects tackled longstanding inefficiencies—such as excess inventory, inconsistent processes, and disorganized work areas—and delivered measurable performance gains in throughput, productivity, and material handling.

Together, these efforts helped the organization build momentum and demonstrate what’s possible with structured improvement. Key outcomes included:

• 68% increase in throughput in a high-volume production cell
• 25% increase in production flow in a core assembly area
• 25% reduction in raw material inventory
• $325,000 reduction in on-hand inventory
• 50% reduction in order pick time
• Improved build rates, quality, and team engagement

These tangible results validated the value of Lean thinking and built excitement for what’s next in the company’s improvement journey.

We help manufacturers achieve and sustain operational cost reductions of 20%+, improve on-time delivery to 99%+, and reduce defects to improve product quality to 99%+. These changes help our clients grow company profit margins by up to 25%.
We have developed and used a proven approach to ensure manufacturers achieve and sustain significant performance improvement. Our consultants have over 15 years of experience working with manufacturers and developing their capabilities.