Standardizing and optimizing workflowsusing digital tools : Case study at a high voltage cable manufacturer

Sammanfattning: Background: When a potential customer reaches out to NKT and requests themto tender an offer for a project, NKT will start to compile the information neededfor the customer to make an informed decision. Among others, one document thatis included in the information is a CSO. This drawing displays an overview of thecomplete cable installation, which makes it easy for the customer to see all compo-nents included in the installation. Up until the project, the process of building a CSO has been time-consuming and lacked a standardized workflow. This has causedinconsistencies in deliveries to customers and, if requested, the process of makingchanges has been a time-consuming challenge. Objectives: The objective of this project was to find a way to optimize by standard-izing the way the engineers work today by implementing a new production processwhen building CSOs and creating drawings. Methods: This project was conducted using the PDCA method as it provides struc-ture during the stages of the project and allows for iterative project cycles. A com-prehensive literature study was performed to learn about ways to optimize and stan-dardize workflows. Semi-structured open-ended interviews were held with affectedpersonnel to build a complete image of the cause of the issues with the current solu-tion. The CAD software SolidWorks was used as a tool to create the new solution asits integrated features provided the possibility to automate a big part of the process. Results: The interviews helped gain valuable insight into what parts of the current so-lution have proved to be problematic. The responses varied between the participants,but the common denominators were that the lack of automation and standardizationcaused much frustration. The engineers were asked to time themselves using boththe old and new production process when creating the same projects. The resultsshowed that the new process allowed them to build the same CSO with an averagetime saving of 85%. Conclusions: The results show that, even though the new process still needs workto be a full replacement for the old solution, it has the potential to bring big timesavings to the engineers that work with the CSO. A standardized workflow will helpto deliver more consistent designs to customers