WHAT WE HAVE DONE SO FAR
PPG Aerospace / PPG Group
PPG is the world's leading producer of premium paints, coatings and sealants for the avaiation industry, serving customers across the globe, i.e. Airbus, Boeing, etc. In their plant in the North of England, PPG manufactures and fills. ...
Read on
the liquid paint and pasteous sealant materials into customised containers. The site was to undergo a huge expansion project due to its exceptional demand growth after the COVID pandemic. FBC Ltd delivered a substantial Health & Safety improvement programme to restore H&S compliance. We oversaw the building of a brandnew quality laboratory for sealants and coatings including its step-by step validation. The Company recognised and supported the need for substantial investment to secure future deliveries. This resulted in commissioning new mixing equipment, the reorganisation of shopfloor layouts, the implementation of LEAN production tools and regular team huddles, improved communication and a major cultural change. FBC Ltd prepared the groundwork for a further USD 15m investment for a new distribution center on the site, starting in JAN 2024. Workforce and organisation was strengthend and resulted in 120 additional employees finding a workplace in the business. The supply chain reliability improved, output increased by 25% and lead times could be reduced through focused facilitation on people and process alignment. The ontime-in full-deliveries went from the low 40s to 76% in less than 12 months. The formal handover to local management happened just before Christmas 2023.
Loparex b.v. / Loparex Group
Loparex is known as the world's leading developer and producer of specialty paper and film release liners, serving customers across operations in North America, Asia and Europe. In their Dutch plant, Loparex b.v. ...
Read on
manufacture silicone release liners used in a wide variety of pressure sensitive adhesive applications used particularly in areas including industrial, medical, hygiene, label, composite, tape, and graphic arts sectors. FBC Ltd. was called in during the COVID-19 pandemic to facilitate a period of major culture change, increase the awareness for Health and Safety behaviour and improved performance and complete several incomplete change programmes, one being the commissioning of a €14m paper converter and silicone application line from 2020.
BUDICH International GmbH / BUDICH Group
For more than 135 years the BUDICH family enterprise has established itself as a leading German SME manufacturer and supplier of disinfectants, cleaning, descaling and healthcare products. In 2 manufacturing sites a wide range of liquids are filled into household bottles and chemical powder materials ...
Read on
pressed into tablets for a customer base that not only comprises industrial users but also private label customers such as well-known supermarket chains. The Eastern German plant contributes with more than 60% to the Group's turnover. During this assignment FBC Ltd. provided leadership support, project management assistance and organisation mentoring to enable a major culture change programme in a very difficult time due to the worldwide pandemic. It not only covered the introduction of LEAN tools, such as 5S, TPM and VSM, but also performance visualisation tools to document the continuous efficiency improvements. A new shopfloor management system foresaw the implementation of several communication boards across the site. We also project managed a major investment programme supported by the EU to increase the production and storage capacity and modernise the entire site. Process analysis and people alignment with those processes alongside helped to stabilise the supply reliability and created measurable, sustainable performance improvements, i.e. OEE > 25%.
Pfeiffer Vacuum GmbH / Pfeiffer Vacuum Group
The Company manufactures and delivers High-end Vacuum Technology and high performance Vacuum Pumps and Systems for low and medium vaccum appliacations. For 9 months we provided operational support to help...
Read on
implement their LEAN manufacturing strategy. The major challenge was to analyse the entire process chain, align people and the exisiting processes and make them more robust in anticipation of their plans for the development of a future lean factory. Pfeiffer Vacuum employs about 3,200 people worldwide in more than 20 subsidiaries.
Essentra Packaging / Essentra Group
Essentra manufactures and supplies worldwide medicine packaging cartons and leaflets for the Pharma and Health & Beauty industry. For 6 months we provided the operational leadership for their UK Healthcare Division with 4 paper conversion plants, with c550 employees and £65m regional TO. ...
Read on
2 of their plants were underperforming and required a structured turnaround programme in combination with an overall process review and culture change. The main focus was on implementing a major (KPI) performance measuring programme, a cost reduction exercise based on our LEAN process assessment, the stabilisation of the business units and bringing the various operational teams together while supporting the two other plants in order to support the ongoing restructuring. The major cost savings package implemented saved several million GBP on raw material consumption and better usage, reduced production waste, through groupwide procurement initiatives and higher production throughput at better labour efficiencies.
ASSA ABLOY Sicherheitstechnik GmbH / ASSA ABLOY Group
ASSA ABLOY is a global manufacturer and supplier of security lock and door opening solutions for the building industry. Over a period of more than 36 months (and beyond) we provided leadership and project management skills to their EMEA Division and German, Dutch and Romanian subsidiaries. ...
Read on
The project was started during 2011 by the German ASSA subsidiary and foresaw a complete rejuvenation of their complex product offering. The ultimate product range was expected to combine innovative new security door solutions to be developed by the Dutch Competence Centre with the existing lock range under a re-developed and streamlined 'OneSystem' range. Half way through the project, by the end of 2014, the Group identified the need for professional project management to avoid a complete failure of the desired complex outcome.
In January 2015 FBC got the assignment to supply professional project and change management skills to bring the started project to a successful completion, ready for the product launch at the 2016 fair.
After a 8-week analysis of the status quo and a readiness audit it turned out that the project was only less than 30% complete, e.g. 600 of the c 1,800 new components for the new locks were finished. Over the next months the project team was re-aligned, re-motivated and committed to finalise the design phase, before the search for suitable suppliers could be started. In order to achieve price competitiveness cost performance was paramount which influenced the sourcing route towards low cost country suppliers. FBC accompanied the entire sourcing process throughout to sampling, approval and official material testing by the German authorities right up to the industrialisation phase. The process of component assembly would take place in various assembly cells equipped with an advanced 'pick to light' programme guiding the operators through the sequence of components required to assemble. An internal strategic decision was taken to start the production directly in the Romanian ASSA plant. This in itself posed a huge challenge as the final product was not yet even existing.
As of NOV 2015 the first of 4 assembly cells were programmed, tested and then re-located to the manufacturing facility in Romania. The remaining cells followed during the following months. In spring 2016 the ERP master data was set up and by June 2016 the first production lot left the production line for distribution. In September 2016 the product range was successfully launched during the German SECURITY fair. After another 10 weeks of production support the manufacturing responsibilities was handed back to the local/regional ASSA ABLOY teams.
Shortly after that FBC won another 13 months' assignment within the EMEA UK Division to prepare and execute the relocation of a complete product range of electro-mechanical locks. This included the transfer of the entire component supply chain and 3 assembly lines from 2 sites in Germany to the Czech Republic.
Currently we are working with ASSA ABLOY on a further long-term engagement to bring sustainable profitability improvements into their EMEA Division.
DS Smith Rapak GmbH / DS Smith Group
RAPAK is part of the DS Smith Flexible Packaging Division and manufactures and supplies bag-in-box packaging solutions for liquid and semi liquid products
to the food, beverage and industrial sectors. Over a period of 7 months we provided leadership and strategic management skills to their German subsidiary, a quite independent £ 30m SME business with 130 employees. ...
Read on
The business had suffered severe profit erosion over the past years and was in need of a major culture change. Part of the business renewal strategy was the implementation and commissioning of a group-wide new ERP system that streamlined processes and realigned people in their revised roles. Due to an unhappy start the project had to be halted, the people be brought back together and the timeline revised. The implementation was put back on track delivering a successful Go-Live within 4 months after the re-start.
Janssen - CILAG AG / Johnson & Johnson Group
CILAG manufactures and packages advanced sterilisation products for the global J&J supply chain. These are used worldwide, mainly for low temperature sterilisation of surgical instruments in hospitals. We were engaged over a period of 9 months to help with the project management and implementation of a US$ 5m investment for 2 brandnew state-of-the-art manufacturing lines. ...
Read on
These were installed to replace the now redundant semi-manual/semi-automated assembly and packaging process of the Sterrad® cassettes. While the assembly process required also the parallel development of new welding and marking technology the packaging process involved the development of new packaging cases, the identification and installation of completely new downstream equipment with automatic GS1 compliant labelers, numerous video cameras for the product validation at various production stages (Track & Trace) and a fully automated packaging process. The cassettes are stacked and pushed into an open case sleeve, which is prepared by an in-line case erector. The filled cases are then closed, labeled and Q checked before being placed into a shipping box on a pallet.
APTEAN / (formerly trading as: CDC Software)
APTEAN provides out-of-the-box Enterprise software solutions that are currently predominantly used in the packaging industry of food and pharma products. In close cooperation with CDC/Aptean we have provided the resources to implement their LEAN manufacturing ERP Programme APTEAN MES ...
Read on
in a European multi-site roll out for the German packaging giant Intersnack. For more than 4 years
FBC Ltd. project managed the implementation and Go-Live of the MES systems in at least 15 factories across Europe, systematically training around 1,300 people of their workforce in performance management. Typical benefits / savings through manufacturing efficiency improvements in downtime, speed and yield achieved range between £ 30k-80k per week. We also support the APTEAN sales teams with LEAN performance audits and road shows across other European packaging companies.
ONE51 Group
This Irish investor group needed a fast viability assessment of one of their waste management sites. Within 4 weeks a proposal to initiate a turnaround rather than closing the site...
Read on
was presented to the Board and accepted. In a 5-months contract as Interim General Manager the business was turned around. Measures included an initial huge cost reduction exercise to 'stop the bleeding', right-sizing the business in relation to the turnover and opening new recycling avenues, e.g. waste to energy. As soon as a Black Zero was achieved the business was handed back to the local management team.
VION Food Group
A 3-months Lean Coaching contract within the supply chain of the Dutch owned high quality food producer.
The project started with a SCM analysis followed ...
Read on
by a business process re-engineering exercise. Supported by KPI measurements & controls a lean software programme was developed and implemented to enable performance visibility. VSM & other lean tools were applied for enhanced people management & process alignment. A higher OEE with reduced downtime at increased productivity and improved quality realised GBP 2m annual savings.
Dairy Crest
A 2-day Lean / Six Sigma process line analysis at a Dairy Crest Prepack Centre for customising ...
Read on
and packing hard cheeses realising GBP 20k savings. This project was part of the 2009 EPDP Fellowship Course at Cranfield University.
UK Shed Manufacturer
Personal advisor to MD to help with turnaround during recession after typical symptoms made him fear for his existence. The implementation of ...
Read on
immediate cost reduction measures and a robust cash flow forecasting
routine helped to arrest and revert losses. Supported by increased sales, a strategic review to withdrawal from non-core business and advanced business planning and personal coaching FBC helped the business to return into profitability.
Global Automation and Power Technology Company
In 2011, we project-managed the in-sourcing process and reintegration of the 3rd party logistics function for one of their manufacturing businesses (£35m). The company had set themselves the challenge to create a 'best-in-class', green and sustainable warehouse with KPI driven lean processes. FBC provided the project & change management skills for this task. The project scope entailed ...
Read on
an assessment of the requirements, the identification of a suitable 28,000 sqft warehouse, its layout, design and fit-out and the smooth transfer of the 7,000 SBUs into the new facility. The Project was delivered a few days before the agreed deadline and 10% below budget.
In 2009, we complemented their international Engineering Consultancy Team for Business System Validation. FBC supported the activities in governance & compliance auditing / SOX testing. As soon as ...
Read on
test results had been released, we developed and implemented a number of business improvements and remediation solutions.
During 2007 and early 2008, we delivered a supply chain analysis and implemented a complex restructuring task for one of their businesses, ...
Read on
global electrical component manufacturer, outsourcing production from the UK to Eastern Europe and building up a plant for bespoke product assemblies in the UK, while closing a redundant facility.
This exercise included the bundling and streamlining of several warehouses into one outsourced modern storage facility.
In the latter part of the year the business implemented a new ERP system reducing 9 legacy systems into one. The 9-months contract with one of their electrical components business included the managed support during the cutover period from SAP
with data cleansing, testing & validation, training & overall planning guaranteeing a seamless on time Go-LIVE handshake.
Following on from that FBC was retained to help the same business with a considerable profitability improvement and SAP optimisation project to align people and processes, to close gaps in the various processes (PP, MM, SD, FI-CO and WM), to cut inventory, reduce fixed costs, improve debtors days, stock turns, product range and product margins.
Bombardier
Project Management Training in the rail industry - a 3 year contract as trainer & mentor to manifest a common approach for rail projects across their European sites.
Corus Steel
Process safety review in European plants as a member of a global consultancy team before and during the TATA takeover.
Magnetar & Citadel Group - US Equity Finance
FBC advised in a consulting function in a major merger/acquisition project and prepared a due diligence evaluation for several European sites.
RNID
The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) is the largest charity ...
Read on
representing the nine million deaf and hard of hearing people in the UK. Following on from a business analysis, we
worked with the organisation to develop and setup a spreadsheet driven data collection and reporting system for enhanced business control. This included a system to schedule and monitor
training programmes and creditor/debtor performance.
Hamburg Port Authority
Approved supplier for Hamburg Port Authority. HPA ordered ...
Read on
a project analysis and appraisal of their complex sediment dredging management concept which has been created to reverse the
sedimentation caused by the 'tidal pumping' in the Elbe river and to manage their (insufficient) dredging operations.
Global market studies for PIRA International
FBC Ltd. has completed several contracts with PIRA International, the publisher for the plastic and packaging industry, to undertake ...
Read on
several market research studies:- the growing demand of plastic caps & closures between 2005 and 2010 -including key drivers, trends, market challenges, technology developments and opportunities for the whole supply chain (click here for a summary)
a technology study on state-of-the-art filling processes, development trends and currently available machinery (2007)
co-edited studies on plastics and paper packaging waste (2008).
Business Start-up
Personal Strategic Advisor / Coach to the MD to help establish the administration and control side of a ten months old business that successfully manufactures and markets exercise devices to
an international customer base.
Warehousing & Transport business
Strategic business analysis confirmed that the business was losing money and was on the brink of becoming insolvent. During a six months turnaround management contract, ...
Read on
a substantial insolvency recovery programme was initiated and implemented. Beside the usual close performance reviews to ensure tightest cost control a major strategic change was prepared to drive storage charges into a more profitable segment. As the facilities lent themselves for storing much higher value products, the business was moved from a low value, loss making FMCG storage facility into a profit generating high margin segment (e.g. medical /pharma products).
Manufacturing business for automotive cable looms and harnesses
Strategic business analysis targeted to stop profit erosion and implement tools to visualise performance improvements (KPI's), range review and rationalisation, improve cost and quality
monitoring, communication and overall efficiencies.
Davenport Handmade & Bespoke Kitchens
Personal strategic advisor and coach to the MD to help sustain the company's profitability (PBIT) while doubling their turnover in less than 1 year. Designed cost saving plan and monitoring
tools to ...
Read on
help visualise the impact of his business decisions. HR and financial advice so far, developing further into operational support, such as plant extension and layout, inventory
management and sales & marketing strategy.
Glass fibre-reinforced pipe system manufacturer
18 months Interim MD assignment on behalf of a Japanese venture capitalist to rescue ...
Read on
a business out of an insolvent and now liquidated UK group. By taking it through (deliberately enforced)insolvency proceedings (US Chapter 11 type rescue plan) it was possible to continue the business, restructure its organisation, sell all assets to a new investor and rescue 50 out of 100 work
places. After that FBC continued to provide interim management support during the integration phase alongside the new management.
Bed and mattress manufacturer
Part of a UK privately owned Group, six months contract in one of their ...
Read on
continental manufacturing plants(17m Euro; TO, 180 people) to improve EBIT. Manufacturing efficiency improvements by more than 15% were achieved, production waste could be reduced and the layout and organisation was restructured.
Turnaround safely introduced supported by a business and margin analysis and a thorough product range rationalisation. During this time the business was prepared for divestment to merge with a major competitor.
Publishing & Packaging Businesses
Business Analysis of 2 similar businesses offering packaging and delivery service to the publishing industry with the objective to improve their operational efficiencies within a three months
contract. Efficiencies were up by 25%, due to shorter cycle times and higher throughput thanks to a re-layout of the plant, machinery and packaging tables.
Others to include:
Strategic development of high growth SMEs, improvements to inventory management and MRP issues, outsourcing and Business Start-ups within the European industry.