PlastiCert has two distinct businesses under its roof. We have the volume injection molding business, (although we mostly do small and medium volume), and the mold shop, where we design and build a one of a kind product.
We have to manage them both, and while continuous improvement is typically thought of as a production environment activity, where else would getting it done right the first time apply better than a shop where you only make something once.
The mold shop is a production environment, just a build quantity of one. The shop has both direct and indirect activities and we analyze and look to improve them both.
Indirect, or office related activities include the quoting process, payment terms, short and long term planning for equipment, staffing training and augmentation. Purchasing mold components, shops supplies and raw materials.
Direct activities include the mold design process, implementation of the build in the shop, coordination of burning, cutting, grinding, and assembly.
As the economy has recovered and our business has picked up, (we made more new molds in 2014 than ever before), we constantly track and evaluate the indirect and direct activities. This makes sure that our mold shop is operating as efficiently as it can, so we can maintain a pricing model that brings the best value to our customers.
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