Transforming Manufacturing Operations: A Case Study of Kamco Industries
Technology Category
- Functional Applications - Inventory Management Systems
- Networks & Connectivity - RFID
Applicable Industries
- Equipment & Machinery
- Transportation
Applicable Functions
- Logistics & Transportation
- Warehouse & Inventory Management
Use Cases
- Augmented Reality
- Picking, Sorting & Positioning
Services
- System Integration
- Training
The Customer
Kamco Industries
About The Customer
Kamco Industries, established in 1987, is a subsidiary of Kumi Kasei and a full-service provider of product design and manufacturer of injection, sheet molded, and Formed Fiber Felt products. The company has expanded into various locations including Bradford, Ontario in 1997; Clanton, Alabama in 2000; and Guadalajara, Mexico in 2010. The Kumi North America group has achieved a combined total annual sales of more than $140 million. Kamco is one of the largest injection molding suppliers for American Honda and is committed to tailoring its business processes to the expectations of its largest clients.
The Challenge
Kamco Industries, a subsidiary of Kumi Kasei, is a full-service provider of product design and manufacturer of injection, sheet molded, and Formed Fiber Felt products. The company faced several challenges in its operations. Firstly, its spreadsheet-based business processes were not meeting the requirements of major clients such as American Honda. Analyzing performance involved stacks of paperwork, which was time-consuming and inefficient. The IT department was spending too much time supporting business processes rather than providing a strong technology foundation. The year-end closing process required countless hours of overtime and took weeks to complete. Kamco's goal was to respond as quickly as possible to customer needs and tailor its business processes to the expectations of its largest clients. However, the company's existing systems and processes were not up to the task.
The Solution
Kamco began to research and evaluate cloud manufacturing solutions. The company chose the Plex Manufacturing Cloud for its manufacturing-focused capabilities and the willingness of the Plex team to work with Kamco to get its business processes up and running. With the cycle counting tools and real-time inventory visibility in Plex, Kamco dramatically increased its inventory control. The company transitioned from spreadsheets to Plex, streamlining the process of scheduling each shift’s work tasks from as much as two hours to just minutes. Kamco also streamlined its year-end inventory process, which once took weeks to complete and endless hours of overtime for Kamco employees. The company leveraged custom reports to focus on business performance and automated many key functions, which enabled the company to reduce its IT headcount from 12 employees to four.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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