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The Cake Crew were in a pickle. A family owned business with some ongoing concerns of cash flow & business strategy as well as a site that was under invested with considerable people issues and skill gaps.
Chasm were recommended to the owners who at the time “did not need help, we can do it ourselves”. After some persuasion from a trusted adviser they undertook an analysis to lift the hood on the issues within the business.
Build & delivery of a project was not straight forward, there was a need to deliver operational savings from day 1 to improve overall cash flow, minimise shareholder investment and fund the improvement activity.
Projects like this are difficult, we are trying to build robust processes and systems for a sustainable future and take people on a journey whilst at the same time delivering boots on the ground improvement beyond the current team capabilities.
System wise – build and install demand planning & factory scheduling tool. Build an MRP solution connecting via SQL to the Navision ERP system. Build various dashboard and tools for supply chain function. Project planning & delivery of an ERP & IT infrastructure upgrade.
Operationally – Rapid deployment of improvement actions worth £500k annually. Install SIC & Management Control System. Control processes for weighing, mixing, depositing & decoration. Redesign shift patterns and management structure. Core efficiency in labour and material usage.
People Wise – Competency assessment and skills gap analysis. Training & coaching “how to run a factory”, performance reviews.
Overall project savings c£1.2m annualised on labour and materials. Factory efficiency improved by 40% through better planning and execution.
Ruth McCarthy, CEO The Cake Crew: What can I say? The changes start to happen and you just think ‘oh wow you guys know what you are doing’. I thank Chasm from the bottom of my heart. I would recommend anyone to take the leap of faith and engage with Martyn and his team at Chasm. Genuinely a
great team of honest, talented, hard-working manufacturing experts.
