VisTech Manufacturing

VisTech Manufacturing Solutions, LLC is an automotive component manufacturer and Tier 2 supplier for the automotive industry. Founded in 2003 and based in Modesto, California, VisTech operates plants in Ohio, Texas, Alabama, and Ontario, Canada.

Breakthrough Financial and Operational Performance with Double Digit Growth Year Over Year.

VisTech is all about speed; seeking more efficient workflows that could be quickly implemented in each of their manufacturing facilities. LNA hit the ground running and worked one-on-one with both VisTech management and machinists to find the best and most efficient solutions. Weeklong Rapid Improvement Events resulted in a 50% reduction in scheduled downtime and labor and production gains of up to 30%. With more nimble processes in place, VisTech is able to swiftly ramp up production and win more contracts.

Challenges

VisTech grew from a start-up to a full-blown manufacturer of automotive products. During financial reviews, it became clear that the company was bogged down by inefficiencies in labor and production. They had grown so fast, the emphasis had been on launching new products rather than building robust systems and process controls. Constant firefighting was affecting VisTech’s bottom line, as well as their product cost, quality, and delivery.

The manufacturer looked at a few consulting firms but found most to be too stuffy or slow for their action-oriented company. In Leading North Advisors, Director of Operations Alex Ramirez found a kindred spirit with a shared focus on immediate action and sustained results.
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Reduction in scheduled downtime
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Improvement in production & labor efficiency
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Time to implement rapid improvements at plant level

Driving Change In Real-World Manufacturing Process

Alex and his team had a foundation in lean, but struggled to fully implement improvement strategies in their organization. LNA’s consultants brought these concepts to life for VisTech, introducing solutions to improve Quality and Uptime in a way the entire team could understand and utilize everyday. Leading North Advisors worked one-on-one with VisTech’s leadership and staff in each of their five plants. The team travelled to manufacturing sites around the country for Rapid Improvement Events where robust process controls, standards and Daily Improvement methodologies were developed and put into place. When staff began to notice results, they became personally invested in the work being done and excited to try out new strategies.

“The team saw that this was how we would be competitive in the market, and we were seeing gains in our bottom line. Every single site leader realized the importance of being able to improve with such a quick turnaround. They really took ownership.”

– Alex Ramirez, VisTech Manufacturing

Big Results For A Growing Company

Implementing better work standards has cut down on labor dramatically, allowing VisTech to be more competitive, make more sales, and win more jobs.

In raw material production, standard procedures shortened a 4-hour cleanup process to only 2 hours, representing a 50% improvement in scheduled downtime. In other production areas, VisTech has realized a 20-30% improvement in labor efficiency. But the biggest win for VisTech was speed – many of the standards that led to those gains were implemented within a week’s time.

18 months into their partnership, improvement is still going strong as Leading North Advisors and Alex Ramirez continue to seek big wins for VisTech and its staff.