Delivery times are of the most important aspects for clients in the automotive sector. This is both due to internal logistics in terms of planning and externally as standard transport can be used instead of relying on specific transport for their goods. Both the agreed date and the speed with which the order is supplied are included in delivery times.

MP Mechanical Components is implementing a new Production Plan to improve this aspect which is based on two main points:

1. Developing a Master Production Schedule.
2. Implementing a Bottom Line Stock (BLS) system between the factory’s various factory workshops and the end-product workshops.

The Master Production Schedule aims to establish a production plan able to optimise resources and reduce, as best possible, the preparations made to machinery for model updates since this is ineffective use of time and must be minimised.

Delivery times are of the most important aspects in the automotive sector

In terms of the model updates, MP also tries to group new products by family, i.e., groups of models with similar features. This means that preparations are minimised because many parts used in the machines are the same.

Another benefit of longer production times and in fixed quantities is that purchases can be better managed.
The implementation of a BLS system has the following objectives:

1. Create a material backup system in the sense that each workshop area is “independent” from the others. Therefore, any problems that might occur in one area (e.g. long-term breakdown) do not affect the following ones. This avoids interrupting the flow of production.
2. Facilitate the management of the material in progress, having full control over the parts, according to their stage in the production process.
3. Ability to deal with any sudden increases in the consumption of one particular product by the client.
4. Lastly, in order to develop new products and gain new clients, prototypes and pre-series prototype have to be made within a short period of time which may interfere with normal production. The BLS system should easily be able to compensate for such interferences and enable the product series to accommodate for the introduction of new products.

We at MP are therefore seeking to increase our competitiveness and establish ourselves as a point of reference in the sector.

Miguel Rodríguez Ramos
Head of Manufacturing MP Components