Challenge
Taylor approached a leading national supplier of agricultural tools to introduce our label and packaging capabilities. During the initial meeting, however, the client expressed interest in kitting and other solutions that would help cut costs and consolidate supplier partnerships. Our team described Taylor’s proprietary Manufacturing Assessment for Printed Production Parts (MAP3) program and quickly gained the client’s authorization to proceed with a formal MAP3 study.
Solution
A cross-functional team of experts from Taylor gathered at the client site to initiate a comprehensive MAP3 analysis. A half-day of meetings, tours and demonstrations between key client contacts and Taylor’s team ensued, during which the Taylor team took careful notes on potential process improvements. Through this “deep dive” into the client’s operations, Taylor was able to make a variety of cost-saving recommendations including:
- Pre-assembled label kits to streamline manufacturing and eliminate label application errors
- A fully automated inventory management system to monitor the client’s materials usage and track their spending
- Material consolidation strategies to enhance aesthetics while reducing the number of printing processes required
Results
Taylor’s in-depth MAP3 study has resulted in wide-ranging operational benefits for the client.
Risk Reduction
- Consistency: Delivering labels in pre-assembled kits has reduced application errors and ensures that all labels are applied correctly.
- Compliance: Taylor has identified a number of updates to bring the client’s labels into compliance with ANSI standards.
Cost Reduction
- Cost Savings: The client has realized hard cost savings of nearly 30% in its label program.
- Efficiency: The adoption of digital durable label (DDL) technology has reduced label inventory and obsolescence.
Goal Attainment
- Vendor Consolidation: The number of suppliers maintained by the client has been slashed, greatly reducing ordering complexity.
- Inventory Management: Taylor’s automated inventory tracking and ordering system reduces human error and generates data that enables continuous improvement.
