The central question of the research focused on what kind of pull system could reduce the lead time of a project company with extremely high variations and low volumes. The researchers made a distinction between three different systems, namely ConWIP, POLCA and Generic Polca (G-POLCA). The researchers concluded that G-POLCA would fit the organisation best.
G-POLCA is a variant on POLCA. All POLCA-cards of the complete process should be available before the production will be started.
The organisation is a project organisation with a high variety in lead time. The organisation received a high number of complaints about the products of the company. The customers experienced problems with the quality of welding, gluing and the accuracy of measurements. The organisation wants to improve its quality by reducing its lead time. A better structure and overview results in less intermittent interruptions, and thus less mistakes by employees.
All projects of the company were divided over medium and large projects. Long lead times are caused by the absence of a pull system. The central question is as follows: What kind of pull system will reduce the lead time of a project company with extremely high variations and low volumes? (See the figure below for the MCT (Manufacturing Critical-path Time) of the starting situation.
Flow efficiency
Flow efficiency = Processing time/ lead time * 100%
Large projects: from 13,1% to 24,9% (Goal was 24,3%)
Medium sized projects: 10,6% to 12,3% (Goal was 13,6%)