The challenge: increase output without compromising the team
A tier-one pump manufacturer needed to increase output on a new mixed-model assembly line from 12 to 21 units per day within six months, while protecting safety, quality and team well-being.
Batching, work-in-process bottlenecks and manual handling interrupted flow. Scheduling depended heavily on individual judgment, creating variability in how work moved through the operation.
Engagement at a glance
12 → 15 units/day
Early production progress toward the 21-unit daily target.
4 days → 6.5 hours
Lead time for the assemble-to-order product family.
5.1 → 3.5 days
Valve-family lead time, approximately 31% lower.
What Duggan did
Duggan designed end-to-end value streams from receiving through assembly, paint and shipping. The operating design combined FIFO and one-piece flow with standard work for normal and abnormal conditions.
Takt and pitch visual controls made timing visible. Mobile carts traveled with each unit, while a daily flow-disruption review cadence connected problems with frontline action and countermeasures.
Implementation: connect the whole delivery path
Assembly flow
FIFO lanes and standard work charts supported workload balancing. Pump carts that traveled with each unit replaced pallets and reduced handling between steps.
Paint and shipping
One-piece flow, product-family grouping and real-time pitch tracking exposed deviations so teams could respond promptly.
Parts presentation and kitting
Shadow mats, ergonomic presentation and new crane assists improved readiness and the movement of units through line-up.
Fast feedback
Daily flow-disruption reviews gave frontline teams ownership of problems and countermeasures.
Capability building
Standard work for abnormal flow and training across paint, shipping and assembly helped employees operate the connected system.
Results: higher output, shorter lead times and safer handling
- Early output reached 15 units per day from the 12-unit daily starting point. The line was progressing toward its 21-unit target.
- Customer order-to-shipment lead time reached 14–28 days. Visual flow tracking strengthened visibility and team accountability.
- The assemble-to-order family moved from four days to 6.5 hours. One-piece flow, clean starts and FIFO controls connected assembly to test.
- Valve-family lead time fell from 5.1 to 3.5 days, approximately 31%. An assemble-to-order path was introduced alongside this work, providing a more responsive route than the historical average of over 12 weeks for similar valve orders.
- Manual handling was reduced. Carts, layout changes and lifting aids supported safer movement at key stations.
Why it worked
Value Stream Design came before individual tools. One connected delivery path, with clear normal and abnormal conditions, made operating status visible and established a practical response when flow slipped.
FIFO, one-piece flow, takt and pitch visuals, and single-point scheduling worked together. The operation became less dependent on managers continually choosing priorities and more dependent on a design the team could see and use.