Bene CompactFactory: Production in a Continuous Flow.
Office furnisher Bene’s factory in Waidhofen an der Ybbs in Lower Austria is one of the most efficient and cutting-edge plants of the European office furnishing industry. Over the past four years, the Bene Group has invested some 22 million euros here. Following an expansion of the site to a total of 40,000 square metres, Bene introduced an integrated order processing system and has now rigorously completed the transition to just-in-time manufacturing."When analysing developments and trends of the industry, we became quickly aware that we were not only confronted with a slump in the business cycle but with a new reality", says Frank Wiegmann, Director of Finance and Technology at Bene AG. "It became clear that we needed to introduce a flexible sales and production system in tune with changing markets and new customer demands."
Background: When the capital goods industry began to stagnate in 2000, market operators were forced to align their competitive behaviour. Due to consolidation processes both on the manufacturer and supplier side, increasingly similar machinery and software packages, and an exclusive focus on efficiency and cost, products and even companies became increasingly replaceable. These developments ended in a zero-sum situation for the whole industry, aggravated by vendors from Eastern Europe and Asia.
Diversity at bulk manufacturing costs
But it was not only cyclical factors that prompted the industry to revise processes. As customer specifications became increasingly complex, traditional processes began to face new challenges. This implied a trend towards a new diversity of materials, colours and models for the entire industry, not only for Bene. Addressing this trend would not have been possible without a new, custom-tailored production system, to avoid increased time, effort and cost.
"Bene is aware of the fact that companies consider office fit-outs as a management tool and means of displaying corporate culture, values and visions. Realising that their number is on the increase, Bene has clearly committed itself to gearing production to the new needs", says Wiegmann. A new generation of machinery, production systems and related software solutions – though initially requiring additional funds – has helped to address the challenge.
With a view to establishing a consistent data system including adequate infrastructure and organisation, Bene has embarked on targeted investments in the whole organisation and production process. The aim is to provide clients with a complete and diversified product range at bulk production costs, even for very reduced volumes, while at the same time avoiding media disruptions in processes,.
Key measures:
- Gradual implementation of Just-in-Time (JIT)
- Segmented organisation and manufacturing upon request
- Tailored fleet management
- Incentive pay scheme
- Order-based assembly by load scheduling and delivery sequence
- Data sharing and "Rainbow Mass Customization" (RMC)
- The result: a doubling of volumes and model types, on the same-sized floor area
A head-start into the future
As Bene’s factory in Waidhofen is one of the most cutting-edge manufacturing plants in Europe, Bene is very well equipped to meet future challenges. "Our consistent effort to expand the system even further has boosted volumes again and continues to significantly enhance productivity", as Friedrich Hartner, Technical Director of Bene AG, summarises in conclusion.
