Until a few years ago, at El.Co. we managed production according to a traditional logic called “push,” according to which production rates and volumes were defined on the basis of centralized forecasts and plans. As much as the system worked, and had led the company to grow over the years, it cannot be denied that there were some inefficiencies related precisely to this production model: overproduction, waste, misaligned workloads and little responsiveness to changes in demand.

The beginning of the path of change

With the arrival at the company of Nicolò Zaffonato, now our Chief Operation Manager, Lean Manager and El.Co. Board Member, things began to change. His arrival marked the beginning of a profound change, not only in processes, but also in our way of thinking. It was he who introduced the principles of Lean Thinking (“Lean Thinking”) and guided us, step by step, in the transition from a ‘push’ to a “pull” production system, where production rhythms are no longer planned on the basis of demand forecasts, but defined according to actual demand from the market. The system used to materialize this shift is the kanban method.

It was not an immediate transition, but thanks to Nicolo’s structured internal training and his ability to involve everyone-from management to the production department-we learned to think in terms of flow, value, and waste reduction. The manual kanban was our first real Lean tool. It allowed us to visualize processes, streamline materials management, and hold operators accountable. Most importantly, it worked. So much so that within a few months we had 16 kanban-managed lines.

The next step

Once we had achieved the highest level of efficiency with this materials management system, we took a further step, aimed at eliminating some time- and resource-consuming manual system maintenance operations. The key to the change was related to the adoption of KanbanBOX, an electronic kanban software, that is, a tool to digitize and automate some of the processes of the existing kanban system.

Here again, the training carried out earlier proved decisive: thanks to the experience gained with “classic” kanban management, the transition to management with the software was natural and very quick.

Benefits for El.Co.’s customers from this optimization path

This path of streamlining internal production processes has generated significant benefits not only for the company, in terms of operational efficiency and reduction of non-value-added activities, but especially for our customers. Thanks to more structured and responsive management, we can now guarantee shorter and more reliable lead times.

In addition, greater visibility and control over the entire supply chain allows us to be an even more solid, timely and transparent interlocutor, able to respond promptly to market needs.

But the path of improvement undertaken has certainly not ended. On the contrary, it represents an ongoing evolution that is now an integral part of our corporate culture. As Nicolò taught us, continuous improvement is not a goal to be achieved once and for all, but a constant and strategic approach to dealing with change, optimizing processes and generating value, for us and for customers.

To learn more about our Lean transformation journey, read Nicolò Zaffonato’s interview with KanbanBOX at this link.