We Shortened Market Entry Time by 22 Days for a Company in Gliwice
A client in the metallurgical industry had been planning a launch for 4 months. We stepped in, simplified the logistics model, and they launched in 19 days. Savings on rent alone amounted to 11,400 PLN.
Stal-Met Gliwice was stuck in place for four months. The owner was paying for an empty hall, and production was not starting due to logistics planning errors. We entered the game on August 14, 2024, to cut this knot and start the machines.
The challenge
The company had the machines ready, but the logistics were a mess. Every week of delay cost them exactly 2,840 PLN in lease installments alone, not counting electricity and taxes. Planning on their own took them 118 days and there was still no end in sight.
There was no clear division of roles in the warehouse and no specific delivery schedule from subcontractors in Czechia. Employees came to work but didn't know where to start because the raw material didn't arrive on time. The chaos was so great that the owner considered postponing the start to the following year.
Our approach
Our team, consisting of three analysts, spent 5 business days in Gliwice conducting a hard audit of processes. Instead of drawing theoretical charts, we stood at the unloading ramp with a watch in hand and counted every move.
We calculated that 42.7% of working time was wasted searching for forklifts and unnecessary walks around the hall. We introduced a short decision cycle method and eliminated redundant links in the supply chain. Concrete facts on the table: we cut 3 intermediate stages from the plan that only generated paperwork costs.
The solution
We rebuilt the material flow map on the 1,230 m2 hall. We introduced a simple daily reporting system for the shift supervisor, which now takes him 6 minutes in the morning and 4 minutes before leaving.
We negotiated new terms with two steel suppliers, shortening the wait for raw materials from 14 to 6 business days. We gave up an expensive external warehouse because, thanks to better pallet arrangement, everything fit at the client's site. Numbers don't lie: we recovered 114 m2 of free space.
Results
We launched full production in 19 days from starting cooperation with Efficiency Architects. The client avoided another month of losses and began fulfilling the first order for a contractor from Germany worth 42,300 euros. We cut unnecessary costs where others only see a problem.
Timeline
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August 14, 2024On-site audit in Gliwice and measurement of working time at the machines.
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August 21, 2024Implementation of the new hall logistics map and change of rack layout.
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August 28, 2024Training 14 employees on new reporting rules.
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September 2, 2024Launch of the first production batch and efficiency test.
"Honestly? I was afraid this was another theory. But when I saw that the guys were simply moving racks and suddenly everything was going 34% faster, I knew it was a bullseye."