Strategic Capacity Planning at a Medical Device Manufacturing Facility

Capacity planning stands as a cornerstone in the operational strategy of any organization, providing a systematic approach to managing resources efficiently. Capacity planning ensures optimal resource utilization while controlling costs by accurately forecasting demand and aligning resources accordingly. This process not only safeguards against performance bottlenecks but also mitigates risks associated with service disruptions or unexpected fluctuations in demand. Moreover, capacity planning plays a pivotal role in strategic decision-making, offering valuable insights for expansion, investment, and resource allocation. Company M is a multinational company specializing in a wide range of electronics, from consumer electronics to medical devices and systems. It employs over 80,000 people spread out over 100 countries across the globe. Company M operates a manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania specializing in producing ultrasound transducers. The PA site employs approximately 650 individuals, encompassing roles such as engineers, operators, contractors, research, and development specialists, as well as environmental, health, and safety personnel. This diverse team collaborates seamlessly to facilitate the efficient operation of the plant while maintaining a steadfast commitment to delivering products of the highest quality. In PA, over 80 different models of transducers are manufactured, all varying in shape, size, and function; therefore, efficient capacity planning is paramount. The current capacity plan is manually updated and tracked in Excel, with delayed demand and a high susceptibility to errors, resulting in operational confusion and inefficiencies. By leveraging technology including VBA Macros, we implement an automated capacity planning system that eliminates manual updates in Excel, integrates real-time demand data, and reduces errors, thereby enhancing operational clarity and efficiency. We created an automated capacity planning tool by using lean six sigma methodologies and integrating SAP with excel and achieved our key performance indicators (KPIs) including the improvement in ease of use by addressing the previous issue of the manual tool’s tediousness and lack of user friendliness. The updated tool also targets enhancing ease of decision-making processes, aiming to expedite and enhance the accuracy of decisions made. and ease of decision making, to facilitate faster and accurate decision making.

Advisor Details: Dr. Paul Griffin Professor Harold and Inge Marcus Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

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Work Title Strategic Capacity Planning at a Medical Device Manufacturing Facility
Access
Penn State
Creators
  1. Tanishca Sanjay Dwivedi
Keyword
  1. Manufacturing
  2. VBA
  3. Capacity Planning
License In Copyright (Rights Reserved)
Work Type Research Paper
Acknowledgments
  1. Paul Griffin
Publication Date 2024
Deposited March 17, 2024

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  • Updated Description, Publication Date Show Changes
    Description
    • Capacity planning stands as a cornerstone in the operational strategy of any organization, providing a systematic approach to managing resources efficiently. Capacity planning ensures optimal resource utilization while controlling costs by accurately forecasting demand and aligning resources accordingly. This process not only safeguards against performance bottlenecks but also mitigates risks associated with service disruptions or unexpected fluctuations in demand. Moreover, capacity planning plays a pivotal role in strategic decision-making, offering valuable insights for expansion, investment, and resource allocation. Company M is a multinational company specializing in a wide range of electronics, from consumer electronics to medical devices and systems. It employs over 80,000 people spread out over 100 countries across the globe. Company M operates a manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania specializing in producing ultrasound transducers. The PA site employs approximately 650 individuals, encompassing roles such as engineers, operators, contractors, research, and development specialists, as well as environmental, health, and safety personnel. This diverse team collaborates seamlessly to facilitate the efficient operation of the plant while maintaining a steadfast commitment to delivering products of the highest quality. In PA, over 80 different models of transducers are manufactured, all varying in shape, size, and function; therefore, efficient capacity planning is paramount. The current capacity plan is manually updated and tracked in Excel, with delayed demand and a high susceptibility to errors, resulting in operational confusion and inefficiencies. By leveraging technology including VBA Macros, we implement an automated capacity planning system that eliminates manual updates in Excel, integrates real-time demand data, and reduces errors, thereby enhancing operational clarity and efficiency. We created an automated capacity planning tool by using lean six sigma methodologies and integrating SAP with excel and achieved our key performance indicators (KPIs) including the improvement in ease of use by addressing the previous issue of the manual tool’s tediousness and lack of user friendliness. The updated tool also targets enhancing ease of decision-making processes, aiming to expedite and enhance the accuracy of decisions made. and ease of decision making, to facilitate faster and accurate decision making.
    Publication Date
    • 2024-03-17
  • Updated Acknowledgments Show Changes
    Acknowledgments
    • Paul Griffin
  • Added Creator Tanishca Sanjay Dwivedi
  • Added Master's Paper - Tanishca.pdf
  • Updated Work Title, Keyword, Description, and 2 more Show Changes
    Work Title
    • Strategic capacity planning at a medical device manufacturing facility
    • Strategic Capacity Planning at a Medical Device Manufacturing Facility
    Keyword
    • Manufacturing, VBA, Capacity Planning
    Description
    • Capacity planning stands as a cornerstone in the operational strategy of any organization, providing a systematic approach to managing resources efficiently. Capacity planning ensures optimal resource utilization while controlling costs by accurately forecasting demand and aligning resources accordingly. This process not only safeguards against performance bottlenecks but also mitigates risks associated with service disruptions or unexpected fluctuations in demand. Moreover, capacity planning plays a pivotal role in strategic decision-making, offering valuable insights for expansion, investment, and resource allocation. Company M is a multinational company specializing in a wide range of electronics, from consumer electronics to medical devices and systems. It employs over 80,000 people spread out over 100 countries across the globe. Company M operates a manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania specializing in producing ultrasound transducers. The PA site employs approximately 650 individuals, encompassing roles such as engineers, operators, contractors, research, and development specialists, as well as environmental, health, and safety personnel. This diverse team collaborates seamlessly to facilitate the efficient operation of the plant while maintaining a steadfast commitment to delivering products of the highest quality. In PA, over 80 different models of transducers are manufactured, all varying in shape, size, and function; therefore, efficient capacity planning is paramount. The current capacity plan is manually updated and tracked in Excel, with delayed demand and a high susceptibility to errors, resulting in operational confusion and inefficiencies. By leveraging technology including VBA Macros, we implement an automated capacity planning system that eliminates manual updates in Excel, integrates real-time demand data, and reduces errors, thereby enhancing operational clarity and efficiency. We created an automated capacity planning tool by using lean six sigma methodologies and integrating SAP with excel and achieved our key performance indicators (KPIs) including the improvement in ease of use by addressing the previous issue of the manual tool’s tediousness and lack of user friendliness. The updated tool also targets enhancing ease of decision-making processes, aiming to expedite and enhance the accuracy of decisions made. and ease of decision making, to facilitate faster and accurate decision making.
    • Capacity planning stands as a cornerstone in the operational strategy of any organization, providing a systematic approach to managing resources efficiently. Capacity planning ensures optimal resource utilization while controlling costs by accurately forecasting demand and aligning resources accordingly. This process not only safeguards against performance bottlenecks but also mitigates risks associated with service disruptions or unexpected fluctuations in demand. Moreover, capacity planning plays a pivotal role in strategic decision-making, offering valuable insights for expansion, investment, and resource allocation. Company M is a multinational company specializing in a wide range of electronics, from consumer electronics to medical devices and systems. It employs over 80,000 people spread out over 100 countries across the globe. Company M operates a manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania specializing in producing ultrasound transducers. The PA site employs approximately 650 individuals, encompassing roles such as engineers, operators, contractors, research, and development specialists, as well as environmental, health, and safety personnel. This diverse team collaborates seamlessly to facilitate the efficient operation of the plant while maintaining a steadfast commitment to delivering products of the highest quality. In PA, over 80 different models of transducers are manufactured, all varying in shape, size, and function; therefore, efficient capacity planning is paramount. The current capacity plan is manually updated and tracked in Excel, with delayed demand and a high susceptibility to errors, resulting in operational confusion and inefficiencies. By leveraging technology including VBA Macros, we implement an automated capacity planning system that eliminates manual updates in Excel, integrates real-time demand data, and reduces errors, thereby enhancing operational clarity and efficiency. We created an automated capacity planning tool by using lean six sigma methodologies and integrating SAP with excel and achieved our key performance indicators (KPIs) including the improvement in ease of use by addressing the previous issue of the manual tool’s tediousness and lack of user friendliness. The updated tool also targets enhancing ease of decision-making processes, aiming to expedite and enhance the accuracy of decisions made. and ease of decision making, to facilitate faster and accurate decision making.
    • Advisor Details: Dr. Paul Griffin Professor Harold and Inge Marcus Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
    Publication Date
    • 2024-03-17
    • 2024
    License
    • https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/
  • Published
  • Updated