Strengthening our operational capabilities – new project management tool increases operational agility and customer responsiveness

During the year, Critical Engineering significantly enhanced its project management capabilities by introducing a new tool called Obeya at many of its 17 sites around the world. Obeya, from the Japanese word meaning ‘big room’, is a dedicated space within a production facility which provides a detailed visual overview of the entire production process from customer order through to customer delivery.

Every member of the team involved in the design, development and manufacture of one of Critical Engineering’s complex bespoke valves
has access to Obeya and uses the tool to review and track not only their own area of responsibility but every stage of the entire production process.

Using Obeya, bottlenecks in production can be easily identified, spare capacity in the process flagged and likely delays anticipated and, as a consequence, avoided. As a result, stock levels and work in progress can be reduced and on time delivery improved. Furthermore the comprehensive overview of the entire process, that Obeya provides, enables the plant’s production process effectively
to be set to the customer’s timetable ensuring on time delivery and customer satisfaction.