By controlling usage, Optimas was able to deliver
a further annual estimated cost saving of around
£400,000 to the manufacturer.
optiMAS reDUCeS
CoMponent
oBSoleSCenCe for
preMiUM AUtoMotive
prototypeS
treamlining the controlled
build engagement
process as an automotive
manufacturer can bring a
host of benefits, offering
increased research and development
speed and a reduced bill of materials.
Businesses such as Optimas have built
a reputation in such work, offering
expertise during the capital intensive
controlled build engagement process, to
enable a unified and efficient approach to
component specification and utilisation.
It is this experience that has seen Optimas
join forces with an iconic luxury car
manufacturer during the controlled build
engagement of a new model – the first
supplier to ever engage with the marque’s
production and engineering teams at such
an early stage.
S
The logic behind involving an expert
component supplier, such as Optimas,
during the early stages of production
is the dramatic cost savings that can be
achieved via an optimised approach.
Component suppliers can gain familiarity
with a project if involved from the design
phase; standardising, originating or
82
PECM Issue 29
recommending component solutions that
can save a manufacturer time and costs.
This is particularly pertinent during the
research and development stage, as man y
components included on the first cars
may not be included on later variations,
so particular care must be taken not to
order components that are obsolete
for a particular build. Doing so would
increase costs to the manufacturer, slow
development time and convolute this
stage – not what you need when working
to tight testing and release deadlines.
To achieve this project familiarity and
optimised approach, it was necessary
for Optimas to select engineers to work
full-time with the manufacturer during
the research and development process.
Having worked with Optimas prior to
the new vehicle project, the marque
knew Optimas had a reputation for
streamlining component policy that
suited their requirements. Furthermore,
Optimas has worked with many other
prestigious marques, so the manufacturer
had confidence that Optimas could deliver
quality as standard.
Andrew Woolley, Key Account Manager
at Optimas explains: “We were brought
in to aid with the prototype builds for a
manufacturer. Our main objective was
to reduce obsolescence throughout this
production stage. This was a process
of starving parts during the builds
and ensuring engineers didn’t specify
additional fasteners, which enabled
us to control and record exactly what
components were used. We achieved this
by using parts bins with predefined car
sets in - enough for 5 cars for example -
and then recorded the components we
didn’t utilise every week. As we progressed
through the iterations of the vehicle we
could begin to actively reduce wastage.”
Specifying parts for a prototype build is
challenging. As a manufacturer, knowing
exactly what parts will be used on the
final production ready car is essentially
consulting the crystal ball. However, with
the involvement of Optimas, the bill of
materials can be matured throughout
the process, reducing obsolescence and
optimising component choice. This can
involve specifying items that are off the
shelf and streamlining the supply chain to