Kangqian Mould
Kangqian Mould: Plastic Moulds for Mobile Phone Cases
Kangqian Mould makes plastic moulds for mobile phone cases. The company has around 200 employees and is located in Longgang, Shenzhen. Its production involves multiple parts and processes, and the factory tracks which process each part has reached and how many are complete.
Adding shop floor control to the existing ERP
Before the project, Kangqian Mould used their existing ERP. That system did not include the shop floor management capabilities the factory needed. The company adopted QUALI's ERP (formerly Jiang's software) to complement their existing ERP and provide production-line control.
The implementation focused on recording each operation at the point where it happened. Workers scan the barcode on the manufacturing order, the start code, the finish code, and the employee barcode on their factory ID card. This creates a production record tied to the order, the operation, and the person carrying it out.
What the factory can see
The system monitors the progress of each part, including the process it has reached and the quantity completed. Managers can follow production-line progress without entering the shop floor. When a process is delayed in starting, the computer sends a warning that scrolls across the screen as a marquee message.
The records also support statistical analysis. The factory can review the actual labour hours used for each part, the total hours for a mould, and the combined cost of outsourced processing. These figures give the production and management teams a shared record for reviewing work and costs.
Replacing repeated manual reporting
Daily production reports had previously been completed by hand. With barcode scanning, the required production events are captured as work starts and finishes, so manual form filling is replaced by a scan. The change saves time and reduces repeated data entry for the factory staff.
Barcode records also make labour-hour information more credible for performance review. Kangqian Mould can assess individual performance with a clearer record and use that information when implementing performance bonus arrangements. The purpose is to give the factory a consistent basis for discussion, rather than relying on separate manual records.
A practical operating model
The barcode process was designed for straightforward use on the production line. Workers need only simple training to lift the scanner and read a barcode. The production line showed a high level of acceptance, while clerks could print manufacturing orders with a laser printer or an inkjet printer and produce the required barcodes.
Barcode management helps work proceed with greater self-discipline and can reduce the management effort required to track progress manually.
Kangqian Mould reached a working level with the system in about two months. The result was a simple operating flow: print the manufacturing order, scan the relevant barcodes, monitor process and quantity progress, and use the recorded data to review labour hours and outsourced processing costs.