Autumn 2009 - Marshall Group

Environmental 09
It’s not just Argos!
Thanks to a joint project between Production and Purchasing, new technology has been introduced to the MA Central
Store to allow the mobile paperless picking of parts, resulting in 30% reduction in pick times. This “paperless” picking
allows parts demands to be tracked from stores to the aircraft bay. The Technician can follow the progress of the part to
the bay from a suite of screens available on Tandem. The relevant Production Control Booth (PCB) can see if a part is either
at ‘picking’, ‘in transit’ or ‘delivered’. The process is linked to scheduled work packs allow parts to be provisioned but
prevents picking until the PCB ‘racks’ the work card and indicates the part is required.
ACB3 Screen
The key to the process is the replacement of printed pick lists with a hand held reader carried by the stores person, which
constantly displays the latest items to be picked. With the introduction of these mobile screens and hand held printers,
picking by barcode technology has become a reality at MA. With Tandem software integration developed by the MA IT
team, touch screen technology eliminates many of the potential delays inherent in the old picking process.
Hand held reader
Each requirement is colour coded on the screen to tell the stores person how urgently the part is needed – red lines
indicate that a part is required immediately, as the job is currently in work – blue indicates routine. To ensure that priorities
are attended to immediately, the system won’t allow any routine demands to be picked, until all the priorities have been
cleared from the system This is the first time Stores has had an automated indication of priority within the picking process,
supporting efficient picking to meet Production’s needs.
IFS1 Screen
As the stores person performs the pick, the item barcode is scanned, with the hand held reader, which validates the item
detail with the Goods Receipt Number (GRN) detail. The mobile printer then outputs a barcode label with the item detail
which is attached to the bagged parts for movement to the user. The complete pick transaction is done on one screen
without paper.
Scanning the part
A 30% decrease in picking times has been recorded when the new technology was tested against the paper pick system.
Efficiency should further improve as the stores personnel become more familiar with the new equipment.
Sustainable Development – Making a difference !
As a key supplier to the UK MoD, Marshall
Aerospace has recently committed to support
the UK MoD in meeting Government targets
for Sustainable Development within their
supply chains. Whilst that might sound
commendable, you could be forgiven for
asking “what does it actually mean?”
Sustainable Development is described as
“development that meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs”.
It’s about making a difference.
As a signatory of the UK MoD Sustainable
Procurement Charter, MA has recently
completed a self assessment against the
Government’s Sustainable Procurement
‘Flexible Framework’. This Framework is seen
as the vehicle for focusing and measuring the
sustainable development status and progress
of major suppliers, such as MA. All
Government departments are required to
report progress against this Framework, and
to achieve at least Level 3 maturity in all areas
by December 2009.
MA’s self assessment has placed us at level 1
maturity and, although MA isn’t required to
achieve the same December 2009 timescale
as Government departments, there is clearly
much for us to do to reach level 3 during 2010.
An action plan has been put forward by MA
which will be an agenda item at the next Key
Supplier Performance Review meeting with
the MoD in July this year. Although 2009 is
being treated as a trial year, from 2010
onwards our sustainable development
progress will form part of our overall
Performance Review score.
Sustainable development is recognised by the
MA Board as being of major importance to the
business going forward. Martin Broadhurst
has emphasised this point:
“Whilst Purchasing will be at the forefront of this
initiative, as the department responsible for
procuring the company’s goods and services,
it is the responsibility of all of us to play our part
in considering how best to support our future
sustainable development needs”.
Work is already underway to review how we
select, source and procure our goods and
services to ensure that, in future,
Environmental and Corporate Social
Responsibility factors are an integral part of our
purchasing decisions.To underline our
commitment to sustainability MA has already
contracted for 100% of our electricity
requirements to be from ‘green’ renewable
sources from October 2009 onwards. We also
continue to invest in pollution preventative
technologies such as the near-zero solvent
emitting vapour degreaser unit within Heat
Treatment, as well as actively increasing our
recycling initiatives within the workplace to
reduce the amount of recyclable waste going
to landfill.
But everyone can play their part – if you’ve
ideas to help, let us know. Make that
difference!
Jon McKeown, Head of Purchasing
Ext: 3013
James Heffron, Environmental Manager
Ext: 3749