When it comes to solving a challenging customer delivery issue, Amy Root isn’t shy about leaning in. So, when she identified the opportunity to optimize production scheduling by aligning it with customer demand, she took swift and decisive action.
“As a global leader of engine components and systems, it’s our commitment to deliver exceptional value to our clients through daily management and problem solving,” said Root, a senior materials planning and execution manager for Unison, a GE Aerospace company.
Root and her team, who work at Unison’s Norwich, N.Y. facility, observed volatility in customer demand due to an inconsistency between customer reports and operations on the production floor.
“When we discovered that parts were being added to the production schedule resulting in excess client inventory, we knew it was time to zero in on our demand planning fundamentals,” said Root. “By utilizing FLIGHT DECK, GE’s lean proprietary operating model, we began to align material coverage and cumulative lead times, ensuring a no-waste order fulfillment plan for our client’s aftermarket platforms.”
By developing standard work for demand reviews and increasing cross-collaboration, Amy and team were able to proactively identify material constraints to meet customer needs. As a result of the enhanced collaboration and increased trust, the customer has partnered with Unison’s Norwich team to launch two new programs in the coming months.
For her exemplary efforts, Root’s team won praise from a valued customer for 100 percent on-time delivery and she earned a GE Aerospace Annual Deliver with Focus Award in 2023.
Her advice to others?
“Be honest with customers. If you see something in a process isn’t working, change it. Invite others into the discussion. Overcommunicate – if you think you’ve said it too many times, say it again. It helps everyone understand what you’re doing – and why.”