Activplant and Harbour Consulting Announce Strategic Alliance to Boost Manufacturing Quality and Efficiency through Performance Management Solutions
Manufacturing management consultant and author of the influential Harbour Report becomes Activplant strategic business partner
LONDON, ONTARIO - August 2, 2005 - Activplant, the standard in performance management solutions, and Harbour Consulting, the leader in manufacturing productivity, quality and total cost improvement, today announced their first-ever strategic alliance focused on accelerating manufacturing operational excellence in automotive and other industries.
Harbour Consulting is a manufacturing and management consulting firm focused on improving the overall competitiveness of manufacturing companies. Best known for publishing The Harbour Report, the authoritative guide to automotive manufacturing and a leading competitive-analysis tool used by automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and suppliers, the company helps manufacturers develop and sustain a competitive advantage by implementing proven quality and productivity techniques. Harbour also works beyond automotive to assist firms in such industries as aerospace, defense, pharmaceuticals, electrical components, caskets, furniture and paper products.
"The best companies in the global auto industry are using real-time plant floor data to optimize the manufacturing process and make vehicles and parts faster, better and cheaper," said Laurie Harbour-Felax, vice president of Harbour Consulting. "Our team observed tremendous improvements at plants that are effectively using the Activplant Performance Management System and the Activplant Best Practices, and we are excited to offer these benefits along with our consulting services."
The Activplant Manufacturing Intelligence Platform and The Activplant Performance Management System(TM) are now connected to tens of thousands of plant floor assets (machines, controls, robots, sensors and much more) at more than 50 original equipment manufacturer (OEM) facilities at Ford, DaimlerChrysler and Toyota. Customers are using the Activplant solutions to drive plant floor performance at virtually every type of OEM facility, including assembly, powertrain, stamping, and component plants.
"Harbour and Activplant share a common vision for driving operational excellence," said Dennis Cocco, Activplant president and CEO. "Harbour's recent independent review and validation of our solutions confirms the value that Activplant delivers and we are very pleased that Harbour has chosen to partner with us."
As a result of today's announcement, Activplant's customers will have the opportunity to work with Harbour to evaluate their overall performance and improve their level of operational performance on the plant floor.
"Activplant provides real-time information to the manufacturing teams and team leaders making them instantly aware of process quality and throughput performance with data," said Frederick J. Goedtel, VP Transmission Manufacturing, DaimlerChrysler. "As a result, operators have 'eyes' through which they can see opportunities for continuous improvement. This tool increases the potential for operators to solve problems within the part to part cycle time, improving productivity."
About Harbour Consulting Founded in 1980 and celebrating its 25-year anniversary in 2005, Harbour Consulting provides manufacturing management consulting services focused on strengthening the overall competitiveness of manufacturers through improvements in quality, productivity and lower total cost. The company works hands-on with manufacturing organizations throughout the world to implement shop-floor improvements in a variety of industries. Its annually published The Harbour Report serves as the influential scorecard for manufacturers in the automotive industry.
About Activplant
An enterprise manufacturing intelligence market leader, Activplant’s Performance Management System has set the standard in operational excellence within the world’s largest and most admired manufacturers. Aimed at high-volume, high-automation plants, Activplant’s solution consolidates plant floor data into relevant real-time and historical information, enabling productivity gains by optimizing product, people, equipment and processes. With Activplant solutions, plant managers and manufacturing executives can focus on the key issues in their facilities that ultimately improve product quality, accelerate new product launches and drive performance gains. Activplant is a privately held company based in London, Ontario. For more information please visit www.activplant.com.
For more information, contact:
Donna Araujo
High Road Communications
T: 416.644.2283
E: daraujo@highroad.com
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