"QR_, are in my opinion, the best management consultants, globally, in terms of data-driven manufacturing efficiency, techniques and practices." - Group CEO.
Case study: Accelerate time to market
With 32 types of double-crewed National Health Service (NHS) ambulances in operation across the UK and no standard design, there are substantial differences in procurement, operating costs, and vehicle capabilities between trusts.
A global LCV manufacturer approached QR_ to help them deliver a ground-breaking new standardised vehicle, using data to accelerate the time to market.
Case study: Accelerate time to market
Our client, a market leader in commercial vehicles, selected QR_ to help consolidate and manage data from two different sources in order to accelerate the time to market for their state-of-the-art ambulance.
Responding to Lord Carter’s review into unwarranted variation in ambulance design between NHS trusts, our client partnered with the UK’s largest emergency services vehicle provider to develop an ambulance with a new, lightweight design that was compliant with the national specification. With the ambitious goal of moving from concept to launch-ready in 12 months, the high-cadence programme would require variant management and seamless data/systems integration.
1. Challenge
Our client’s joint venture with the emergency services vehicle provider aimed to drive production efficiency of the new, front-line ambulance. However, this was impeded by each partner using different CAD and BoM systems, and the datasets needed to make this program a success were disparate. The client’s ambition was the reveal the first two product builds at that year’s Emergency Services Show. For the programme to meet this deadline and bring the concept to market, it was clear that data aggregation would be essential.
2. Approach
To enable the delivery of this game-changing new vehicle, QR_ developed an agile and collaborative process that identified and removed critical constraints and clearly defined workstreams. Led by NHS ambulance trusts, QR_ was able to identify and document the variance between trusts and use this information to inform an optimised layout for medical equipment within the vehicle – this was critical to ensuring that the final product was less than 3.5-tonnes. When it comes to joint ventures within manufacturing, effective communication between systems is vital. QR_ defined and built a bespoke system that would enable critical program information, such as BoM, weight and timing, to be seamlessly shared between both parties and understood by the team.
3. Outcome
As a result of the methods devised by QR_, the first ambulances successfully came in below the target of 3.5-tonnes and were unveiled at the Emergency Services Show, less than 12 months after the initial NHS trust consultation. Not only did QR_ succeed in speeding up the time to market, but the joint venture also benefited from significant cost savings, with over £450 (per unit) saved in BoM cost through the removal of unnecessary features.
4. Feedback
"QR_, are in my opinion, the best management consultants, globally, in terms of data-driven manufacturing efficiency, techniques and practices." - Group CEO.