Paris-based management consulting firm EFESO has helped Thélios manufacture luxury eyewear reduce production times and “work in progress” volumes by more than 35%, thanks to a new lean manufacturing model human-centered.
A joint venture between the Italian luxury eyewear company Marcolin and the global group of luxury brands LVMH: Thélios designs and produces eyewear for the biggest brands around the world, including Dior, Stella McCartney, Celine and Berluti, among others .
In support of this volume, Manifattura Thélios – a production center located at Marcolin’s headquarters in Longarone, Italy – which houses 100 of Thélios’ 250 employees. Seeking to optimize its entire value chain – including Manifattura – to meet customer demands in an increasingly demanding luxury market, Thélios turned to the experts at EFESO Consulting to design a new model. production based on technology.
Key goals were shortened delivery times, predictive maintenance capabilities, streamlining the portfolio to focus on popular products and more balanced workloads. Operational excellence is one of EFESO’s core competencies, and the firm has deployed three experts to support the project.
Lean transformation
After two months of framing the status quo at Thélios, the experts developed a vast optimization plan. The focus was on “lean” operating models – which focus on rapid prototyping and testing over short periods of time to reduce costs, time and energy required for production.
EFESO has applied lean principles to Thélios’ industrial strategy by setting up new dynamic assembly lines, designed to reduce working capital and production time. There was also a new capability model, which could balance the workflows between prototyping, development, and manufacturing.
And the impact has been impressive: response times are lower, which puts more Thélios products on the shelves with greater frequency; current products have been reduced by 35 to 50%; faster prototyping and knowledge deployment improved product value creation; and technical losses are low thanks to digitization.
To top it off, workflows are running in a balanced fashion, critical issues are detected and addressed at an early stage, and production times have been reduced by 35%. The product range has also been streamlined: Thélios now produces 30% fewer obsolete items.
Human-centered approach
Much of this success, experts say, goes beyond the technical prowess of the new model – it boils down to the fact that people are at the heart of the transformation strategy.
“Human dynamics were at the center of all EFESO’s interventions; in fact, adopting lean concepts, where flow predominates over local productivity, has required a lot of effort to break traditional production paradigms, ”a press release from EFESO reads.
The former CEO of Thélios, Massimo Stefanello, supported him: “The difference in working with EFESO is that together, in a very down-to-earth and supportive manner, we have managed to achieve serious improvements in our value, but it is their focus on the human side. things that are a real asset in this type of project.
