Relocating a Manufacturing Facility Without Stopping Production
Schlumberger · Four divisions · Billable product three months early
Overview
Schlumberger, a global provider of oil and gas technology, needed to relocate one of its manufacturing facilities across the country, with the plant remaining operational and in full production throughout the move. EPMA streamlined the relocation and improved productivity at the new site by building a multi-tiered approach that reported business data upstream and managed priorities downstream, so stakeholders could reach project status immediately and project teams could focus on their work rather than on preparing reports.
3 months
ahead of the estimated timeline, with the plant in full production throughout the move
The key issues
- Four different divisions, each with its own requirements, were affected by a large-scale relocation.
- Communication and designation of priorities was the single biggest challenge.
- The client had no experience relocating an entire facility.
- The plant had to maintain full operation during the move.
- An unexpected shortage of qualified resources threatened to derail the project.
- Delivery expectations were unrealistic because no project schedule existed.
- Communication and reporting between project teams and stakeholders was non-existent.
- Manufacturing output and site readiness were not coordinated.
- Absent resource management was producing unexpected expense.
Our solutions
- Facilitated engagement between stakeholders and every affected division to develop project schedules covering both the decommissioning of the old facility and the commissioning of the new one with the same equipment.
- Established a liaison between project teams and stakeholders, which moved the focus from simply moving the plant to validating the processes required to operate it.
- Much of the workforce did not relocate, so experienced contributors took on roles outside their usual duties. Project schedules were adjusted so project managers could track and use the resources they actually had.
- Trained project teams on the project management techniques the move depended on.
Value added
- The plant shipped billable product three months ahead of the previously estimated timeline.
- A cohesive snapshot of goals, projections and issues for decision-making.
- A consistent method for project teams to assign priorities and manage work.
- Comprehensive scheduling revealed a vital need to keep an existing process operational, avoiding a significant period of lost revenue across the whole operation.
