Case Study: Nicolet Plastics, Inc. achieves 7‑day order-to-delivery lead times with DELMIAworks

Quick Response Manufacturing Yields Lower Inventories & Improves cash flow

Nicolet Plastics, a Wisconsin-based molder of complex, low-to-moderate volume parts for industries from packaging to medical devices, faced rising offshore competition and the need to compete on speed rather than price. The company set aggressive QRM goals—cut order-to-delivery from 21 to 7 days, lower finished goods inventory, improve responsiveness to demand and cross-train staff—and needed better systems and processes to make time-based manufacturing practical day to day.

Nicolet implemented Quick Response Manufacturing supported by IQMS’ EnterpriseIQ ERP/MES: company-wide cross-training and a skills matrix, real-time production monitoring and alerts, smaller batch sizes and “swim lanes,” prioritized materials (“house” materials), and dynamic scheduling and CRM tools. Results included velocity rising from 2.3× to 6.3×, finished goods inventory dropping from $500K to $200K while sales doubled, turns improving from 11 to 25, a seven-day lead-time reduction (half its goal), scrap hours down 45%, and EBITDA quadrupling over three years, alongside record revenues and industry awards.

Nicolet Plastics, Inc.

Rajan Suri

Founding Director