Case Study: Carlisle Brake and Friction improves lean manufacturing efficiency with Factivity MES

Carlisle Brake STUDY and Friction - Customer Case Study

Carlisle Brake and Friction, a manufacturer of braking systems, faced high product costs and inefficiencies due to a complex manufacturing process that involved transporting parts between plants. This led to excessive work-in-process inventory and scheduling difficulties, making it hard to compete with offshore manufacturers. They partnered with FACTIVITY to implement its MES (Manufacturing Execution System) solution as part of a major lean transformation initiative.

Factivity's MES provided a paperless factory solution that simplified shop floor communication with electronic dispatch lists and Kanban systems, directly connecting customer orders to production. This greatly enhanced visibility and streamlined processes. The results were highly successful, drastically improving the key metric of Delivery In Full & On Time (DIFOT) performance. Factivity's system also helped eliminate three days of lead time, reduced process steps by two-thirds, and provided real-time material tracking, contributing to a more competitive and profitable US-based manufacturing operation.

Carlisle Brake and Friction

James “JJ” Leet

Junior Project Lead