Details

August 2019

The assembly department gets its own emergency response corps

We are getting more and more repair orders from our customers, who prefer that we perform the repairs and the maintenance on their tools.

"Naturally this increases the pressure on our assembly department. We have already this year hired two new employees in the department, so now we have a fixed staffing of eight men. However, in peak periods, this is still not always enough to be able to comply with our customers' requirements for fast delivery," says Managing Director Aage Agergaard.

Corps of seven tool makers
Therefore, Hjerno is now creating an internal emergency response corps that can assist in the assembly department when required. The corps consists of tool makers from the other departments of the house.

"We have in total appointed seven tool makers. At any time, we may tap their shoulder and redirect the production, which means that in principle we have at any time 15 men in the assembly," continues Aage Agergaard.

He stresses that it is of course only during shorter peak periods that it is possible to draw on the additional employees.

"But exactly these seven employees are usually engaged in more long-term productions. Therefore, they can plan to pitch into the work at a later time, when it is suitable for them and in that way we make everything come together.

Larger flexibility as an organisation
The initiative is yet another step in Hjerno’s efforts to lower lead times and further increase delivery reliability, he explains.

"It is an advantage for our customers because it increases our flexibility as an organisation. And at the same time, it is an advantage for our employees because they are given greater freedom to select working days at other times when they can catch up."