Sometimes switching to totes for managing work-in-process can revamp an entire facility, improving product flow, increasing productivity and reducing costs. Sometimes new totes even maximize floor space and reduce employee injury. For Blackhawk Automotive Plastics, Inc., all of those gains came when it replaced cardboard boxes with a color-coordinated system of reusable plastic totes at its Mason, Ohio manufacturing facility.

Blackhawk Automotive supplies General Motors, Honda and DaimlerChrysler with molded plastic parts for both the interior and exterior of their cars. Those parts include instrument panels, bumpers and light covers, to name three.

Prior to the switch to totes, Blackhawk faced major production problems at its Mason facility. The troubles were so extensive that unless they could be fixed, the plant was slated for shutdown. As a result, Blackhawk made major changes to how it manufactures. Central to these changes was the replacement of corrugated containers with totes to move molded work-in-process parts around the plant.

"With the previous arrangement, it was difficult to get around the stacks of cardboard boxes in the plant," says materials manager Greg Rosing. "Orders were often damaged or lost which resulted in slow lead times as production struggled to make up for the loss."

The new reusable totes practically eliminated cardboard usage, which lowers waste disposal costs and loss from damaged and missing products. It also makes the plant cleaner and more organized. The color-coded system makes products easier to identify and locate. Ridding the plant of messy cardboard boxes also maximizes floor space. All of these benefits add up to an increase in productivity, which saved the plant from closing.

To maximize the efficiency of the totes, parts were weighed and measured then matched with the tote best suited to it. A return-on-investment analysis was conducted to confirm cost justification for type of tote.

Custom-made internal packaging also helped boost productivity by keeping Blackhawk's painted products blemish free from production to final assembly. The design improved handling and quality of the parts.

"Some of the trays we use were actually developed for bakeries to transport bread and buns," Rosing says. "We customized the trays with foam to keep the wet parts coming off the paint lines upright and separated, allowing them to be stored without getting scratched."

The totes are now an integral part of the company's new visual pull system, which improves production workflow. The system allows specific parts stored in totes in designated areas to be taken and replenished as needed. Materials handlers easily pull totes from work-in-process staging areas, and tuggers transport them to assembly cells or paint lines.

These drastic changes in handling materials turned the facility into a model of productivity for Blackhawk. Beyond increases in productivity, recorded injuries were reduced by 40% and employee turnover was reduced by 52%.

The Mason plant is now the most efficient of Blackhawk's production facilities and considered to be the model for upgrades elsewhere. Even General Motors recognized the difference, giving the plant an award for 12 months of perfect on-time delivery.