Case Study
Redesigning Carpentry Manufacturing for Greater Efficiency
overview
Redesigning wooden frame construction and assembly from the ground up, introducing a new line-flow manufacturing concept without stopping production. The changes cut frame costs by 35% and established a production model subsequently adopted across five Group facilities.
Tadeusz Szymanski
CEO, Polipol Group
"Working with Krystian was a game-changer for our factory. His insights into production planning and operational efficiency helped us reduce costs while increasing output. His practical, hands-on approach made a real difference."
-35%
Wooden frame costs
-28%
Assembly cycle time improvement
$180K
Annual cost savings
The Situation
The carpentry department of an upholstery manufacturing plant relied on a traditional wooden frame assembly process that involved excessive material handling, manual lifting and inefficient use of production space.
The existing frame construction also presented opportunities to reduce material consumption, weight and manufacturing costs without compromising structural strength or product quality.
The challenge was to develop an entirely new manufacturing concept — the first within the Group — and introduce it into an operating factory without interrupting regular production. This required changes not only to frame design and assembly workflows, but also to the supporting ERP system and production organization.
The Findings
The assessment identified opportunities to improve manufacturing efficiency by redesigning both the wooden frame construction and the way frames moved through production.
Frame construction: The existing design offered opportunities to reduce material consumption, component weight and manufacturing costs while maintaining the required strength and durability.
Production flow: The assembly process involved excessive material handling, manual lifting and inefficient movement between workstations. A line-flow production concept offered a more efficient alternative.
Workstation layout and ergonomics: The existing arrangement limited effective use of production space and created unnecessary physical strain for operators.
Production systems: The proposed manufacturing concept required changes to ERP workflows and production planning to support the new assembly sequence and material flow.
The Work
The project involved developing a new wooden frame manufacturing concept, combining product redesign with a complete reorganization of the carpentry assembly process.
Frame construction was re-engineered to reduce material consumption, weight and production costs while maintaining structural strength and durability. A new line-flow assembly system was designed, with revised workstation layouts, material supply routes and task sequences to minimize handling, manual lifting and unnecessary movement.
The implementation also required adapting ERP processes to the new manufacturing workflow, aligning production planning and material management with the redesigned assembly system.
Changes were introduced in carefully coordinated phases during regular factory operations. Workstations were reorganized, operators trained and production methods adjusted while maintaining ongoing output.
Following successful implementation, the manufacturing concept was standardized and rolled out across five production facilities within the Group.
The Results
The redesigned manufacturing process reduced wooden frame costs by 35%, improved assembly cycle time by 28% and generated $180,000 in annual savings.
The new line-flow assembly system improved material handling, workplace ergonomics and production space utilization, with implementation completed without interrupting regular factory output.
Following its successful introduction, the manufacturing concept was adopted across five production facilities within the Group, extending the impact well beyond the original carpentry department.
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