auxiell | Case History Smartech Italy

We were involved by Smartech Italia-a company specializing in the production of customized cooking plates for professional kitchens-to start a pilot transformation project with the aim of increasing operational efficiency and supporting growth through more stable, streamlined processes connected to real demand. The initial focus was on theproduction area identified as a critical point for operational complexity and direct impacts on lead time and on-time delivery.

The intervention involved redesigning the production system according to pull flow principles-with finite capacity planning from the bottleneck-andeliminating inefficiencies in physical and information flows. A structured problem solving system was introduced while the layout was revised to reduce movement, improve linearity and free up production space. The project also included the extensive application of the SMED technique on milling, the introduction of supermarkets in kanban logic of finished product and raw material, and the activation of lean accounting to measure economic and operational performance in an integrated manner.

The result is a more orderly, flexible and responsive system-with materials available only when and where they are needed, optimized workstations and a team involved in improvement processes. As evidence of the excellent results achieved in the project, the Smartech Italia team was honored in 2017 in Stockholm as one of Electrolux's three most innovative suppliers worldwide.

Performance Achieved

average lead time

EBITDA in 10 years reaching over 20% of sales in 2024

daily punctuality index

monthly stock rotation index

Roberto Badin

General Manager - Smartech Italy

Silvia Girolami

Administration and Finance Manager - Smartech Italy

Fabio Napoli

Planning and Production Manager - Smartech Italy

Nicholas Flower

Lean Agent - Smartech Italy

Today Smartech Italia manufactures customized cooking plates for leading professional kitchen manufacturers - it offers complete solutions: from prototyping to production and logistics - it works to customer specifications ensuring adaptability, production continuity and consistent quality. It is organized with a streamlined production area, structured according to Lean principles-a sales network oriented to direct collaboration with OEMs and international partners-every step of the process is tracked and monitored to ensure certain timing and maximum efficiency.

Employees (2024)

Turnover (2024)

EBITDA (2024)

The transformation of the first macro-process: Delivery

The streamlining of accounting processes

The project involved the entire production process-from order entry to shipment-of plates. At the initial stage, the system was characterized by batch production, common equipment and lack of standards - conditions that generated interruptions, waiting and production disconnected from customer demand. The intervention focused on the reorganization of the internal production flow, with particular attention to critical locations for capacity and variability. The work involved both physical and information flow, acting in an integrated manner on materials, layout, methods, and demand management. The stages involved in the flow include: material replenishment, sheet metal cutting, straightening, milling, polishing, welding (manual and robotic), and satinizing.

SCAN

Lean Gap Analysis® in Delivery

To analyze the current state of the processes, the auxiell-Smartechteam engaged in Lean Gap Analysis®.In this first phase , the team worked to "take a picture" of the current state of the production process-from the moment the order arrives until the product is shipped to the customer.

Lean Gap Analysis®

Essential step to measure and analyze current processes and define gaps between the current and desired state. In this first phase, one goes to "take a picture" of the current state of the processes in terms of quantifying waste, identifying any issues and opportunities for improvement, and timing all steps. Having a clear view of the performance of the process is necessary to identify the most correct countermeasures aimed at removing the root cause of the problem and to design, with a view to the future, the activities to be done - and on which KPIs to measure - to make it efficient.

The gaps that emerged

Interruptions in production flow - Operators forced to stop work to find material for processing

The material needed for processing was not always available near the workstation - generating continuous interruptions to the flow and reducing the overall efficiency of activities.

Unnecessary movements and steps - Widespread presence of activities without added value

The process included unnecessary moves, transportation and steps - unnecessary activities that increased time and reduced productivity.

Excess consumables and spare parts - Space occupied by stock not commensurate with requirements

Large quantities of consumables and spare parts were stored near production - saturating the area and hindering the management of truly critical components.

Absence of standards - High search times and impact on operational well-being

Lack of standards of order and cleanliness generated disorganization-with prolonged times in searching for tools and materials and an environment perceived as neglected, negatively impacting motivation.

Shared stages and common equipment - Complexity in management and frequent waits

Sharing equipment and locations among different workings resulted in operational overlaps - increasing WIP and generating unscheduled waits.

Intermediate stocks not linked to customer demand - Batch production.

Pending plates between stages were present even in the absence of customer demand - feeding a pushlogic and an increase in intermediate stocks. Production was thus dependent on the time of order and multiple orders were merged to make a larger batch thus generating misalignment with demand.

Lengthy and non-standardized setups - Long waits and large batches

Setup times varied significantly and did not follow codified procedures - incentivizing large batch productions to compensate for downtime and generating response time inefficiencies.

Interruzioni nel flusso produttivo – Operatori costretti a interrompere il lavoro per reperire materiale da trasformare

Il materiale necessario alla lavorazione non era sempre disponibile nei pressi della postazione – generando continue interruzioni al flusso e riducendo l’efficienza complessiva delle attività.

Movimenti e fasi non necessarie – Presenza diffusa di attività senza valore aggiunto

Il processo includeva spostamenti, trasporti e passaggi superflui – attività non necessarie che aumentavano i tempi e riducevano la produttività.

Materiali di consumo e ricambi in eccesso – Spazio occupato da scorte non proporzionate al fabbisogno

Quantità elevate di materiali di consumo e ricambi erano stoccate vicino alla produzione – saturando l’area e ostacolando la gestione dei componenti realmente critici.

Assenza di standard – Tempi di ricerca elevati e impatto sul benessere operativo

La mancanza di standard di ordine e pulizia generava disorganizzazione – con tempi prolungati nella ricerca di strumenti e materiali e un ambiente percepito come trascurato, con impatto negativo sulla motivazione.

Fasi condivise e attrezzature comuni – Complessità nella gestione e attese frequenti

La condivisione di attrezzature e postazioni tra diverse lavorazioni comportava sovrapposizioni operative – aumentando il WIP e generando attese non programmate.

Scorte intermedie non legate alla domanda cliente – Produzione a lotti

Piastre in attesa tra una fase e l’altra erano presenti anche in assenza di una richiesta cliente – alimentando una logica push e un aumento delle scorte intermedie. La produzione era così dipendente dal momento dell'ordine e più ordini venivano accorpati per fare un lotto più grande generando così disallineamento rispetto alla domanda.

Setup lunghi e non standardizzati – Attese prolungate e lotti elevati

I tempi di attrezzaggio variavano significativamente e non seguivano procedure codificate – incentivando produzioni a lotti ampi per compensare i fermi e generando inefficienze nei tempi di risposta.

PLAN

Lean RoadMap® in Delivery

Once the gapswere identified, we moved on to the next phase of the project, which is the PLAN phase. Through the Lean RoadMap® we defined the sequence of implementation of the most correct leantechniques that would allow us to achieve the goals agreed upon with the Smartech Italiateam.

Lean RoadMap®

Stage in which the future state of the analyzed process is planned from a multi-scenario perspective. Once the most technically and economically correct scenario is chosen, we move on to planning the path to be taken to achieve it. In the Lean RoadMap® emerge the activities to focus on and the timeframe with which to complete them.

The direction to go

Lean culture

To create and spread leanculture and improve processes through people involvement and theoretical and practical training on lean system principles and techniques .

5S

The application of the 5S method in and around production workstations has been aimed at improving order, visibility and cleanliness-to reduce search time and increase operational readiness-as well as making the environment more usable and helping to improve the team'sperception of well-being and motivation .

SMED

Methodology introduced to reduce setup times-previously uncoded-and decrease the need for high batch production. The standardization of activities of also allows for increased production flexibility.

Relayout

The goal was to redesign the layout of workstations, materials, and equipment to simplify routes, reduce unnecessary movements, and create a seamless flow of activities, increasing the efficiency of the internal logistics system.

Lean accounting

Applied methodology to introduce continuous control and improvement tools to monitor process performance, production capacity and economic-financial impacts--making it possible to consistently assess operational efficiency and economic sustainability.

Review of production flow in pull (internal ) logic.

To link different production stages in pull logic, avoid intermediate accumulations and reduce waiting - favoring a balanced, continuous flow driven by real customer demand.

Linking to customer demand through kanbanpulls

With the goal of aligning production with actual customer orders through a kanban system-to increase on-time delivery, reduce lead times, and limit overproduction.

Lean culture

Per creare e diffondere la cultura lean e migliorare i processi attraverso il coinvolgimento delle persone e la formazione teorica e pratica sui princìpi e le tecniche del lean system.

5S

L'applicazione del metodo 5S nelle postazioni produttive e nelle aree limitrofe ha avuto come obiettivo quello di migliorare ordine, visibilità e pulizia – per ridurre i tempi di ricerca e aumentare la disponibilità operativa - così come rendere l’ambiente più fruibile e contribuire a migliorare la percezione di benessere e la motivazione del team.

SMED

Metodologia introdotta per ridurre i tempi di setup – precedentemente non codificati – e diminuire la necessità di produzioni a lotti elevati. La standardizzazione delle attività di permette inoltre di aumentare la flessibilità produttiva.

Relayout

L’obiettivo è stato riprogettare la disposizione di postazioni, materiali e attrezzature per semplificare i percorsi, ridurre i movimenti non necessari e creare un flusso continuo delle attività, aumentando l’efficienza del sistema logistico interno.

Lean accounting

Metodologia applicata per introdurre strumenti di controllo e miglioramento continuo per monitorare le performance di processo, la capacità produttiva e gli impatti economico-finanziari – rendendo possibile una valutazione coerente tra efficienza operativa e sostenibilità economica.

Revisione del flusso produttivo in ottica pull (interno)

Per collegare le diverse fasi produttive in logica pull, evitare accumuli intermedi e ridurre le attese – favorendo un flusso bilanciato, continuo e guidato dalla reale domanda del cliente.

Collegamento alla domanda del cliente attraverso pull kanban

Con l'obiettivo di allineare la produzione agli ordini effettivi del cliente attraverso un sistema kanban – per aumentare la puntualità delle consegne, ridurre i lead time e limitare la sovrapproduzione.

DO

Delivery Overall Transformation

What lean activities and techniques enabled us to achieve the set goal?

Lean culture

An organization-wide training course-focused on leanprinciples and the 5S technique-has been activated to align operational language, increase awareness of expected behaviors, and support the widespread adoption of continuous improvement .

5S

The 5S technique was applied extensively, involving the entire company-from line operators to management-with the clear example of the president actively participating, contributing to cleaning activities in the factory. The intervention was the trigger to activate continuous improvement throughout the plant, generating a first level of standardization and creating the conditions for subsequent structured actions.

SMED

The SMED technique was applied to the milling stage-identified as the bottleneck-to reduce setup times for the three milling machines present. The goal was to increase the production availability of the critical machines and smooth the transition between machining operations, reducing batch and waiting times. The main benefit achieved was to make the production of any batch economically viable-thanks to the almost complete elimination of setup times. This made it possible to align batches with actual customer order sizes, reducing intermediate inventories and increasing system responsiveness.

Relayout

The layout was redesigned to improve the usability of the stations and simplify the flow of the plate, which previously followed a complex and articulated path. The intervention reduced displacement, eliminated counterflows and increased the overall linearity of the process.

Lean accounting

Process KPIs were defined consistent with business strategy and monitoring tools were constructed based on box score. The profile of productive, non-productive and improving capacity was plotted, tying it to the value stream of the plate flow. A process income statement capable of allocating direct costs in the correct decision period was also constructed - enabling a more effective control system geared toward continuous improvement.

Review of the production flow from a pull (internal ) perspective.

The scheduling of activities was reorganized from the bottleneck using the heijunkatool - linking in pull logic the earlier stages and applying the FIFO rule for the later ones. The intervention reduced WIP accumulation and improved the operational balance between stages.

Linking to customer demand through pull kanban

A supermarket was created for high-rotation products, with the goal of ensuring availability of finished product within three days of customer demand. The kanbansystem made it possible to make actual requirements visible and synchronize production with demand, improving punctuality and service level.

Lean culture

È stato attivato un percorso formativo rivolto a tutta l’organizzazione – focalizzato sui principi lean e sulla tecnica delle 5S – per allineare il linguaggio operativo, aumentare la consapevolezza dei comportamenti attesi e supportare l’adozione diffusa del miglioramento continuo.

5S

È stata applicata la tecnica delle 5S in modo esteso, coinvolgendo tutta l’azienda – dagli operatori di linea al management – con il chiaro esempio del presidente che ha partecipato attivamente, contribuendo alle attività di pulizia in fabbrica. L’intervento ha rappresentato l’innesco per attivare il miglioramento continuo su tutto lo stabilimento, generando un primo livello di standardizzazione e creando le condizioni per successive azioni strutturata.

SMED

La tecnica SMED è stata applicata alla fase di fresatura – identificata come collo di bottiglia – per ridurre i tempi di setup delle tre frese presenti. L’obiettivo è stato aumentare la disponibilità produttiva delle macchine critiche e rendere più fluido il passaggio tra una lavorazione e l’altra, riducendo lotti e tempi di attesa. Il principale beneficio ottenuto è stato quello di rendere economicamente sostenibile la produzione di qualsiasi lotto – grazie alla quasi totale eliminazione dei tempi di setup. Questo ha permesso di allineare i lotti alle dimensioni effettive degli ordini cliente, riducendo scorte intermedie e aumentando la reattività del sistema.

Relayout

Il layout è stato riprogettato per migliorare la fruibilità delle postazioni e semplificare il flusso della piastra, che in precedenza seguiva un percorso complesso e articolato. L’intervento ha permesso di ridurre gli spostamenti, eliminare controflussi e aumentare la linearità complessiva del processo.

Lean accounting

Sono stati definiti i KPI di processo in coerenza con la strategia aziendale e costruiti strumenti di monitoraggio basati sulla box score. È stato tracciato il profilo di capacità produttiva, non produttiva e migliorativa, legandolo alla value stream del flusso piastre. È stato inoltre costruito un conto economico di processo in grado di attribuire i costi diretti nel periodo decisionale corretto – abilitando un sistema di controllo più efficace e orientato al miglioramento continuo.

Revisione del flusso produttivo in ottica pull (interno)

È stata riorganizzata la schedulazione delle attività a partire dal collo di bottiglia tramite lo strumento heijunka – collegando in logica pull le fasi precedenti e applicando la regola FIFO per quelle successive. L’intervento ha ridotto l’accumulo di WIP e migliorato il bilanciamento operativo tra le fasi.

Collegamento alla domanda del cliente attraverso pull kanban

È stato creato un supermarket per i prodotti ad alta rotazione, con l’obiettivo di garantire la disponibilità di prodotto finito entro tre giorni dalla richiesta cliente. Il sistema kanban ha permesso di rendere visibile il fabbisogno reale e sincronizzare la produzione con la domanda, migliorando puntualità e livello di servizio.

CHECK

Have we achieved the goals set?

The application of the 5S throughout the plant has generated widespread order and cleanliness - making operational activities smoother and activating a continuous improvement process driven by the direct involvement of all functions.

The application of the SMED technique on the critical milling stage has resulted in a significant reduction in setup time-directly impacting flexibility and reducing the average production batch by 70 percent.

Relayout of workstations and processing routes has improved linearity of flow-contributing to a 46 percent reduction in lead time (from order to shipment) and greater efficiency in internal movements.

The introduction of a planning system in pull logic has made possible a better alignment between production and customer demand-increasing the level of on-time delivery (value being updated).

The introduction of the lean accountingsystem has made process performance visible and has contributed to more effective management of production capacity - with a direct impact on EBITDA, which has grown 4.4 times over the baseline period.

The project was recognized as an internal reference and used by the team to activate similar initiatives in other group plants - replicating the method and tools implemented.

L’applicazione delle 5S su tutto il plant ha generato ordine e pulizia diffusi – rendendo più fluide le attività operative e attivando un processo di miglioramento continuo guidato dal coinvolgimento diretto di tutte le funzioni.

L’applicazione della tecnica SMED sulla fase critica di fresatura ha permesso una significativa riduzione del tempo di setup – con un impatto diretto sulla flessibilità e una riduzione del lotto medio di produzione del 70%.

Il relayout delle postazioni e dei percorsi di lavorazione ha migliorato la linearità del flusso – contribuendo a una riduzione del lead time del 46% (da ordine a spedizione) e a una maggiore efficienza nei movimenti interni.

L’introduzione di un sistema di pianificazione in logica pull ha reso possibile un miglior allineamento tra produzione e domanda cliente – aumentando il livello di puntualità delle consegne (valore in aggiornamento).

L’introduzione del sistema di lean accounting ha reso visibili le performance di processo e ha contribuito a una gestione più efficace della capacità produttiva – con un impatto diretto sull’EBITDA, cresciuto di 4,4 volte rispetto al periodo di partenza.

Il progetto è stato riconosciuto come riferimento interno e utilizzato dal team per attivare iniziative simili in altri stabilimenti del gruppo – replicando il metodo e gli strumenti implementati.

From Delivery to Future Opportunities for Improvement

The Smartechproject has generated concrete results on efficiency, punctuality and economic sustainability. The application of 5S across the plant has improved order and organization-activating continuous improvement. Adoption of the SMED technique on milling has reduced setup time and lowered the average batch by 70%. Relayout of stations simplified the flow, reducing lead time by 46%. Implementation of pull flow has improved alignment to customer demand-with an increase in on-time (value being updated). The introduction of lean accounting enabled integrated performance monitoring, contributing to a 4.4-fold increase in EBITDA. The project is now used as an internal model. For its work, the Smartech Italiateam was honored in Stockholm as one of the three most innovative suppliers worldwide.

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Performance Achieved

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Historycompany

2001

Today

The challenge of Smartech Italy

The starting point

The transformation of the first macro-process: Delivery

2012

2025

Delivery

The transformation of the first macro-process: Delivery

The streamlining of accounting processes

SCAN

Lean Gap Analysis® in Delivery

Lean Gap Analysis®

Interruptions in production flow - Operators forced to stop work to find material for processing

Unnecessary movements and steps - Widespread presence of activities without added value

Excess consumables and spare parts - Space occupied by stock not commensurate with requirements

Absence of standards - High search times and impact on operational well-being

Shared stages and common equipment - Complexity in management and frequent waits

Intermediate stocks not linked to customer demand - Batch production.

Lengthy and non-standardized setups - Long waits and large batches

Interruzioni nel flusso produttivo – Operatori costretti a interrompere il lavoro per reperire materiale da trasformare

Movimenti e fasi non necessarie – Presenza diffusa di attività senza valore aggiunto

Materiali di consumo e ricambi in eccesso – Spazio occupato da scorte non proporzionate al fabbisogno

Assenza di standard – Tempi di ricerca elevati e impatto sul benessere operativo

Fasi condivise e attrezzature comuni – Complessità nella gestione e attese frequenti

Scorte intermedie non legate alla domanda cliente – Produzione a lotti

Setup lunghi e non standardizzati – Attese prolungate e lotti elevati

PLAN

Lean RoadMap® in Delivery

Lean RoadMap®

Lean culture

5S

SMED

Relayout

Lean accounting

Review of production flow in pull (internal ) logic.

Linking to customer demand through kanbanpulls

Lean culture

5S

SMED

Relayout

Lean accounting

Revisione del flusso produttivo in ottica pull (interno)

Collegamento alla domanda del cliente attraverso pull kanban

DO

Delivery Overall Transformation

Lean culture

5S

SMED

Relayout

Lean accounting

Review of the production flow from a pull (internal ) perspective.

Linking to customer demand through pull kanban

Lean culture

5S

SMED

Relayout

Lean accounting

Revisione del flusso produttivo in ottica pull (interno)

Collegamento alla domanda del cliente attraverso pull kanban

CHECK

Have we achieved the goals set?

The application of the 5S throughout the plant has generated widespread order and cleanliness - making operational activities smoother and activating a continuous improvement process driven by the direct involvement of all functions.

The application of the SMED technique on the critical milling stage has resulted in a significant reduction in setup time-directly impacting flexibility and reducing the average production batch by 70 percent.

Relayout of workstations and processing routes has improved linearity of flow-contributing to a 46 percent reduction in lead time (from order to shipment) and greater efficiency in internal movements.

The introduction of a planning system in pull logic has made possible a better alignment between production and customer demand-increasing the level of on-time delivery (value being updated).

The introduction of the lean accountingsystem has made process performance visible and has contributed to more effective management of production capacity - with a direct impact on EBITDA, which has grown 4.4 times over the baseline period.

The project was recognized as an internal reference and used by the team to activate similar initiatives in other group plants - replicating the method and tools implemented.

L’applicazione delle 5S su tutto il plant ha generato ordine e pulizia diffusi – rendendo più fluide le attività operative e attivando un processo di miglioramento continuo guidato dal coinvolgimento diretto di tutte le funzioni.

L’applicazione della tecnica SMED sulla fase critica di fresatura ha permesso una significativa riduzione del tempo di setup – con un impatto diretto sulla flessibilità e una riduzione del lotto medio di produzione del 70%.

Il relayout delle postazioni e dei percorsi di lavorazione ha migliorato la linearità del flusso – contribuendo a una riduzione del lead time del 46% (da ordine a spedizione) e a una maggiore efficienza nei movimenti interni.

L’introduzione di un sistema di pianificazione in logica pull ha reso possibile un miglior allineamento tra produzione e domanda cliente – aumentando il livello di puntualità delle consegne (valore in aggiornamento).

L’introduzione del sistema di lean accounting ha reso visibili le performance di processo e ha contribuito a una gestione più efficace della capacità produttiva – con un impatto diretto sull’EBITDA, cresciuto di 4,4 volte rispetto al periodo di partenza.

Il progetto è stato riconosciuto come riferimento interno e utilizzato dal team per attivare iniziative simili in altri stabilimenti del gruppo – replicando il metodo e gli strumenti implementati.

From Delivery to Future Opportunities for Improvement

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