Featured Engagements
Selected Case Studies
Cellular Manufacturing — HAL Engine Division
Client: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Engine Division, Bangalore
Product: Aero-engines
HAL's Engine Division was producing critical aero-engine components in a traditional job-shop layout, resulting in long lead times, high work-in-progress inventory, and limited visibility of flow. Kaul & Associates designed and implemented a cellular manufacturing arrangement, grouping machines and people around component families. The new cells dramatically shortened the physical distance materials travelled, reduced queue times between operations, and created accountability for quality at each stage of production. Training and Kaizen workshops ensured the workforce understood and owned the new way of working.
Key Interventions
- Component family analysis
- Cell layout design
- Flow path optimisation
- Operator cross-training
- Kaizen workshops
Factory Layout Redesign — Tata BP Solar
Client: Tata BP Solar, Bangalore
Product: Solar Panels
Tata BP Solar's existing plant layout had evolved organically and created significant material handling waste, long travel distances, and production bottlenecks. Kaul & Associates conducted a systematic analysis of material flows and value streams, then designed a revised layout guided by Lean flow principles. The new arrangement aligned the physical flow of materials with the sequence of manufacturing operations, reduced handling effort, improved space utilisation, and created clearer visual management of production status across the facility.
Key Interventions
- Value stream mapping
- Material flow analysis
- Layout simulation
- Visual factory design
- Implementation support
Integrated Lean & Supply Chain Transformation — BPL Group
Client: BPL Ltd, BPL Sanyo Technologies Ltd, BPL Sanyo Utilities Ltd, Bangalore
Products: Colour Television, Audio Systems, Washing Machines
A major multi-site engagement across BPL's consumer electronics divisions. Kaul & Associates delivered Lean Manufacturing and Supply Chain & Logistics improvements simultaneously, covering product development processes, customer support operations, and Voice of Customer research. The engagement built cross-functional teams capable of sustaining and extending improvements independently, and established performance measurement systems to track progress against world-class benchmarks.
Key Interventions
- Lean manufacturing rollout
- Supply chain redesign
- Product dev process
- Voice of Customer
- Employee involvement
Master Plant layout — Sulzer Pumps
Client: Sulzer Pumps, Mumbai
Products: High performance pumps
Implemented a suite of Lean interventions — Make to Order flow, Master Plant Layout with Cellular Design, and a Pull System with Heijunka — to transform manufacturing operations for high-performance pumps. The programme tripled output from the same facility (₹90 Cr to ₹270 Cr), improved on-time delivery from 55% to 90%, and optimised resource utilisation while significantly reducing inventory levels.
Key Interventions
- Lean – Make to Order
- Master Plant Layout
- Cellular Design
- Pull System with Heijunka
Master Plant Layout — Voith Turbo
Client: Voith Turbo India, Hyderabad
Products: Fluid Drives
Implemented a suite of Lean interventions — Plant Layout, Lean Planning Systems, Lean Transport Solutions, Lean in Office Areas, Design for Six Sigma, and TPM — across Voith Turbo's Hyderabad facility. On-time delivery improved from 60% to 95%. Sales turnover grew from ₹75 Cr to ₹205 Cr from the same plant and same manpower, EBITDA reached 37% of sales, and ROCE hit 63%. Design defect rates fell by over 50%, and equipment reliability improved markedly — after four years the bottom line was almost equal to the topline at the start, and the TPM implementation was rated the best amongst Voith Group companies globally.
Key Interventions & Results
- Plant Layout
- Lean Planning System
- Lean Transport Solutions
- Lean in Office areas
- Design for Six Sigma
- TPM
Plant layout and Planning system — Technocraft Industries
Client: Technocraft Industries, Murbad
Products: Scaffolding systems
Redesigned the plant layout and overhauled the production planning system for a scaffolding manufacturer operating under significant capacity and space constraints. The new layout eliminated congestion and non-value-added movement, while the planning system brought discipline and predictability to scheduling. Output tripled with no increase in manpower or floor space, and on-time delivery improved from 40% to 95%. A TPM programme is currently underway to sustain equipment reliability and build on these gains.
Key Interventions
- New Plant Layout
- Production Planning System
- TPM (in progress)
Lean Transformation — Flow Link Systems
Client: Flow Link Systems, Coimbatore
Products: Control Valves for Oil & Gas
Delivered a comprehensive Lean transformation for a precision valve manufacturer supplying the oil and gas sector. A redesigned plant layout and a new Lean Planning System together lifted output from ₹100 Cr to ₹155 Cr within twelve months and moved the business from breakeven to ₹12 Cr profit. SMED implementation cut CNC machine setup times from 60 minutes to 10 minutes, freeing significant capacity, while Lean Transport Solutions streamlined internal material handling across the facility. On-time delivery improved from 35% to 95%.
Key Interventions
- Plant Layout Redesign
- Lean Planning System
- SMED
- Lean Transport Solutions
