That Cross Generational Sound
A TrakSYS™-Powered Success Story of Production and Quality Management at Gibson Brands, Inc.
Overview
Elvis. The Beatles. Led Zeppelin. All icons, each a trailblazer with deity-like status in their respective genres. Though their sounds were different, when it came to breaking hearts, ushering in an era of psychedelically-prolific music, and flowing through mind-bending solos, each of these musical greats trusted one brand of guitar to convey their signature sound. One brand became the instrumental voice behind cross-generational hits like All Shook Up, Come Together, and Whole Lotta Love.
Founded in 1894 by Orville Gibson, Gibson Brands, Inc. (Gibson) has long been a formidable presence in the world of music. Boasting over 127 years of experience and a world-famous eclectic user-base, their guitars are beloved by musical titans from all genres and have amassed a vast, loyal following. As such, the Gibson guitar portfolio has grown to include something for everyone, from highly coveted small-batch releases to custom works and entry-level guitars. So, whether you are a seasoned instrumentalist looking for a new axe, or are just setting out on your journey to stardom, you can't go wrong with a Gibson guitar.
With a steadily growing customer base and an eye towards continually refining their production processes, the team at Gibson's Nashville USA manufacturing facility (where the brand’s electric guitars are made) was in the market for a software solution to help them reinvent their operations. Endeavoring to meet their increasing customer demand while not sacrificing the quality they are known for, the Gibson team began working alongside Parsec Certified Partner, EOSYS, to implement TrakSYS. With their goals and implementation strategies mapped out, Gibson and EOSYS were ready to rock 'n roll.
“A platform like TrakSYS is an absolute necessity for running a 21st century operation. The solution EOSYS delivered has shown us endless possibilities for our business!” Howard Fitzcharles, Industrial Engineer – Gibson Brands, Inc.
Challenges
➤ Tribal knowledge superseded SOPs and documentation
➤ Minimal insight into item and production tracking
➤ KPI calculations were time-consuming and manually performed
➤ No efficient way to track or quantify items sent to rework
➤ Lack of historical data and trends
Goals
➤ Help increase production by 100%
➤ Enable real-time production monitoring
➤ Provide insight into WIP
➤ Give teams the ability to track an individual guitar as it moves through production
➤ Generate an electronic history of guitar transactions
➤ Establish a correlation between production areas and product volume/output
➤ Enable quality defect tracking and reporting
➤ Enable spec visibility
➤ Facilitate the creation of optimized SOPs
➤ Reduce manual ERP confirmations
Solution Overview
Before implementing TrakSYS, the team at Gibson was utilizing a homegrown database with a few custom app pages. Unfortunately, the functionality provided by this system did not meet the long-term production goals that Gibson needed. Based on Gibson’s initial goals and their eagerness to run the facility as efficiently and effectively as possible, the team at EOSYS collaborated with Gibson to design a TrakSYS solution that would harmonize perfectly with the musical giant.
With an initial objective of establishing a foundation around product quality, EOSYS implemented their TrakSYS-enabled DART® (Defect Analysis and Reporting Tool) solution to track defects through the use of visuals like heat maps and other graphical tools. To enable detailed production/part tracking, TrakSYS was configured for RFID-based tracking of individual guitars and used to create detailed e-records for each guitar. User-friendly dashboards were designed to show real-time WIP and ERP confirmations.
“TrakSYS offers real time data reporting, allowing for a genuine status on production. Knowing the whereabouts and attention each instrument needs empowers Gibson to progress with the desired future in mind.” Grant Camara, MES Technician – Gibson Brands, Inc.
Furthering the quality management capabilities of their TrakSYS deployment, EOSYS designed Gibson's solution to provide real-time visibility into defect tracking. A material review board (MRB) process was formally established with this data, enabling them to rapidly determine the root causes of defects and thereby implement the changes necessary to optimize quality and elevate production. With a formalized MRB process in place, the quality team is now better able to calibrate operations to avoid over-inspecting, and can efficiently track the history of each guitar to prevent excessive rework on individual instruments.
Fueled by their early success with TrakSYS, the Gibson team has already begun discussing future projects. In addition to deploying the platform at other facilities that create custom electric guitars, acoustic guitars, and mandolins, the Nashville USA facility wants to also incorporate TrakSYS solutions to help with:
➤ Planning and scheduling
➤ Tooling and component selections
➤ Reserved material tracking
➤ Quality inspections
➤ Maintenance reporting
➤ Interfacing other equipment
Key TrakSYS Features
🏭 Production Management
✅ Quality Management
🔍 Traceability
📏 Specification Management
Solution Architecture
Results
☑️ Optimize engineering specifications management
☑️ Effectively communicate critical information (with specs) to operators
☑️ Optimize the printing of labels and storing of pictures taken of each finished guitar before the packaging process
☑️ Optimize the Material Review Board (MRB) process
☑️ Implement an effective, visually-insightful system to help teams optimize quality
☑️ Repurpose 1 Full-time Equivalent (FTE) from manual reporting of KPI’s
☑️ Provide operators with real-time, detailed guitar histories
About Gibson Brands, Inc.
Gibson Brands, Inc., the world's most iconic guitar brand, has shaped the sounds of generations of musicians and music lovers across genres for more than 100 years. Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Nashville, TN, Gibson Brands has a legacy of world-class craftsmanship, legendary music partnerships, and progressive product evolution that is unrivaled among musical instrument companies.
The Gibson Brands portfolio includes Gibson, the number one guitar brand, as well as many of the most beloved and recognizable music brands, including Epiphone, Kramer, Steinberger, MESA/Boogie, and the Gibson Pro Audio division, KRK Systems. Gibson Brands is dedicated to quality, innovation, and sound excellence so that music lovers for generations to come will continue to experience music shaped by Gibson Brands.
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