Page 26 - DePuy End of Year Magazine 2020

EXTERNAL MANUFACTURING SUPPLIER INTEGRATION
As the bridge between J&J and our External Manufacturing supply base
for DePuy Synthes across the globe,
the External Manufacturing Supplier Integration group had a challenging 2020. As one of our key metrics that ensures our customers have access
to the product that they require,
when they require it, “On Time Delivery” (OTD) was an area that we focused on improving for 2020 from the 85.1% figure that
was achieved in 2019.
The roll out of monthly S&OP meetings with our top suppliers and quarterly engagements with our other suppliers has helped improve performance across our suppliers and for Q4 we are on track for an OTD performance figure for 2020 of 92% for the suppliers managed by the EMEA team.
One of the key enablers for this, has been close and constant engagement with our supply base and helping to manage them through their COVID-19 challenges by sharing best practices, this was especially evident when one of our major suppliers Viant Chaumont closed for 3 weeks, with our close working relationship resulting in no service impact.
Two of the other major difficulties we have faced with our suppliers throughout 2020 has been the challenges associated with Brexit and EU MDR. Through the guidance of the dedicated teams working on these projects and the close communications with our suppliers, we have continued to ensure that no service impact has occurred.
As inventory continues to be a major challenge across the business, the EMSI supplier development program, which commenced this year, has set the groundwork for considerable lead-time reductions across our supply base. Face to face visits to some of our suppliers in Q1 to work on collaboration in order to find smarter ways of delivering our products, has resulted in significant lead time reductions which will result in the requirement for us to carry less inventory as less safety stock will be required. Some examples of the successes of
this program have resulted in a 40% lead-time reduction from one of our suppliers Enztec (located in New-Zealand) and an 83% lead-time reduction on Spine Rods from our partner Caragh Precision in Galway going from 12 weeks to 2. With the demonstrated successes to date and additional projects in the pipeline, this supplier development program will continue to be deployed into 2021 and beyond.
Pre COVID-19, our time would have been split between onsite visits with suppliers and being office based, however since March, like most other groups onsite, all work has been done remotely and will continue this way for the foreseeable future. While this has been a change for all of us, the team has adapted well. The continued OTD performance and remote supplier development is evidence that we can continue to make a significant business improvement in these challenging conditions.
Outside of work, in September of this year Alan O’Halloran & his brother Rob undertook a 160km charity cycle in aid of Milford Hospice; which had been a fantastic support to their family in recent times. Like all organisations across Ireland, Milford Hospice was hit hard from a fund-raising perspective this year and for the first time in its 35-year history, their Annual Harvest Fair had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting and finishing in the grounds of Milford Hospice, their route took them through Limerick, Tipperary and Clare on the day of the event and their fundraising efforts resulted in a final figure of €16,079.11 being raised.
Interview with Ken O’Shea External Manufacturing Integration Lead
How long have you worked at DePuy? 21 years
What different steps have you taken in your career path from associate to your new role?
I started off as a production associate. I worked in various value streams over the years from LCS to being part of the Sigma product transfer from Raynham where I spent 12 weeks in the Raynham facility learning the process and transferred that knowledge to the Cork site .Finally I moved to the Foundry Value stream. While working in the Foundry wax injection process I applied for the line faciliatory role. I was successful in my application and work in this role for a number
of years. From line facilitator I moved to business transformation working within the Foundry Value stream. While working in the business transformation role the opportunity of a secondment to an ops team lead role was advertised .I was successful in my application for this role. I then went back to college and did a master’s in supply chain management and lean black belt. I am now starting a new job in engineering next week as an external manufacturing integration lead.
Was it hard to do a masters at the same time as working?
Yes, quite difficult having never been at college previously. To get up to speed on writing assignments and doing research for them was brand new to me. On top of that to juggle work and home life was difficult but there was great support within the group from the company doing the course to help each other to get it done and bounce ideas around. The company was very understanding with time off to go the classes which took some stress out of the mix.
Are you looking forward to your new role?
Absolutely! It’s a new chapter, it’s something different that I have never done before. I have done the ops thing for a number of years now and felt that, now I have done the course and the masters, I have the opportunity to do something different. There are opportunities within this new role to grow and learn which will ultimately create opportunities to move into different areas. Its all exciting.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
I suppose the biggest piece of advice would be if something is
not working do something different. I would have been the type of person who would have had that fear of not being able to do it or not being capable of doing something. Where the fear of “what if” took over, but when I looked back on where I was and where I am now it made no sense to keep thinking like that. Better to try it and fail than not try at all. I did my leaving cert and got a job. Had no interest in spending any more time in education and have worked for the last 30 odd years. College was something I never saw myself doing or accomplishing so having actually managed to complete that, passed the course got a masters whilst still at work- I kind of look at myself and go why didn’t I do this years ago? I think if people have a notion to do it, go for it, try it.
Within the company the structures that are here to support you are amazing and people will help you through when you ask. With all the educational assistance, there are really great incentives.
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