BRUNSWICK BOAT GROUP

The Challenge:

GLOBAL BRAND NEEDED ENTERPRISE-WIDE VISIBILITY TO FURTHER QUALITY INITIATIVES

With nine US- and Mexico-based manufacturing facilities using different quality processes and a desire to take a more preventative approach to quality issues, BBG needed a single enterprise quality management system (EQMS) that would bring data from all its locations into one centralized database that would drive quality improvements and process standardization.

“The connectivity of the data and the usability of our systems becomes better when we can have enterprise systems that all work together and everyone can use,” states Brian Hines, Vice President of Quality for BBG.

“Instead of a small federation of operations, we’ve got one extended operation that’s in many different places. We continue to bring those systems together and drive results faster by having better information at our fingertips,” continues Hines.

The individual quality systems in place at each plant helped deliver gains in quality improvement at the site level, but the manual nature of consolidating information and normalizing was a hindrance for BBG raising common issues across multiple facilities. Additionally, as issues with suppliers were elevated, data would have to be standardized to confirm root cause. This lack of visibility resulted in inefficiencies and slowed down the ability to implement cross-functional corrective best practices and process standardization across its manufacturing base.

The company was looking for an EQMS solution that would help improve relationships with suppliers and foster supply chain resilience. It also hoped to gain a better understanding of and reduce its minimum cost of quality.

“My number one focus during COVID was to shore up the supply chain and operations with quality inputs. Our goal is to limit and/or eliminate the disruptions that supplier compliance (e.g., defects) can cause within our factory. And if we don’t have good containment, communication and corrective action with those suppliers, we’ll be at their mercy. What we’re doing is continuous improvement,” states Joseph Korus, Quality Manager for BBG’s New York Mills, Minnesota, facility, home of the Crestliner and Lund boat operations.

BBG prides itself on a customer-centric approach to innovation. It’s always working to gather feedback from consumers and use those insights to design better and more reliable products, processes and systems that will improve the customer experience.

In today’s marine market, that means incorporating technology and electrification components into products in creative ways. BBG has developed an autonomous, connected, electric and shared (ACES) strategy focused on electric motors, steering control and other electrification technologies. It needed an EQMS solution that would support its ACES initiatives.

The Solution:

IMPLEMENTATION OF QAD EQMS PROVIDES VISIBILITY WITH AN EASY-TO-USE CENTRALIZED DATABASE

After seeing how sister company Mercury Marine benefited from QAD EQMS, BBG felt confident the solution would help it manage quality from end-to-end, optimize manufacturing performance and comply with Brunswick standards while supporting vertical integration.

“It’s very important for us to have a partner that can move quickly and react to the things that we need and have similar strategic goals,” explains Hines. “It helps us drive a tremendous amount of improvement, but we also need things to work well for our operators and our managers. And it can’t be clunky, it can’t be cumbersome, and if it doesn’t fit your process, it doesn’t work. And I think QAD has been very good at helping customize the process that’s built within the software to match what we need it to do.”

BBG is leveraging QAD EQMS Document Control, Training Management, Non-conformance and Corrective Action (NCR/CAPA) and Layered Process Audits (Audit/LPA) and will begin the journey with Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) and Design Control capabilities in the near future.

The company is in the process of implementing Supplier Quality Management and also plans to use QAD EQMS Gauge Management, Inspection and Statistical Process Control (SPC), Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) and Risk Management.

By having a single enterprise solution that provides visibility across its operations, BBG transitioned from an organization that reacted to quality to one that plans for quality with QAD EQMS.

“We can now see holistically across the US and Mexico manufacturing sites by part number, by supplier and by operation what our issues are and what we are doing to work on them, what are we doing to make them better? And everybody has visibility into it all at the same time,” states Hines.

Process standardization across its global manufacturing footprint was also important for BBG. “One of the major benefits we achieved by implementing QAD EQMS was the standardization of processes,” says Ljubica Ceravolo, IT Business Relationship Manager for BBG. “When you don’t have standardization of processes, it’s hard to compare. If previously our processes were slightly different from one plant to another, QAD EQMS allows us now to have a standardized process across all brands.”

“You want to be able to build the boat the same way in each facility, and that’s where standardizing with EQMS really helps with the vertical integration you achieve,” explains Kali Schwantz, IT Business Relationship Manager for BBG. “Within an ERP, sometimes there is an information vacuum. QAD EQMS allowed us to see that information. It eliminated a lot of waste in information and time for people.”

The Benefits:

WITH QAD EQMS, THE BRUNSWICK BOAT GROUP IMPROVED QUALITY AND PROCESS STANDARDIZATION

“One of the benefits that QAD EQMS has brought to us is the ability for quality leaders across our North American sites to see the data in the same way,” says Hines.

Prior to QAD EQMS, BBG would collaborate regarding corrective actions across sites and need to normalize the data to have conversations with suppliers. The solution helped eliminate redundant actions and led to greater efficiency, as well as a better understanding of the cost of quality. The organization has advanced toward its goal of becoming preventative rather than reactive when it comes to quality concerns.

“QAD EQMS has also helped us standardize our processes significantly,” notes Hines. “And more than anything, it speeds up our problem-solving.”

“Through the Document Control system and other capabilities, things like non-conforming materials, deviations, and supplier corrective actions are now a standardized process that each plant follows. It makes things easier for all of the stakeholders that are involved.”

“Now you have a dashboard that’s telling you, here are your problems, here are the key suppliers, key parts; now you can use that data to start building incoming inspection. So, now you’re doing preventative functions, not reactive functions,” adds Raymond Cochran, Compliance Specialist for the New York Mills, Minnesota, facility.

The process has brought greater accountability to BBG’s quality processes and helps ensure the finished product gets to the customer as fast as possible, says Korus.

QAD EQMS has also accelerated BBG’s digital transformation. “Enabling our operations team to leverage the EQMS platform has provided insights and opportunities across many of our sites to shift from paper and manual processes to digital. This shift in approach is providing meaningful value as it has unlocked consistent measures and metrics across our sites,” says Matt Webb, Senior Director of Enterprise Business Processes. “As we look ahead, we plan to integrate our key suppliers to the tool and bring the value outside of the factory through improved communications and resolution with partners.”

“We have one source of truth, so to speak, one common platform, not only for our factory and the data that comes out, but also other BBG sites,” states Korus. “We can share and collaborate on that information.”

“We are able to make more data-driven decisions,” says Ceravolo. “It has helped us plan for quality by taking lessons learned from the data that’s already been entered and analyzing that data.”

“We were able to put all our data into one place and really react to that information,” adds Schwantz.

In addition to supporting BBG in developing best practices that inform process standardization and quality improvement, QAD EQMS has also helped foster a culture of quality within the organization. “Metrics drive behaviors. If I have metrics showing that we’re improving, that’s positive reinforcement for the people that we’re asking to make changes,” says Korus.

“We’re all raised looking at a report card. Here’s our report card on continuous improvement: we’ve reduced costs, produced more boats and reduced the amount of scrap material,” Korus continues.

“Employee safety is number one for BBG and the quality of our products is number one for our consumers. It’s the sustainability of our business and it gives a sense of pride to people to know that they can make a difference on a boat, to make it a higher quality product going out the door.”

“Brunswick builds four of the five leading boat brands in the world, so quality at the end of the line is a focus every day,” says Brian Lugenbeel, VP Operations. “Our operations team, in partnership with our quality team, is continuously working to find ways to have quality at the source, not just the end of the line. EQMS was a step forward for our organization as we focus on modernizing our manufacturing floor.”

BBG plans to extend QAD EQMS to more facilities and will continue to take advantage of additional capabilities within the solution.

“I think the future for Brunswick Boat Group is very bright. We’ve got just a huge pallet of new products coming out over the next several years. That’s very exciting,” adds Hines. “We have speed to market; we have safe and reliable products; and we have consistent manufacturing and consistent delivery of quality for our customers. I think there are a lot of things we can do that other boat companies can’t do. And I think the future is there for us to take.”

For manufacturers considering quality improvement solutions like QAD EQMS, Ceravolo recommends, “I would encourage other companies to look into implementing an enterprise quality management system because of the benefit that it offers by providing a closed loop between different processes and ultimately providing a better quality for their product.”