Real World CI in High Mix Manufacturing
How people-first design drives operational performance
Overview
RELY Contract Manufacturing will showcase how a high-mix manufacturing operation reduces bottlenecks by performing non-core, labor-intensive work that often disrupts flow within a manufacturer's primary operation.
A defining feature of RELY's operating model is its commitment to building an inclusive workforce, including many refugees with limited English proficiency. Rather than viewing language as a barrier, RELY designed its ISO 9001-certified operating system around visual management, standardized work and multilingual communication. Throughout the facility, attendees will see picture-based work instructions, visual controls, standardized processes, testing methods and structured training systems that improve accessibility while supporting consistent quality, safety and operational performance.
Participants will also observe how RELY combines rapid problem-solving with disciplined daily management. To meet customers' time-sensitive production needs, the company develops fixtures, jigs, testing methods, engineering solutions and practical automation that stabilize processes, improve flow and protect delivery schedules.
The tour will highlight measurable improvements across several customer programs, including automation that reduced tape rolling cycle time from 85 seconds to 10 seconds, wire harness processes that eliminated more than 2,000 engineering hours annually while reducing excess inventory, subassembly programs that freed 2,000 square feet of production space and saved 700 assembly hours within three months, and sortation programs that reclaimed more than 8,000 customer labor hours.
Key Takeaways
Attendees will leave with practical ideas for applying visual management, standardized work and lean principles in high-mix manufacturing environments. They will also gain insights into designing accessible work systems, selecting appropriate improvement tools and measuring operational performance through improvements in throughput, labor productivity, inventory, space utilization and quality.
About the Company
RELY Contract Manufacturing is a Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin-based contract manufacturing and fulfillment partner that helps manufacturers remove bottlenecks, improve operational flow and protect core production capacity.
RELY specializes in supporting secondary operations and value-added services that often fall outside a manufacturer’s core competencies and can become constraints within the production process. Capabilities include high-mix, labor-intensive work such as wire harnessing, assembly, kitting, packaging, labeling, fulfillment and third-party sortation, testing, validation and rework.
As an ISO 9001-certified organization, RELY has built its operation around practical continuous improvement, visual process management and disciplined execution. The company emphasizes standardized work, process visibility and flexible workforce design to maintain quality while responding quickly to customer needs.
A key part of RELY’s operating model is creating meaningful manufacturing opportunities for non-traditional workforces, including non-English-speaking refugees and associates with disabilities. Picture-based work instructions are integrated throughout the operation to improve accessibility, simplify training, reinforce standard work and support consistent quality and safety.
RELY is also leveraging practical AI applications in areas such as quoting, procurement, production reporting and dashboarding to improve responsiveness, strengthen decision-making and increase operational visibility.
This combination of people-first workforce design, operational discipline and technology-enabled execution allows RELY to help manufacturers solve production challenges with flexibility, speed and measurable results.
www.relycm.com
Requirements & Restrictions
- No taking pictures and videos on the tour without permission
