ABOUT THE COMPANY

Coleman Containers is an independent sheet plant located in the Greater Toronto Area. Known for exceptional customer service, the company runs two shifts and is equipped with a range of flexo, die-cutting, gluing, and assembly equipment. Operating on a just-intime model, Coleman’s focus is on delivering products on time and in full (OTIF), which is their key operational metric.

 

CHALLENGE

Before implementing Advanced Planning Board (APB), Coleman Containers relied entirely on manual scheduling using SmartPlan. Scheduling occurred twice a day and lacked the flexibility to adapt dynamically to production changes. The process relied heavily on tribal knowledge, making it difficult to plan capacity, visualize workload, or optimize workflows. This led to daily firefighting, missed delivery windows, and a stressful environment for both production and customer service teams.

SOLUTION

To modernize operations, Coleman implemented Amtech’s Advanced Planning Board. APB enabled dynamic, automated scheduling based on a flexible points-based algorithm. The team also deployed large digital displays and consolidated scheduling, customer service (CSR), and order board functions in a shared space to improve communication and visibility. APB was launched in parallel with Advanced Shipment Planning and was integrated seamlessly with ScoreKeeper for real-time updates.

BENEFITS & IMPACT

Since implementing APB, Coleman Containers has seen significant operational improvements across production, scheduling, and customer service. Key results include:

  • Automation: Moved from 0% to 65-85% automated scheduling across machines
  • Improved OTIF: Achieved their original 95% OTIF goal and set a new target of 98%.
  • Higher Throughput: Raised production targets multiple times in the past year
  • Real-Time Visibility: Large screens at machines and in shipping provide teamwide transparency
  • Stress Reduction: Teams are no longer “hunting” for jobs or rushing to meet sameday shipping demands.
  • Capacity Planning: Ability to anticipate and fill capacity gaps has improved labor and resource planning.
  • Scalability: The team now has the bandwidth to focus on strategic goals like SIOP (Sales, Inventory & Operations Planning).

FUTURE PLANS

Coleman is now expanding APB usage by outfitting each machine center with secondary screens fostering self-directed work cells. They are also exploring integration with ConConnect to gain even deeper visibility into supplier schedules. With APB as a foundation, the company is shifting from daily firefighting to strategic planning, positioning itself for long-term growth and operational excellence.

 

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