Case studies
Case studies are hands-on problem solving exercises carried out in a real industrial setting. Students study the case in detail and are expected to propose solutions after thoroughly researching all aspects of the given problem and participating in brainstorming sessions. At times, case studies occur during plant tours, especially when the company is located at some distance from Montreal.
Sample case studies
| 3M Canada | 1. Aerosols inventory optimization 2. Service level improvement for abrasives |
| CAE Electronics | 1. Demand forecast and capacity planning 2. Lead time reduction for simulators 3. Kanban and free-issue processes |
| Celestica | 1. Reducing cycle time for circuit board manufacturing 2. Reducing set-up time for SMT manufacturing |
| CMC Electronics | Analysis of late-production order releases |
| CN Rail | Efficiency improvement for railroad car accounting |
| Draxis Pharma | Increasing overall plant production capacity |
| GE Hydro | Improving MRO inventory |
| IBM Canada Ltd. | 1. Improvement of inspection techniques of wirebond-fabricated products 2. Scorecard for logistics management 3. Business intelligence opportunities within manufacturing facilities 4. Deploying advanced planning & scheduling capabilities |
| INCO | 1. Study for a new mines communication system 2. New business model for the divisional shops |
| Industry Canada | Sustainable/green manufacturing for SMEs |
| IndustryHub | Strategy for an e-purchasing service |
| JDS Uniphase | Re-engineering production work flows |
| Kruger | Study of growth industries for possible investment |
| Liberty Foods | Quality control in shipment processes |
| LKS Consultores, Spain | Determining critical characteristics of the world's best-in-class manufacturing companies |
| Merck Frosst | 1. Strategies for global pharmaceutical manufacturing 2. Work/job redesign of the production department |
| Montreal International | 1. Developing a manufacturing cluster for the EMS industry 2. Electronics manufacturing outsourcing cost model: China and Mexico |
| McGill University Health Centre | 1. Cluster characteristics for development of statistical models for resource allocation and scheduling 2. Wait reduction in the gynecology ward |
| PPG Industries | Quality measurement for a finishing line |
| Pratt & Whitney Canada | Reduction of OEM inventory |
| Sanmina-SCI | Measuring forecasting accuracy |
| Tembec Inc. | 1. Cost-effective methods for disposing biological solids 2. Evaluation and optimization of the bleaching process 3. Reducing SO2 emissions 4. C-TPAT security procedures |
| Thomas & Betts | Metrics for operations performance |
| Venmar Ventilation | 1. New system for reverse logistics 2. Improvements to a value-added production line |
