STRATUS 2022 MEP Skilled Trades – McCusker-Gill Shop Tour

McCusker-Gill helped host the 2022 MEP Skilled Trades Event last May. They showcased how they have successfully implemented STRATUS and continue to help us shape it for all sheet metal contractors in the manufacturing and construction space.

Here are some highlights from the tour that took us behind the scenes of their BIM department, shop and warehouse.

STRATUS SHOP INTEGRATION

During their presentation, McCusker-Gill shared how it was crucial to identify what role each department would play to successfully integrate STRATUS into their company. Integration into their shop was done through phases. By introducing STRATUS one department at a time, they were able to identify and create proper workflows without overwhelming or straining the team.

Below are the responsibilities of four departments within their shop:

SHOP

• Manage and prioritize Packages using the Fabrication Package Dashboard
• Process fabricated items and move package to the shop via the tracking status
• Purchase packaged items under the Shop Order Category
• Each shop station updates task checkbox on the Fabrication Package Dashboard
• Once Fabrication is complete, package moves to either Manifold (Assembly) or Shipping

LOGISTICS

• Track Packages on Dashboards
• Pull duct packages and associated equipment for manifolding
• Receive orders, create labels, scan in, assign container and store in Warehouse
• Pull shop inventory items including hardware and move to shipping via the tracking status
• Track material releases with estimated ship dates in anticipation of deliveries
• Manage containers and update statues from the container dashboard

MANIFOLDING

• Manifold predetermined assemblies via the assembly viewer, move to Shipping
• Welding Department assembles parts and predetermined assemblies via assembly viewer, move to Shipping
• Quality check is done to ensure all parts have been assembled and sealed properly.
  
  

SPIRAL

• Cut all straight sections of spiral pipe based on cut lengths sent to the STRATUS workstation
• Manifold predetermined assemblies via model viewer, move to Shipping

DIGITAL DASHBOARDS

Another crucial aspect to integrating STRATUS was introducing dashboards to the shop. By creating a functioning shop board that mirrored how they managed shop workflows their shop team adopted a digital approach to various aspects of their operation. Below is an interview with Mike Moon on the benefit of digital dashboards:

Below is an excerpt from Kevin Gill, Sr.'s interview with Austin Keating from Snips:

“It was an easy decision for us to roll out the STRATUS system into our welding department. We saw immediate results of that especially with the manifold alot of welding stainless steel ductwork for labs and its very often times we might be going straight 90 degrees one way and then offsetting 3” over the next 3’ and be able to pull that up on our STRATUS in a 3-D model look at it from all sides was extremely helpful to us. We chose to adopt it there and in our fabrication facility and it was absolutely the right decision.”

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