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BIC

BIC Factory Planning Reimagined

INDUSTRY
Consumer Products
SOLUTION
Connected Planning & Fulfillment
OFFERING
Production & Factory Planning
TECHNOLOGY
Blue Yonder
THE IMPERATIVE FOR CHANGE

How BIC cut changeovers & unlocked millions in hidden capacity

BIC is a global consumer products icon—producing more than 32 million pens, lighters, and razors every day. But behind the brand is a highly complex packaging and manufacturing operation where precision matters, especially at high volume. At the company’s flagship Charlotte, NC facility, planners were still relying on manual Excel-based scheduling tools that could only look out three days. This limited visibility created a chain reaction of inefficiencies.

With a narrow planning horizon, the team couldn’t preempt bottlenecks or optimize line sequencing. Machine changeovers were frequent and uncoordinated. Tooling and labor assignments were often mismatched. And with demand climbing, the company faced a stark decision: Either find more throughput internally or fund an expensive new facility. The stakes weren’t just high—they were imminent.

 

BIC Corporation
THE TRANSFORMATIVE SOLUTION

From reactive schedules to strategic sequencing

Uncovering the root cause of inefficiency

Spinnaker SCA began with a forensic assessment of BIC’s legacy scheduling process. From disconnected tools to unclear planner roles, the review revealed significant opportunity: excessive machine changeovers, manual guesswork in tooling assignments, and misalignment between supply and operations.

Designing a smarter, more sustainable planning model

We co-designed a two-week factory planning model tailored to BIC’s operations—grounded in Blue Yonder’s Factory Planning solution. The new engine accounted for product line rules, labor constraints, order need dates, and changeover reduction logic—all configurable, all visible.

Capturing experience and translating it into automation

Rather than wipe the slate clean, Spinnaker worked with plant planners and supervisors to translate decades of institutional knowledge into digital rules. This included standardizing how tooling was assigned and how labor shifts were sequenced for peak efficiency.

Putting powerful insights into planners’ hands

The automated scheduling tool delivered clear, constraint-aware production sequences—minimizing unplanned changeovers and improving throughput. Planners gained a real-time view of capacity and tooling, while supply chain and operations teams aligned around a single, trustworthy plan.

Driving alignment beyond go-live

Spinnaker didn’t stop at implementation. We embedded change champions across roles, created RACI alignment between planning and operations, and led hands-on training across the facility. With real-world feedback loops in place, the solution was primed for long-term adoption—and expansion.
BUSINESS IMPACT

Proof that planning can be a profit center

  • 40% reduction in changeovers: By eliminating one to two unnecessary changeovers each week, the team dramatically improved line efficiency and product flow.

  • Increased weekly capacity by 20+ hours: Enough to defer capital expenditure on a new packaging facility—saving millions in projected costs.

  • 1,600% faster scheduling: What once took hours was now executed in minutes, freeing planners to focus on value-added tasks.

  • Improved collaboration: A single, trusted production plan now connected floor supervisors, planners, and supply chain managers—driving greater customer service levels and internal alignment.

Let's build what's next.

Scale your operations by unlocking hidden potential—not by spending more, but by planning smarter. If your factory floor is running on tribal knowledge and time-consuming spreadsheets, it’s time to rethink what’s possible.

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