Accelerated production, superior results: the secret of Cutr and VAN-Jorn's collaboration
An out-of-hand hobby of Jorn Hofman has grown into a business that customizes 50 campers annually, aiming for 100 next year. Jorn: "We've improved the system with Cutr, automating much of the manual work."
VAN-Jorn
Interiors
Campers and mobile offices
How Cutr helped VAN-Jorn
By simplifying VAN-Jorn's complex product within the Cutr system, they streamline their production process and scale their business operations. Leading to increased efficient production and opportunities for growth and expansion.
The collaboration with Cutr and the production partner results in shorter lead times, faster quotes, and improved overall productivity.
By establishing a sustainable relationship with Cutr, both parties continue to benefit from their expertise and work together to optimize the production process. A win-win scenerio where both parties can continue to grow.
About
Six years ago, Jorn Hofman's passion for adventure inspired him to build his own camper. He quickly realized that designing a camper to meet everyone's individual preferences was a challenge.
It was then that the idea of a modular system emerged. Jorn realized that a camper adaptable to the owner's desires would be a valuable addition to the market. He began working on a system where kitchen cabinets, storage options, and other essential parts could easily be adjusted and moved, thanks to an ingenious rail system.
Each camper that rolled out of Jorn's workshop became unique because of the ability to customize the layout to the owner's specific needs. What started as an overgrown hobby grew into a custom-made product of exceptional quality.
The Challenge
The challenge facing Jorn and his team is to optimize and streamline the production of modular campers while maintaining the highest quality and meeting the specific requirements of the customer.
Although they already carry out many production activities themselves and have the necessary equipment, such as CNC machines, they realized the need for flexibility to outsource parts of the production process. Finding reliable partners capable of meeting their high-quality standards was a challenge in itself. After an extensive online search and evaluation, they found Cutr, which found a production partner for Jorn capable of sewing sheets into the required parts with high accuracy and quality.
Collaboration with Cutr requires careful planning and coordination, as timing is essential to ensure that all parts are available at the right time for assembly. With a production line always having seven campers in various stages of completion, it is crucial to optimize processes and ensure a smooth flow from one station to another. Any delay at a station can lead to stagnation in the entire production line, jeopardizing efficiency and lead times.
The Solution
By continuously striving for improvement, VAN-Jorn managed to shorten lead times, allowing a week of production at certain stations to be completed in just 2-3 days. This reduced the risk of delays and ensured they could meet demand while maintaining the quality and adaptability of their modular campers.
The milled parts are delivered as flatpacks, and assembly always takes place in-house. Jorn explains: "These are advanced products consisting of up to 1000 parts. Among these parts are the HPL components, which make up approximately 10-15% of the whole." At the final station, number 7, the flatpacks are assembled into the campers.
Jorn says, "What sets Cutr apart is their continuous effort to improve the system. We've invested in automation, eliminating many manual tasks. This has resulted in faster quotes, shorter lead times, and an acceleration of the production process."
The Future
Jorn: "We plan to continue working with Cutr for the foreseeable future. We are even working on improving the system to better meet our specific needs. Although we work less within the standard Cutr system, we believe our collaboration will still be fruitful for both parties."
"The growth of our company was significantly facilitated by the collaboration with Cutr," says Jorn. A challenge for Cutr and VAN-Jorn in the future is to simplify the complex product within Cutr's system, enabling easier collaboration with more production partners.