Innovative Devices. Complex Operations.
AtriCure is a fast growing medical device company producing clips, clamps, and cryo devices used in the treatment of atrial fibrillation and related cardiac conditions. Their devices are used in cardiac operating rooms around the world.
To keep up with demand, AtriCure runs 30 production and assembly work centers with close to 100 cross trained employees who move between centers based on product demand. Multi layer bills of materials, a mix of in house and outsourced sub assemblies, and product versions built for international markets made operations highly complex before scheduling even entered the picture.
Like most manufacturers, AtriCure was managing all of it with Excel spreadsheets. It was working. Barely. And with double-digit growth on the horizon, “barely working” wasn’t going to hold.
What Was Breaking Down
- › Weekly schedule took a full day to build and distribute — and was outdated by mid-week
- › No demand-based automatic sequencing — everything was manually prioritized
- › Material shortages were discovered too late to prevent delays
- › Personnel scheduling didn’t account for skill-level requirements at each operation
- › ERP (Microsoft Dynamics GP) and scheduling had no automated data connection
- › WIP was piling up, tying up capital and floor space during growth
What AtriCure Needed
- ✓ Reduce the time and effort to create and distribute the schedule
- ✓ Demand-based, automatic order sequencing
- ✓ Real-time schedule visibility — shared across the business instantly
- ✓ Predict material shortages and understand impact on delivery dates
- ✓ Schedule people based on skill-level requirements, not just availability
- ✓ Automatic data flow between ERP and the scheduling tool
A Structured Process. A Connected System.
AtriCure did not just need software. They needed a partner who understood what it actually takes to build a schedule in a complex, multi resource environment. They invited Rain Engineering to evaluate the situation, help select the right tool, and lead the deployment.
Rain Engineering began by mapping how the existing schedule was being built, identifying friction points, and simplifying the process before touching any software. Once the requirements were documented and the future state process was designed, Rain Engineering implemented scheduling software and built a direct integration to Microsoft Dynamics GP. This eliminated the manual data transfer that had been draining hours every week.
The result was a new scheduling experience: demand driven sequencing, automated data flow, real time visibility into changes, and personnel assignments aligned with the skill requirements of each operation.
Systems are complicated. You don’t have to figure it all out alone. Results were better than anticipated.
— Chuck Kirkendall, Sr. Manager, Demand Planning & Inventory Management at AtricureSystems Are Complicated. You Don’t Have to Figure It Out Alone.
Rain Engineering brought more than software expertise to AtriCure’s project. They brought a structured process for understanding business goals first and technology second, along with the experience to recognize what “good” looks like when a scheduling implementation truly works.
The tools Rain Engineering brings to every engagement include diagnostics to understand what is happening on the shop floor, workshops and guided sessions to capture input from front line workers, optimization strategies to better leverage existing technology investments, and modernization plans for when it is time to move forward.