International consulting firm Ankura joins APSU-led face shields project
(Posted April 27, 2020)
Ankura – an expert services firm with an office in Nashville – has joined Austin Peay State University’s GIS Center in a statewide effort to produce face shields for frontline medical workers during the coronavirus crisis.
The GIS Center has led an effort involving technical colleges, universities and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) in producing the 3D-printed face shields, using a prototype created by one of Austin Peay’s graphics design students.
The face shields have three parts: a 3D-printed shield frame, an acetate face shield and an elastic band. Universities and technical colleges across the state are printing the frames and sending them to APSU, where the GIS Center is pairing them with the acetate shields and elastic bands for packaging.
Ankura representatives reached out to GIS Center Director Mike Wilson asking to help. The firm’s Nashville office houses its Strategy and Performance practice, which includes process optimization.
“In less than 24 hours, they developed a detailed set of recommendations that allowed us to streamline and speed up our shield production process,” Wilson said. “By volunteering their vast experience in optimization and manufacturing, Dan Jandura, Ryan Flanagan and the rest of the Ankura team helped us more efficiently assist our community.”
After implementing Ankura’s recommendations, production immediately improved by 50%, from 13 to 14 boxes per day to 20 to 21 boxes per day. Wilson believes the output will increase two to four times previous output and will result in delivering the goal of 150,000 units 30 days ahead of schedule, while realizing thousands in cost savings.
“I believe that the collaboration between APSU GIS and Ankura is a great demonstration of a public-private partnership dedicated to helping and service,” Wilson said.
About Ankura
Ankura is a global business advisory and expert services firm defined by HOW we solve challenges. Whether a client is facing an immediate business challenge, trying to increase the value of their company or protect against future risks, Ankura designs, develops, and executes tailored solutions by assembling the right combination of expertise. We help clients navigate a wide range of corporate performance and risk management challenges, including those pertaining to compliance, investigations, forensics, technology, turnaround and restructuring, and corporate strategy. We build on this experience with every case, client, and situation, collaborating to create innovative, customized solutions, and strategies designed for today’s ever-changing business environment. This gives our clients unparalleled insight and experience across a wide range of economic, governance, and regulatory challenges. At Ankura, we know that collaboration drives results. For more information, please visit: www.ankura.com.
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