Lean Techniques with Customer Focus at Starbucks

Starbucks uses the voice of the customer to drive its streamlining efforts which will eliminate waste through a leaner management structure and improve customer-facing processes. ...

... "Building for the long term, which has two distinct pieces: re-aligning Starbucks organization and streamlining the management of the organization to better support customer-focused initiatives by ensuring our support and planning functions -- from back-end IT systems to store operations -- are most effectively dedicated to the customer experience.

Howard Schultz voicemail to partners: To re-ignite the Starbucks experience through driving improvement and change in all areas that touch the customer. " ...

Via Starbucks: Transformation Agenda

Sturm Ruger Lean Manufacturing Strengths

Ruger's transformation has positioned the company for future success. ...

... "Its lean manufacturing combined with its strengthening customer feedback loop allows the company to improve its current product line continuously while innovating higher gross margin niches and micro niches within its core firearm market. " ...

Via Seeking Alpha: Sturm Ruger Opportunity

Healthcare CEO Six Sigma Methods

Executive leverages Six Sigma methods in the healthcare industry and advances his career through continuous improvement achievements. ...

... "He is credited with bringing Six Sigma scientific management methodologies in conjunction with other innovative technologies to improve overall capacity management at Mercy Hospital. Under his leadership, Mercy Hospital was able to reduce discharge time by 23 percent, reduce bad debt by 11 percent, increase cash flow, and improve associate satisfaction at the hospital. " ...

Via : Bertrand Chaffee Hospital

Automotive Customer Satisfaction

Customer satisfaction statistics are available for the auto industry, showing a growing disparity for American automakers except for Saturn. ...

... "Hit with record losses, American auto manufacturers are also suffering from slumping customer satisfaction. No domestic car maker is represented among the top four nameplates, but the bottom three in the industry are all American brands. Yet customer satisfaction for the industry as a whole remains at an all-time high (unchanged at 82), and one American car maker, GM's Saturn, shows considerable improvement, climbing 5% to tie its all-time high from 1998." ...

Via American Customer Satisfaction Index: American Automakers Fall Further Behind Foreign Competition (PDF)

GM Quality Accomplishments

GM's turnaround includes a focus on quality management. ...

... "Quality: Industry's best 5-yr warranty coverage program - confidence in GM products, 89% reduction in recalls 2005-2007, New vehicle launches performing at record warranty levels, Chevrolet Malibu ranked highest in initial quality according to J.D. Power & Associates in the midsize car segment and was the highest-ranked domestic vehicle ... " ...

Via GM: Turnaround: Actions and Accomplishments

Predictive Equipment Maintenance

Sikorsky Aircraft, leader in design and manufacture of advanced helicopters, will use SPSS Predictive Analytics software to predict maintenance needs driving customer satisfaction and aircraft safety in its helicopter fleets. ...

... "Sikorsky offers customers various maintenance assurance programs to help improve aircraft availability and operate their fleet at a known cost. Included in this offering is the Total Assurance Program (TAP), covering up to 98 percent of costs related to parts and services. The organization sought a software solution to help identify and predict equipment maintenance for helicopter customers, ultimately increasing customer satisfaction. Sikorsky selected SPSS Predictive Analytics text mining and data mining software and its Predictive Analytics enterprise-wide enabling platform to analyze helicopter and pilot data collected by the aircraft health and usage monitoring system and flight maintenance log records. " ...

Via SPSS: Predictive Analytics

UPDATE 4/28/2008: Here's another example of company that uses service innovation to drive customer differentiation: Rolls Royce. ...

Service Innovation: "Spohrer says he was told at a meeting, don't buy the engines. Instead, they buy a service level agreement and a service, so that every time a plane lands Rolls Royce technicians work to improve the engine's performance from a command centre that knows where all the engines are and at what altitude."

It's a Lean Six Sigma Town

Fort Wayne Indiana citizen benefit from city services improved by Lean Six Sigma methods. ...

... "The mayor will discuss how using high performance partnerships with Lean Six Sigma can improve city services and save taxpayers millions of dollars. Lean Six Sigma has saved Fort Wayne over $10 million, they said. " ...

Via Fort Wayne Business Weekly: Lean Six Sigma Showcase

Total Quality Index for Automotive Customer Satisfaction

Hyundai achieves recognition in the Total Quality Index for customer satisfaction. ...

... "Hyundai produced the most segment leaders of any automotive manufacturer, according to Strategic Vision's Total Quality Index(TM) (TQI), which measures total vehicle satisfaction among new car owners. Clinching the top spot in three distinct vehicle segments is a first for Hyundai. The Strategic Vision results released today placed the Hyundai Azera sedan atop the large car segment, the Entourage (tied with the Kia Sedona and Nissan Quest) in the top spot for the minivan segment and the Santa Fe on top in the small sport utility vehicle (SUV) segment. " ...

Premier Customer Satisfaction Survey