GE Locomotive lean reduces build cycle time

Local manufacturers leverage lean techniques to transform their business models as the local workforce work through their own personal transformations. ...

... "A move to lean manufacturing at GE Transportation, the region's largest industrial employer, illustrates the changes. ... Today, the company builds an even more complex locomotive in 15 days while working just two shifts. " ...

Via GoErie: .com: Business Profiles Stories - Veteran industrial worker: 'It wasn't the answer for our family anymore'

Lean strategies target cycle times

Medical device manufacturer Smith and Nephew Orthopaedics deploys machine tools and lean techniques to drive down cycle time. ...

... "Machine cycle times are being reduced and the lean manufacturing strategies introduced by the company have helped improve quality and productivity still further. " ...

Via Manufacturing Talk: MX CNC turning centre

Six Sigma improves mental health

through cycle time reduction in process site assessments and improvement in addressing critical issues. ...

Via Erie County: Site Process Improvement PPT

Portfolio of mental health Six Sigma projects.

Hospital lean assembly line reduces cycle time

Lean manufacturing methods enable Canadian hospital to improve the emergency room cycle times. The techniques will be applied to additional hospital in the near future. ...

... "A study just published by Dr. Ng's team suggests that adopting an assembly-line process pioneered at Toyota Motor Corp. had slashed the emergency department's lengthy wait times, results many others are hoping to match. " ...

Via National Post, Canada: Health care from the Toyota

Tobyhanna Lean Six Sigma Targets Turnaround Time

Tobyhanna Depot attacks cycle times with lean techniques. ...

... "As glitches in the process have been aggressively identified and addressed, the turnaround time has been cut in half to 145 days, and the line pushed out 18 units in 2008. " ...

Army Lean

Lean Implementation Time Reduction

The lean transformation focuses on the creation of additional customer value through eliminating waste and reducing cycle times. ...

... "Wasted time can be difficult to identify, so many companies specifically focus on reducing time as a key driver of Lean Implementation; agility and Lean go hand in hand. " ...

Via Cambridge Network: Quality insights

Yamazumi Cycle Time Bar Chart

Continuous Flow Factory Design

Continuous flow design is deployed by Beneteau in its factory to drive speed, lower WIP, and enable flexible product manufacturing. ...

... "Beneteau is changing the 25-year-old factory from the past style of eight independent production lines into a new, single line, continuous flow, and production facility comprising 20 operation positions. The outcome of this new way of building will allow shortened lead times, less work in process and greater flexibility in model mix. " ...

Via South Carolina Now: Beneteau lean manufacturing factory

SABIC Lean Work Process Management

SABIC will implement work process management software, Proficy Workflow from GE Fanuc, to streamline its production processes. The company will reduce business process waste by managing sequential tasks and improving cycle time performance. According to Peter Bobbe, Process Availability Leader and Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt for SABIC Innovative Plastics in The Netherlands, "Work Process Management from GE will help us do the required jobs in the right sequence and in the correct anticipated time – which coincides directly with our Lean production initiatives." ...

... "SABIC Innovative Plastics is implementing the company’s breakthrough work process management software system, Proficy Workflow in its Lexan factory in Bergen op Zoom, The Netherlands. SABIC Innovative Plastics will use the system to connect and organize people and work processes to drive Lean production initiatives – easing decision making on the plant floor and reducing costs. " ...

Via GE Fanuc: SABIC Innovative Plastics Improves Work Processes and Drives Leaner Production

Six Sigma Ready Installation Process for Electronic Health Records

Operations initiative at Allscripts / Misys focuses Six Sigma talent on improving the customer experience by transforming the deployment of electronic health record solutions. Both effort requirements and cycle time was reduced. A repeatable process is being piloted and refined. ...

... "We are not only focused on our own efficiency but a key objective is to make it easier to install our systems. Eileen McPartland, our Chief Operating Officer, and Jay Khan, one of our Six Sigma master black belts, are leading a project called READY -- our acronym for standardized solution packages that lead to faster electronic health record deployments. I am pleased to report that we are making good progress with our first solution package, Enterprise READY, we were able to achieve the same outcome with a 50% reduction in hours and duration for implementation. We have proven this capability with our first READY client who went live two weeks ago. " ...

Via Seeking Alpha: Allscripts-Misys Quarterly Earnings Call Transcript

Allscripts financial results, Q1 2010.

Layers Add Time and Waste

Over-focusing on cost controls can reverse the improvements achieved by lean methodology, increasing response time to market event and trends and adding management effort to simple processes. A balanced hand is needed. ...

... "New layers of managerial waste and delays may eat up the apparent savings in cost reduction in time to market. " ...

Via tompeters!: Turning the Corner

Lean Proactive Business Model

New Zealand manufacturer sees strong productivity benefits from lean manufacturing. The workforce culture has been transformed to one that contributes ideas freely to proactively improve the process. ...

... "Also known by its Japanese term Kaizen, which means continuous improvement, Mr Cook said lean manufacturing had transformed his business from a reactive organisation to a proactive one working daily to improve itself and meant it took Stainless Design about half the time it used to to process work. " ...

Via Stuff.co.nz: Model T

Stainless Design Workforce Training Program: "Everyone in the company is, and has been, involved in training in Lean principles and implementing improvement projects throughout the business. All these projects will provide significant operational and business performance improvements. "

Lean Manufacturing Productivity Enhancer

Boeing's CEO uses multiple methods, such as lean and voice of customer, to transform business performance. In this example, he uses lean to improve cycle times and increase production capacity. ...

... "And at Boeing he used Lean Manufacturing -- another productivity enhancement tool -- to cut in half the time it takes to assemble a 737, from 22 days to 11 days, to save hundreds of millions of dollars, and to increase capacity without adding new plant. " ...

Via BloggingStocks: CEO Biz tips

Cardinal Health Lean Manufacturing Techniques

Executives share their strategies for confronting the economic challenges that lay ahead. Cardinal Health leader embraces lean manufacturing for success. ...

... "We use lean manufacturing techniques to take out cost and waste, and improve quality and service. We do that with shorter production and build time. " ...

Via The Desert Sun: Entrepreneurs share survival plans

Vectron Six Sigma Manufacturing

Vectron practices lean and Six Sigma to improve its manufacturing process and product quality. In doing so, it embraces the methodology and creates a enterprise variant that works in its culture. ...

... "The facility has adopted lean manufacturing practices such as Kaizen and Six Sigma methods, all with an eye toward continuous facility and product improvement. The company follows a 16-point plan that has cut manufacturing cycle times in half compared to earlier attempts to reduce overall production times. " ...

Via Vectron: Frequency Control

Flow Manufacturing Simulation

Hospital Six Sigma Triage

Six Sigma shows success in a number of industries, including healthcare where this Buffalo area hospital reduces cycle time using the methodology. ...

... "Kaleida Health System has put Six Sigma to work at Millard Filmore Suburban Hospital in Amherst, to reduce the amount of time patients spend in the emergency department. The goal was to move them to the next level of care or have them treated so they could go home .. " ...

Via he Buffalo News: Six Sigma

Ingersoll Rand Six Sigma Benefits

Ingersoll Rand Indianapolis plant adopts Six Sigma improvement methods and shifts its performance in order to compete effectively. Local government agencies have invested in the site's transformation through educational grants. ...

... "The plant keeps up with cutting-edge trends in manufacturing, such as maintaining zero inventory and applying the Six Sigma quality improvement process. Schostek said such changes have helped cut the division's average time from receipt of an order to delivery of the final product from 10 weeks about 15 years ago to only four days now. " ...

Via The Indianapolis Star: Ingersoll Rand

Letterkenny Lean Leads to Shingo

Letterkenny Army Depot leverages lean manufacturing methods to reduce labor expenses, minimize space requirements, and improve cycle times. These achievements have been recognized with another Shingo award. ...

... "By using lean manufacturing and other methods, the BIDS line saved $1 million annually in manpower, reduced floor space by 32,000 square feet and reduced repair time to 20 days from 30 days ... " ...

Via Chambersburg Public Opinion: Depot wins

Cycle Time Reduction using Lean Manufacturing on the Line

Boeing implements lean practices into its manufacturing processes, called the pulse line, for satellite production. ...

... "New work cells, new tooling, standard work-planning packages and lean manufacturing processes will reduce the total build time per satellite and increase the number of vehicles moving through the line at one time, according to the company. " ...

Via Inside GNSS: Boeing Pulse Line

CNC Cycle Time Reduction

Cycle Time Improves with Lean Six Sigma

Army trims cycle times and eliminates defects with Lean Six Sigma projects. ...

... "Those delays became one of the first targets of a Lean Six Sigma project under Lt. Gen. Michael Rochelle, Army deputy chief of staff for personnel. " ...

Via FCW: Army uses Lean

Laboratory Six Sigma

Hospital laboratory uses Six Sigma to drive its efficiency initiative. Cycle times for testing are decreasing. ...

... "The lab is also using the principles of Six Sigma, a system meant to help companies eliminate defects that has been embraced by General Electric and other manufacturers. " ...

Via The StarPhoenix: Saskatoon Health Region

Six Sigma Military Efficiency is Financially Tangible

Six Sigma project targets military travel and reduces the processing cycle time. ...

... "Nguyen and Atkison-Clark said the plan to decrease travel voucher paperwork was initiated under the Lean Six Sigma program to improve fiscal military efficiency. " ...

Via Leavenworth Lamp: Travel Streamlined

Six Sigma Medical Cure

Boston area hospitals see benefits from Six Sigma process improvements. ...

... "Under a new scheduling system, all patients who required anesthesia are booked together, and an anesthesiologist was assigned to those hours. Patient volume went from 29 a day to 39 a day, without adding hours of operation. " ...

Via The Boston Globe: New medicine for hospitals

Textron CEO Sees Six Sigma Benefits

Textron CEO Lewis Campbell believes in Six Sigma as the route to becoming a premiere multi-industry company. ...

... "Even though Cessna has been producing planes for 89 years and jets since 1972, they recently took 17% of the labor hours out of their single-piston aircraft. That's a big number. " ...

Via USAToday: Textron CEO

LeanSix Sigma Improves Processes

Military uses lean six sigma to decrease the cycle time for maintenance and repair of its assets. The facilities and business processes are designed and refined to increase the flow and throughput of the work. ...

... "Many officials credit AirSpeed - formerly Lean Six Sigma - with helping improve processes, from assessing what work is needed to ordering spare parts to scheduling final flight testing to changing bad habits. " ...

Via Marine Corps Times: Aircraft repair centers

Six Sigma Freight Logistics Improvements Seen

The size of the opportunity to improve logistics cycle times is significant. Identification of critical variables using Six Sigma techniques and deployment of a new operating model for scheduling deliveries will bring improvement. Benefits are realized by optimizing the amount of vehicles waiting at any point in time, so that overall wait times are decreased. ...

... "Using a Six Sigma model to improve productivity and efficiency, the Rosehill project cut waiting times for scheduled trucks, and more than 75% of daily movements are now using the scheduling service. " ...

Via Transport & Logistics: Truck Logistics Improvement

Six Sigma Cycle Time Analysis

RFID benefits estimated with Six Sigma analysis. ...

... "CHEP estimates, using Six Sigma Kaizen analysis, found that 28 percent of end-to-end processing time could be saved per pallet delivery journey.
This equates to 49 minutes. " ...

Via Ferret: Australia RFID Pilot

Cycle Time Reduction

Thomas Group implements process reengineering for the military, reaping significant benefits. ...

... "It claims that its propriety Total Cycle Time methodology is the forerunner of such management concepts as Top Quality Management, Kaizen and Six Sigma. After Thomas advised it on a fleet-modernization program, the Navy realized one-time savings of $100 million, as well as $80 million savings annually, the firm says. " ...

Via Star-Telegram: Thomas Group Inc