Lean Principles Implementation

To confront global competition, Strasser Woodenworks implements lean principles and has seen benefits from lower inventory requirements and higher quality. ...

... "Hedreen had visited Japan in 2000, on a tour of a lean Toyota plant, and had already started to implement lean principles even before Welke visited China. Now, Welke said, they’re continuing to push the company to further improve. " ...

Via Puget Sound Business Journal: Strasser Woodenworks

Honda Manufacturing Methods Upgraded

Honda plans new hybrid car for 2009 and will revamp manufacturing facilities with new methods. ...

... "At its mid-year news conference, Honda also outlined plans to introduce new manufacturing methods at several Japanese factories to boost efficiency and lower costs. Honda said it plans to invest about 158 billion yen to make the improvements at two domestic factories, one for engines and the other for cars. " ...

Via Yahoo! News: Honda hybrid

Semiconductor Manufacturing Benefits from Kaizen Events

Semiconductor manufacturer uses kaizen methods to sustain its improvement efforts and keep its facility capable of serving the industry needs at a competitive cost. ...

... "Small groups of workers and managers have spent a week or more in meetings - coming up with dozens of small steps that lead to productivity improvements. The kaizen events are modeled after methods that Japanese companies have used for decades to make their manufacturing operations the world standard for efficiency. " ...

Via Austin Statesman: Aging fab

Operational Turnaround through Six Sigma Excellence

Vertis Communications reports its fiscal results and describes its turnaround plan which includes the use of lean and Six Sigma methods to drive operational excellence. ...

... "The Company implemented a turnaround plan in early 2007 involving new management and a multi-faceted turnaround strategy that includes:

1) gaining a better understanding of customer's expectations and a commitment to exceed those expectations via our Customers Delight Initiatives;

2) establishing a platform of operational excellence driving improved quality, service and efficiency via a re-engineered manufacturing system based on lean and six sigma; and

3) enhancing management processes throughout the Company.

The turnaround initiatives are beginning to show results ... " ...

Via Vertis Communications: Vertis Reports 2007 Fourth Quarter and Full-Year Results

Program Applies Lean Six Sigma Smart Operations to Guard

Air Force Smart Operations, based on Lean Six Sigma methodology, is poised to streamline the Air National Guard. Teams are used to brainstorm and generate prioritized list of actions that could have significant impact on operations. And, the force is becoming familiar with the forms of waste that should be avoided or eliminated. Business processes are being redesigned for efficiency and effectiveness. ...

... "The program unites successful methods from the corporate world, including Lean and Six Sigma. Airmen apply it through rapid improvement events in administrative and logistical shops or anywhere processes need improvement. The Air Guard is on pace with other Air Force major commands in applying Smart Operations, Asbell said. " ...

Via The National Guard: Streamed, leaned Air Guard

Kaizen Plan

A project plan is an important element of an improvement initiative. However, the actual progress always varies from the plan in positive and negative ways. The plan provides a framework for comparison and a means to organize resources towards an objective. ...

... "Last week at the Batesville Casket Company, we completed an outstanding kaizen event in our Chihuahua, Mexico, plant despite the fact that our kaizen event was not even close to our original plan. " ...

Via Reliable Plant: Kaizen planning

Multivariable Testing Process Screens Improvement Ideas

Advice for developing and screening ideas for business improvement, includes multivariable testing. ...

... "Multivariable Testing (MVT) is a process that allows companies in all industries to test improvement ideas - dozens or even hundreds at a time. It identifies strategies that are practical, fast and cost-free that help to rapidly and dramatically improve profitability and company value. " ...

Via Salt Lake Tribune: Business Insight

Lean London Change Management

Leaders see lean manufacturing techniques as a way of transforming London for global business. ...

... "The workshop also covered the need to help employees adjust to changes to the way they work if lean manufacturing and other green improvements are introduced to their workplace. " ...

Lean London

Kaizen Small Improvements Accumulate

Philosophy of workforce harmony is supported with a foundation of kaizen improvement to enable success of the enterprise. ...

... "They call it kaizen, or continuous improvement. ... Every employee of a company is focused on making many small improvements wherever they may be. It could be as simple as always maintaining a clean workplace, which reduces confusion and allows workers to remain focused. " ...

Via Grand Forks Herald: Wind turbine blade manufacturer

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

Failure Analysis in Six Sigma Methods

Dyadem enables Maidstone to analyze its failure modes, eliminate root causes, improve quality, and operate efficiently.

... "Maidstone has saved hundreds of thousands of dollars through the use of Six Sigma methodology and Dyadem's FMEA Pro-7 Risk Management Software -- commonly used to improve quality in manufacturing but rarely seen in the consumer products sector. Maidstone produces more than 60 million donuts per week and wanted to ensure top quality while making sure its production operations were as efficient as possible. Dyadem has helped Maidstone significantly reduce costs while improving quality at its 400,000 square foot facility in Brantford, Ontario. " ...

Via Dyadem: Product Failure Analysis Software

Kaizen Chindogu Connection

Here is interesting twist. Is this the inverse of Kaizen? ...

... "The difference is, of course, that Kaizen seeks to improve stuff we buy while Chindogu seeks to improve stuff we think. " ...

Chindogu Useless Usefulness

Kaizen Gradual Change in Formula One Materials

Formula One teams use kaizen improvement philosophy to create successful designs. ...

... "Such major changes in materials are unusual in modern Formula 1 but gradual changes are regularly implemented as the team pursues its kaizen philosophy of continuous improvement. " ...

Via Motorsport: Formula One

Lean Six Sigma Consulting Organization Acquired

Accenture completes acquisition of the George Group. ...

... "As part of its comprehensive management consulting capabilities, Accenture will now be able to provide clients with offerings and techniques developed by George Group, including Lean Six Sigma, which combines process improvement methodology with efficient process discipline to reduce delivery times, lower costs and increase customer satisfaction. Terms of the sale were not disclosed. The transition of George Group's 250 employees to Accenture complements Accenture's aggressive recruiting initiatives to meet rapidly growing client demand for management consulting services, especially in process-improvement solutions leading to enhanced performance.

George Group consultants have provided services to Fortune 500 companies and government organizations in more than 54 countries. In addition to Lean Six Sigma, George Group has developed techniques such as Fast Innovation, which provides companies with methods and processes to accelerate and sustain innovation, and Conquering Complexity, which helps companies measure and reduce the impact of complexity within their organizations. " ...

Via Accenture: Acquisition of George Group, Specialists in Process Improvement, Accelerating Innovation and Streamlining Operations

Business Process Improvement

Lean and Six Sigma are great methods if applied properly. A good understanding of the underlying business and business processes is critical. ...

... "And yet, some laboratory managers take six sigma and lean tools and misuse them. Incorrectly used, these tools can endanger the viability of a pathology department and the quality of the service. " ...

Via Medical Laboratory World: Business Process Improvement

Five-9s Availability Achieved Through Six Sigma Discipline

EMC uses Six Sigma methodology to drive availability improvements in its products to five-9s performance levels. ...

... "Traditionally, only high-end storage systems designed for the most mission-critical applications have delivered Five 9s availability. EMC designed an entirely new midrange architecture - UltraScale - to deliver the highest levels of availability in affordable, scalable and easy-to-use systems that meet a wide range of storage needs. Over the past year, EMC utilized a comprehensive Six Sigma-based approach to track and calculate availability metrics of both the Fibre Channel and Fibre Channel/iSCSI versions of the EMC CLARiiON CX3 UltraScale systems, including a thorough analysis of the root cause of unplanned customer system downtime whether hardware, software or process-related. " ...

Via EMC: EMC Clariion CX3 Ultrascale Systems Achieve Highest Midrange Storage Availability and Quality Benchmark

Financial Services Business Process Improvement Use SixSigma

Information technology is not leading Six Sigma business process improvement in financial services. ...

... "majority of global financial services companies are using some form (or combination) of modern process improvement methodologies such as Lean, Six Sigma or Process Management. " ...

Via Bank Systems and Technology: Bank Process Improvement

Goodyear SixSigma Cost Savings Ambitions

Goodyear increases cost-savings targets in an ambitious plan to transform the company's profitability, through Six Sigma and other creative methods. ...

... "Based on the significant progress we made in 2006 against our four-point cost-savings plan, I am confident we will exceed our 2008 target of more than $1 billion, Keegan said. We are aggressively targeting additional cost savings in 2009 and raising our gross cost savings goal over this four-year period to between $1.8 billion and $2 billion. " ...

Via Goodyear Tire: First Quarter Results Provide Platform for Growth, Cost Savings

Textron SixSigma Principle-Based Experience Shared At Summit

At WCBF's Lean Six Sigma Summit, Textron's John W. Mayers, VP of Six Sigma and Transformation, will share insights on the principled-based leadership employed at his company. ...

... "Mayers will be addressing an audience of senior level business and continuous improvement leaders from across all industries striving for business improvement by sharing Textron's experience with Six Sigma and Lean principles. Textron's Six Sigma model is a comprehensive, common set of tools and techniques applied to all functional areas to eliminate waste, reduce variation, and fuel growth and innovation. Textron's unique combination of powerful methodologies woven into a single holistic approach makes Textron Six Sigma an especially robust improvement mechanism for the company. Textron Six Sigma also plays a key role in talent development for the company. " ...

Via Textron: Textron's John Mayers Delivers Remarks At Lean Six Sigma Summit

Value Engineering Award to Northrop Grumman For Lean Principles

Northrop Grumman is selected by U.S. Department of Defense to receive its Value Engineering Achievement award for innovative productivity improvements, that leverage the principles of Lean Six Sigma. ...

... "Value Engineering, developed in the 1940s at General Electric Co., is a systematic process widely used in government and industry to identify actions that improve performance, reliability, quality, safety and life cycle costs. The Defense Department said a total of 3,473 government and contractor-initiated proposals were accepted during fiscal year 2006 with projected savings/cost avoidance in excess of $1.6 billion. Northrop Grumman was nominated for its Value Engineering Achievement award by the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA), which cited the implementation of Six Sigma and Lean principles at the company's Integrated Systems sector. According to the DCMA nomination, Northrop Grumman's implementation of these initiatives has been increasingly reducing costs, improving quality, enhancing effectiveness and increasing efficiency throughout the enterprise and on Defense Department weapon system acquisition contracts and services. The 2006 Defense Department Value Engineering awards will be presented May 16, 2007 at the Pentagon. " ...

Via Northrop Grumman: Northrop Grumman to Receive U.S. Department of Defense Value Engineering Award for Improving Productivity

SixSigma: Incremental Business Process Improvement Best

Hackett Group research sees Six Sigma as best utilized to support continuous improvement in shared service / back-office processes. Hackett finds that Six Sigma may be inappropriately applied to enterprise transformations, where it is weak. ...

... "Many Hackett clients find Six Sigma to be a powerful tool for incremental improvement. Using a combination of Six Sigma and LEAN, one U.S. client was able to achieve major progress in accounts payable, including a 50% reduction in payment processing time, largely by identifying errors and eliminating non-value-added activities. At another Hackett client, Six Sigma played a key role in their ability to decrease cycle times and reduce costs as they built a global shared services organization. Overall, Hackett's research shows that 86% of all finance shared services organizations have a strong commitment to continuous improvement programs such as Six Sigma. " ...

Via The Hackett Group: Six Sigma Not a Silver Bullet for Back-Office Improvements

Boeing Lean Recognition: Continuous Improvement Performance

Boeing's Space and Intelligence Systems division receives California Award for Performance Excellence, Gold Level award in recognition of its high performance in continuous improvement efforts. ...

... "Howard Chambers, S&IS vice president and general manager: S&IS is comprised of several organizations obtained through mergers and acquisitions, and we've made it a priority to merge processes and procedures in order to improve competitiveness and leverage lean manufacturing, six sigma and other initiatives. The Gold award validates that we are on the right path toward overall business excellence and symbolizes our commitment to flawless program execution. " ...

Via Boeing: Boeing Receives Top Award for California Performance Excellence

Lean Discipline: Mulally Recognized

Leader Alan R. Mulally is recognized for his role is changing the fortunes of American manufacturing icons. ...

... "His zeal for management - the relentless focus on planning, production and embracing everyone as a team member - has gone well beyond the disciplines of lean manufacturing and continuous product improvement. " ...

Via Aviation Week and Space Technology: Person of the Year

DCS Distributed Control System Implementation: Six Sigma Context

ARC sees good growth in the distributed control systems (DCS) market and expects some shifts in the marketplace causing migration of control systems. Any migration of technology should be achieved in the context of a disciplined improvement process, such as Six Sigma. ...

... "ARC advocates that end users must take the same approach to control system migration that they would to overall control system selection, all in the context of a six-sigma style continuous improvement process. " ...

Via Processing Talk: DCS Market Growth

Kaizen: Deming Philosophy

Modern Postcard has the mindset for success, incorporating lean thinking into its methods for continuous improvement. ...

... "Hoffman also subscribes to W. Edwards Deming's philosophy of statistical process control, as well as to kaizen, the Japanese term for change for the better or improvement used in lean-manufacturing circles. " ...

Via Graphic Arts Monthly: Kaizen: Deming Philosophy: Picture Perfect

Enteprise Lean Program: National Manufacturing

National Manufacturing, Chatham, NJ, invests in continuous improvement through lean manufacturing. ...

... "Additionally, a comprehensive, enterprise-wide lean manufacturing program was initiated to ensure employees get the right products to the right place at the right time in the right quantity, while minimizing waste and being flexible and open to last-minute tweaking. " ...

Via Star Ledger NJ: Link

Toyota Kaizen Culture: Texas Style

Toyota Texas plant builds new Tundra truck with kaizen culture ...

... "Reminders of the automaker's culture of kaizen -- or continuous improvement -- are everywhere as workers with Team Texas badges run slow-speed test production of the Tundra ... " ...

Via Reuters UK: Link

Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce info on Toyota Texas Plant ...

Continuous Improvement Project: Automation Complements

Automotive suppliers leverage automation and continuous improvement to remain competitive. ...

... "The Schrader story is an enlightening one demonstrating that, with investment in automation (brought about by a rigorous pursuit of lean manufacturing techniques and continual improvement), Western European manufacturers can compete ... " ...

Via ProcessingTalk: Link

Kaizen Toyota Corolla Dependabiity ...

Toyota Corolla's dependability is a result of relentless focus on continuous improvement through kaizen. ...

... "Every process -- from assembly operations to the paint shop, from bringing in parts to loading finished cars on trucks or trains -- has been refined. Toyota calls it kaizen, or continuous improvement. " ...

Via SanJose Mercury: The bestselling car ever

Continuous Improvement Seminar: Manufacturing Execution ...

Upcoming manufacturing improvement seminar from Citect ...

... "Citect, a specialist in next generation manufacturing execution systems, is hosting a free one-day educational seminar on continuous improvement at Silverstone Grand Prix race circuit on Tuesday 21st November 2006. " ...

Via Process and Control Today: Read

SAP PlantFloor Integration: Supports SixSigma Efforts

GE Fanuc and SAP partner to integrate SAP ERP business system with the plant floor automation system. The systems integration supports visibility to manufacturing operations in order to drive operational efficiency and continuous improvement. ...

... "The combination of GE Fanuc's Production Management solutions with SAP's Production Execution services allows for the gathering, analyzing and transforming of real-time data into information to continuously improve a company's level of productivity and performance. The real-time visibility and intelligence facilitated by the combined solution translates into improved agility, quality and efficiency by tracking and executing production operations through a closed-loop information exchange with the SAP Business Suite.

The solutions will provide product genealogy information traced by raw material consumption and production performance data. Additionally, they will drive operational efficiency and quality as well as the ability to respond quickly to manufacturing events and trends. These flexible, capable production systems will also meet the needs of companies that typically manufacture many variants of their products and require exceptional agility." ...

Via GE Fanuc Automation: GE Fanuc Teams with SAP to Ease Enterprise Integration, Improve Quality and Drive Productivity ...

Manufacturing Leader: Lean Roll-Out Experience ...

American Woodmark appoints manufacturing leader with Lean Six Sigma implementation experience. ...

... "Dunston brings a broad range of experience in manufacturing and supply chain management to American Woodmark. He comes to American Woodmark from Diamond Innovations, a leading industrial supplier to the automotive, electronics and aerospace industries, where he was vice president, Global Operations. In this position, he was tasked to significantly reduce operating costs within China, Europe and the U.S. Prior to this, he worked as vice president of operations for BBA Fiberweb, a complex fabric and laminate manufacturing company. Here he instituted the roll-out of a continuous improvement program with training in both 6-Sigma and Lean Manufacturing. " ...

Via American Woodmark: Cary Dunston Named Senior Vice President of Manufacturing, American Woodmark

Kaizen Collaboration for Continuous Improvement ...

Evening seminar this Thursday on creating a kaizen culture ...

... "This Thursday: The Buffalo Section of the American Society for Quality, 5:30 p.m., Classics V Banquet and Conference Center, 2425 Niagara Falls Blvd., Amherst. Program: Kaizen: Creating a Culture of Collaboration for Continual Improvement, presented by Dave Hallett, Insyte Consulting. " ...

Via Buffalo News: Business calendar ...

Army Lean Six Sigma: Leadership Culture

Secretary of the Army Francis J. Harvey shares his views on the leadership excellence in the military, which includes a foundation of continuous improvement through Lean Six Sigma. ...

... "Harvey also touted the Lean Six Sigma business-management tool as an example of transformation in the Army's business culture. " ...

Via Leavenworth Lamp: Harvey addresses AUSA gathering ...

Government Kaizen Initiative

Local authority uses kaizen methods to improve services and their success is recognized. ...

... "Following recognition at national level, Aberdeenshire Council's Kaizen initiative is now a beacon of excellence across Europe after taking an international award for continuous improvement.

The Aberdeenshire approach on this theme is based on the Kaizen model. Kaizen is a Japanese expression meaning making something as good as it can be and the process engages teams of employees in concentrated blitzes to identify more efficient ways of working. The exercise has been driven by Chief Executive Alan Campbell and his Senior Management Team since 2004, and is supported by facilitators in all of the council services and Kaizen Champion Pat Browne. For each blitz undertaken, a team leader is appointed and in turn selects a team of between 10 and 14 people who are close to the process to be improved. " ...

Via Aberdeenshire Council: Aberdeenshire Blitzes competition to take European award ...

Manufacturing Software: Integrated Six Sigma Process

Acquisition of manufacturing software vendor: CDC Software acquires MVI Technology, whose solutions enable process manufacturers Six Sigma methods. ...

... "The MVI system is the first RPM solution specifically designed for food & beverage and consumer products industries. This innovative solution enables manufacturers to merge automated shop floor data, quality process control and manufacturing performance dashboar