Internal Supply Chain Planning Improvement

Harsco Corp selects IBM to lead its business transformation initiative that will create an intelligent supply chain built on operational excellence. ...

... "IBM will perform an analysis to determine where improvements in Harsco's supply chain can be made. IBM will then develop the roadmap for a fully integrated supply chain that encompasses sourcing, procurement, logistics, planning (demand and supply), inventory and order management, and cash management. Work is scheduled to begin this month with IBM teams in place at Harsco's headquarters. " ...

Via IBM: Global Supply Chain Initiative

The Penske System: Planning, Appearance, and Discipline

Roger Penske prepares to take on the Saturn franchise. Expect his leadership principles to develop this channel for growth as the automotive manufacturing shifts from General Motors to a different partner. ...

... "His racing team is known for its meticulous planning, its spit-and-polish appearance and, above all, its discipline. He has applied the same principles in other parts of his automotive empire, and gotten sterling results. " ...

Via New York Times: Roger Penske, Saturn

Adapt Production Rates to Market Movements, AMR and Bombardier

American Airlines / AMR implements its business strategies in a show of strength, which has integrated supply chain impacts on the production lines of Bombardier. Bombardier's 2010 manufacturing rates could hold steady. ...

... "The potential AMR order could also help Bombardier avoid or at least minimize a planned reduction to regional jet production rates beginning in 2010. " ...

Via Wall Street Journal: Bombardier Production Cuts

Lean Center of Excellence

Aircraft Precision Products embraces lean methods to eliminate waste and prepare itself for long-term success. ...

... "Input from workers in various departments was used in planning for the construction of a 22,000-square-foot addition to the plant that is the new Lean Center of Excellence ... " ...

Via The Morning Sun: Precision manufacturing

Six Sigma Sales and Marketing Mobility

3M ESPE Brazil implements Antenna Software mobile solution for CRM to enable improvements in its sales and marketing performance. ...

... "3M ESPE Brazil also relied heavily upon its internal, Six Sigma and New System Implementation (NSI) methodologies for the planning and execution of the overall mobility project, which dovetailed with Antenna's implementation process. " ...

Via MSNBC: 3M ESPE Brazil Sales and Marketing Performance

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

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

Lean Practitioner Workshop

i2 will provide training on the lean supply chain. ...

... "i2 Technologies will offer an in-depth training workshop, Lean Manufacturing for Practitioners, June 23-26 and August 18-21 at the company's corporate headquarters in Dallas. The four-day workshop is designed for plant, material and operations managers, lean implementers and coaches, as well as production supervisors and schedulers. It will focus on proven lean transformation best practices, including process playbooks and lessons learned, all designed to provide supply chain practitioners with concrete steps to transform their operations. The workshop training includes industry examples and hands-on exercises that can be applied to their real-world planning projects. " ...

Via i2 Technologies: Training Workshops on Lean Manufacturing

Sustain the Lean Enterprise

Manage the change in the enterprise associated with lean manufacturing through workforce incentives, articulated vision, thorough planning, training, and commitment of resources. ...

... "The first step to successful marketing is identifying those customers, both internal and external, to whom the lean enterprise is to be targeted, such as executives, employees, investors, customers and suppliers. " ...

Via The Chicago Business Ledger: Change through lean manufacturing

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

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

Cessna is 40Percent Complete with Textron Six Sigma

Cessna introduces its new Cessna 350 and 400 aircraft, which are produced at its Bend, Oregon facility. ...

... "Since Cessna acquired the assets of the Bend plant in December 2007, the production facility has received a full face lift including new signage, new lighting and a new customer center. The transition plan, which includes implementation of Textron Six Sigma, has reached 40 percent completion. Cessna expects to deliver 150 350/400 aircraft this year and plans to increase production rates in 2009 to meet customer demands. " ...

Via Cessna: New 350 and 400 Aircraft

Wisconsin Next-Gen Manufacturing Plan

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle will focus strategy on manufacturing industry with initiatives that promote lean manufacturing and innovation, continuing to position Wisconsin as a leader in manufacturing. Increased funding will enable small- and midsized manufacturers to use the lean manufacturing services of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership. ...

... "Launch a Next Generation Manufacturing Plan to make manufacturers leaner and help them produce and export the highest-quality products made by the most skilled workers; " ...

Via Wisonsin Governor Jim Doyle: Strategy to Foster Innovation and Strengthen the Economy

Roadmap for Lean Implementation

Insights on lean implementation process to prepare for and sustain the transformation. ...

Kaizen Events Worth Time Investment

In some companies, it takes awhile before successes prove that kaizen events are worth the investment of time. ...

... "effects of a properly planned and executed kaizen event will pay for the perceived lost time of the participants many times over. " ...

Via Reliable Plant: Kaizen events