Infor Lean Manufacturing Enabler

C/G Electrodes selects Infor ERP to support its lean manufacturing practices and drive efficiency in its business processes. The company is driving speed to market through greater process visibility. ...

... "ERP SyteLine will help C/G Electrodes meet its goal of shortening time-to-market by providing greater accuracy, detail and speed of information across the complex processes required for hybrid manufacturing. Also key to C/G Electrodes' selection of ERP SyteLine was the solution's analytic and reporting capabilities, which quickly deliver critical information to users without disruption to daily operations. This functionality will enable primary decision makers to make the choices they need to be more competitive and enhances workforce productivity. " ...

Via Infor: Lean Manufacturing Gains at C/G Electrodes

Accelerated Lean Manufacturing Boost Earnings

SL Industries accelerates its lean initiatives to expand margins as revenue declines over twenty percent. SL Industries designs, manufactures and markets power electronics, power motion and power protection equipment that is used in a variety of industry applications. The company generally sells to OEMs. ...

... "In anticipation of a prolonged recession, we effected contingency plans in the first quarter to reduce the Company's cost structure and lower its breakeven point. With an intense focus on internal improvement, management also accelerated several lean manufacturing programs throughout the organization to increase productivity. The Company's results in the third quarter reflect these actions, as earnings increased on sharply decreased revenue. " ...

Via RTT, SL Industries: Third Quarter Financial Results

Lean Six Sigma for Production Improvements Leads to Best Factory Recognition for UK Lighting Firm

Thorn Lighting is recognized as Best Factory in the UK for its achievements in customer satisfaction and product quality. The company has embraced Lean Six Sigma on the factory floor and has made investments in its equipment and workforce. A key ingredient of their production success is designing material flow into the production process and factory layout. ...

... "The company also made good use of lean six sigma tools which involved production workers in the development of improvements which significantly increased the factory's productivity and delivery performance. The company has invested heavily in its staff's technical skills and equipment to keep ahead of competition. " ...

Via Works Management: Thorn Lighting Ltd

Manufacturing IT Views Mobility Tops Per Barometer

Moto survey identifies mobility as key enabler to productivity in the manufacturing space. ...

... "The Motorola Enterprise Mobility Manufacturing Barometer surveyed manufacturing IT decision makers in 14 countries across four continents, of whom 80 percent cited that mobility was more important for their organizations today than in 2008. This represents a nine percent increase from previous research, indicating that enterprise mobility applications continue to grow in importance as manufacturers look to boost operational efficiencies and increase productivity in the current macro-economic climate. " ...

Via Motorola: Manufacturers View Mobility as Key to Converting Downtime into Productive Time

Kraft Cost Savings Effort Pipeline

Kraft revises its operational efficiency program to drive productivity, increase cash flow, and expand margins. This positions the company for cash generation to service additional debt incurred a part of its acquisition of Cadbury PLC, while maintaining investment grade ratings. ...

... "Productivity as a percentage of cost of goods sold of greater than 4 percent by 2011, up from less than 3 percent in 2008; A reduction of about five days in its cash conversion cycle by 2011, from 46 days in 2008; Overhead as a percentage of net revenue of approximately 12.5 percent in 2011, down from about 14 percent in 2008; Operating income margins in the mid-teens by 2011, up from 12.3 percent in 2008 ... " ...

Via Kraft: Three-year turnaround plan

Six Sigma Logistics Outsource

Outsourcing company expands from its roots with a foundation of continuous improvement based on Six Sigma. ...

... "Improved productivity and scale of operations has been the key to sustained growth. Implementing Six Sigma initiatives have ensured reduced wastages and better utilization of our current resources to effectively increase productivity. " ...

Via CRN: Reverse Logistics

Manufacturing Production Technique Through Lean Team

Itron uses lean to drive new production methods that support the growth of the company's new products. ...

... "The teams at Itron identified a new manufacturing production technique using the application of lean manufacturing principles that now offers improvements in productivity, thereby strengthening the competitive position of the business. " ...

Via Upstate Today, South Carolina New automation system

Kaizen Tactics

Kaizen seminar this Tuesday ...

... "Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership --- Do More With Less: Get Fast Productivity Gains with Low Cost Gemba Kaizen Tactics, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m " ...

Via Journal Sentinel: Business Calendar

Bee Lean

Brushy Mountain Bee Farm has implemented lean manufacturing through the company and receives local recognition for its growth. ...

... "Applying lean principles for increasing productivity and decreasing waste led to expanding the wood storage area, the woodenware assembly area where beehives are constructed and the packaging area where workers prepare an average of 300 orders per day for shipping. " ...

Via Wilkes Journal Patriot: Beekeeping

Dr. Pepper Snapple Lean Six Sigma through Productivity Office

President and CEO Larry Young discusses the company's performance and the impact achieved from Lean Six Sigma at the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group. ...

... "Our productivity office and Lean Six Sigma initiatives are providing the funding and process to implement ongoing efficiency programs, and new packaging technology is allowing us to get more out of the same assets. " ...

Via Seeking Alpha: Dr. Pepper Snapple Group Earnings Call

Limit Variation Improve Quality and Control Costs to be Healthy

GE creates a mega-trend focused business model to drive change in the healthcare sector - branded as Healthymagination. Specific objectives have been articulated that will create measurable change and multiple strategies have been aligned to position GE for success. Quality, cost, and access are the customer critical performance indicators and will be measured and validated. ...

... "Make health IT faster and more productive – GE will seek to increase the use and capability of electronic medical record (EMR) technology and other information technology that speed communications, limit variation and control costs. " ...

Via GE: Healthymagination Focus on Quality

Covance Six Sigma Drug Development

Covance discusses company performance and its value from Six Sigma in the drug development process. ...

... "strategic acquisitions such as Swiss Pharma contract, which enhance our integrated drug development capabilities and help us speed development for clients and the expansion of six sigma, including projects with clients, which help us reduce variation and improve the productivity of drug development. " ...

Via Covance: Earnings Call

Jedi Lean Techniques

Local manufacturing association sees lean education as catalyst for business development. ...

... "Joint Economic Development Initiative (JEDI) is working with the Central Alberta Rural Manufacturing Association to bring experts to the region to discuss lean manufacturing – how industry can make cuts without distrupting labour and productivity. " ...

Via Wetaskiwin Times: Lean manufacturing

Remington Lean Six Sigma Progress

Remington Arms Company discusses company results and shares their focus on manufacturing productivity with Lean Six Sigma. ...

... "We continue to focus heavily on the company’s manufacturing operations. I am pleased to report ongoing progress in lean manufacturing and Six Sigma initiatives as they have continued to improve productivity and quality. " ...

Via Remington Arms: 3Q Transcript (doc)

Lean Manufacturing Progress Challenged

Emerging legislation and foreign tax treatment could impact the gains achieved by industry using lean manufacturing methods over the recent past. ...

... "Great strides have been made in worker productivity by implementing these manufacturing methods, enhancing margins as well as capital turnover ratios across the industrial space. " ...

Via Morningstar: Obamanomics

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

Toyota Problem Definition

Einstein's method of problem solving focused on better defining the problem, before working on the solution. The same can be said about the DMAIC process of the Six Sigma methodology. ...

... "When a Toyota executive asked employees to brainstorm ways to increase their productivity, all he got back were blank stares. When he rephrased his request as ways to make their jobs easier, he could barely keep up with the amount of suggestions. " ...

Via LiteMind: Einstein Problem Solving

Lean Manufacturing in Health Care

Healthcare challenges are taking a back seat to economic problems. Meanwhile, exemplars in the healthcare industry are embracing improvement methods, such as lean manufacturing, to drive competitive advantage. ...

... "Weller admires initiatives implemented by ThedaCare to take lean manufacturing methods, which stress efficiency, to reduce costs. In about six years, through streamlining and adopting a model of continuous improvement, ThedaCare has saved $27 million the past three years and a 5 percent improvement in productivity. " ...

Via Appleton Post-Crescent: Health care fixes

Tenneco Six Sigma to Weather Economic Storm

Tenneco is implementing aggressive actions to adjust its operating expenses, lower working capital requirements, and improve workforce productivity. The company will use Six Sigma and lean methods to accelerate operational efficiency. ...

... "Accelerate working capital improvement opportunities; Implement targeted reductions in capital spending; Step up its Six Sigma and Lean manufacturing initiatives to drive greater manufacturing efficiencies and costs savings; Significantly reduce and re-prioritize information technology (IT) spending; " ...

Via Tenneco: AGGRESSIVE ACTIONS TO SIZE ITS GLOBAL OPERATIONS TO CHANGING MARKET CONDITIONS

Alliant Energy Lean Six Sigma Improve Productivity and Control Costs

Alliant reports respectable quarterly earnings which are bolstered by Lean Six Sigma efforts that are making the company more productive and helping it to manage costs more effectively. ...

... "The modest decrease at the utilities is primarily due to the impacts of the June 2008 Midwest flooding, which are partially offset by the recent settlement with the IRS on U.S. federal income tax audits of prior years and the benefits of our lean six sigma activities on improving productivity and controlling utility operating costs. " ...

Via Alliant Energy: Quarterly Earnings Report PDF

CNC Cycle Time Reduction

Lean Six Sigma Measurement Drives Improvements

Lean Six Sigma uses measurement systems to drive tangible results. Are the intangibles ignored by these methodologies? The numbers should be a guid, but common sense must rule. ...

... "When companies start paying attention to these things they can realize a huge improvement in productivity and profitability. And recent research tells us that efforts like Lean Six Sigma are certainly needed. " ...

Via Management Issues: Low-carb Lean Six Sigma?

Lear Lean Manufacturing Implementation Drives Operational Efficiency Gains

Lear Corporation's lean manufacturing processes have driven productivity and operational efficiency for the company. Lear's lean implementation concentrates on the work environment, quality, the layout, and the flow of materials. ...

... "Tony Coomer, the company's vice president of Advanced Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement-Seating Systems, said lean manufacturing techniques have been deployed throughout the company's global manufacturing network.

Lear employees are trained on LMS during a three-week workshop. The training is conducted at all Lear plants by a lean manufacturing leader and employees receive LMS certification upon successful understanding of LMS principles and validation of model line projects which deploy LMS.

Product design is another key element in Lear's Lean Manufacturing System. Product design teams rely on LMS principles to ensure products can be manufactured in a lean environment. Approximately two thirds of product costs are locked into the initial design of the product, Coomer noted, so any effort to reduce cost after the initial design stage can only influence the remaining one third of the product's overall cost. At one facility, for example, product design teams incorporating design for lean principles in a model year change realigned workstations, changed production flows and made other assembly line changes to boost productivity.

Plant layout also plays an important role in Lear's approach to lean manufacturing. Lear uses Value Stream Mapping (VSM) to understand work flow and identify waste. In addition, extended VSM allows Lear to eliminate waste from the entire value stream -- from supplier to customer. VSM encompasses items such as freight costs, inventory controls and production changes. " ...

Via Lear Corp: Lean Manufacturing System Hikes Productivity and Reduces Costs

Lean Labor Productivity

Local officials evaluate lean methods ...

... "Combining Lean and Six Sigma which generates long term change is designed to incorporate the best of both methodologies. " ...

Via Cumberland Times: Celebrate Work and Productivity

Airbus Lean Productivity Increase Planned

Airbus expects lean program to pay productivity dividends. ...

... "a productivity increase of 16% by 2010 through use of Lean manufacturing; and a reduction in the supplier cost base and the number of logistics centres from 80 to eight through smart buying. " ...

Via Flight Global: Airbus