Kimberly Clark implements lean with force

Kimberly Clark brands its cost reduction initiative as FORCE (Focused On Reducing Costs Everywhere), which is enabled by lean methods. ...

... "Brickman also outlined a new three-year plan to deliver an additional $400 to $500 million of FORCE savings from 2011 to 2013, with expected benefits from the continued rollout of lean manufacturing and supply chain practices and from the formation of a global procurement organization. " ...

Via MSN Money: Kimberly-Clark Market Report

Hospital Lean Six Sigma Drive Savings

Massachusetts hospitals struggle with high costs and use Lean Six Sigma to streamline operations. Even with efficiency savings, the workforce is affected. ...

... "Southcoast has been attentive to the management of costs, effectively flexing our expenses as volumes and our average daily census decreased. We also introduced new tools, such as Lean and Six Sigma, that helped us save several million dollars this year. " ...

Via SouthCoastToday: Hospital restructuring

Xerox Lean Six Sigma Print Services

Procter & Gamble will use Xerox to manage its global print operations under a five year services contract that will reduce operating costs by nearly 25 percent. ...

... "Using Lean Six Sigma-based methodologies, Xerox Global Services will deliver an enterprise-wide strategy, expected to free up hundreds of minutes of employee time annually. Xerox will provide on-site training to help P&G's employees manage the new print environment, including tips on how to reduce the time spent on print-related activities. Xerox's change management program focuses on how best to support the staff during the transition in order to minimize disruptions. " ...

Via Xerox: Procter & Gamble Worldwide Print Operations Management

Lean Culture Leads to Recognition of Excellence

Carestream Health's Rochester manufacturing facility is recognized with a Shingo Silver Medallion for its excellence in lean manufacturing. ...

... "The Rochester facility, which makes approximately 70 percent of all dental X-ray film sold worldwide, uses lean manufacturing practices to optimize the quality and consistency of the product it delivers to customers while also enabling financial savings for the company. By committing to a lean culture, the facility is able to deliver goods and services with higher quality, fewer defects, and within shorter timelines than traditional production methods. " ...

Via Carestream Healthcare: Shingo Prize Award

Six Sigma Pros Are Satisfied at Vought

Vought Aircraft's experience with lean strategies and Six Sigma, through its Vought Operating System, creates an environment that satisfies the career needs of Six Sigma professionals. The company is recognized as ranking No. 2 on the Top 10 list of Best Places to Work for Six Sigma pros. ...

... "Companies were ranked by totaling the scores from the two surveys. The greatest weight was given to the employee portion, which asked questions in five main categories: job satisfaction, culture, compensation/rewards and recognition, training and career development, and net promoter score (NPS). Of these categories, job satisfaction was weighted as being the most important. In just two years, 209 Vought employees have completed the Six Sigma green belt training, with 77 receiving certification. Twenty-three employees went on to become black belts. Projected savings of all black and green belt projects combined exceeds $25 million. " ...

Via Vought Aircraft: Second in Nation for Six Sigma Professionals


Vought Corsair ...

GreenBelts Deliver Six Sigma Benefits

Crown Equipment invests in Six Sigma training and the company's green belt workforce delivers tangible benefits with more planned. ...

... "Somewhat counter to initial expectations, for instance, has been the finding that the bulk of the $1.5 million of savings has come from Green Belt activities ... " ...

Via Manufacturing Business Technology: Six Sigma payoff

Kellogg Lean Manufacturing Initiative

Grocery prices will be under pressure as the economy slows putting pressure on the food industry to become more efficient. Kellogg prepares to weather the storm. ...

... "Through a new lean manufacturing initiative, Kellogg is aiming to reduce waste and is increasing its productivity savings target for 2009 to 3 percent to 4 percent of its cost of goods sold, up from 3 percent. " ...

Via Postbulletin: Grocers

Six Sigma Culture

Companies see tangible financial benefits accrue through adoption of Six Sigma methods and integrating continuous improvement techniques into the workforce culture. ...

... "The company has the potential to save $370,000 on two projects it has done so far, and plans to make Six Sigma part of the Geddes steel maker's culture, he said. " ...

Via Syracuse dot com: Six Sigma savings

SixSigma Best Project of the Year

Cessna employee is recognized for significant achievement on Six Sigma project. ...

... "Shane Cameron was awarded the 2008 Best Project of the Year Award on June 19 in Orlando, Fla. Shane works for Cessna Aircraft Company, a subsidiary of Textron Inc., as a Six Sigma Black Belt. ... Shane's idea saved Cessna $10.2 million in one year. " ...

Via Examiner-Enterprise: Cessna

Department of Defense Lean Six Sigma Software Enabler

The U.S. military standardizes on Minitab statistical software to support its implementation of quality improvement methods using Lean Six Sigma. ...

... "Since the U.S. Army deployed Lean Six Sigma in 2005, nearly 2,000 personnel have been trained, more than 1,000 projects have been completed, and more than 1,600 remain active. The Army credits these projects with achieving nearly $2 billion in savings so far. The Department of the Navy has trained more than 5,000 sailors and Marines as Six Sigma green or black belts since 2006. The Navy estimates savings from its projects for 2006 and 2007 to be $450 million, a 4-to-1 return on investment. The U.S. Air Force has trained more than 500 Six Sigma belts, and its Air Logistics Centers received two Shingo Prizes for quality improvement last year. The Air Force has committed to a 40,000-manpower reduction without impairing its operational capabilities due in part to efficiencies gained from its initiatives. " ...

Via Minitab: Minitab quality improvement software

Six Sigma Energy Savings

Six Sigma projects focused on energy reduction deliver operational cost savings and reduces an enterprise's carbon footprint. ...

... "Project recommendations from a Six Sigma study demonstrated that the overall costs of using demineralized water could be cut significantly. The study points to detection and repair of faults associated with steam and water analysis systems, problem valves, vacuum pump overflow, and other issues. " ...

Via Science Daily: Save Energy

Six Sigma Achievement in Process Efficiency is Awarded

ATMI is recognized for its use of Six Sigma to drive growth at the company in its product lifecycle. A number of Six Sigma projects have been deliver with operational efficiency benefits realized. The company was recognized at the Global Six Sigma Awards 2007. ...

... "We are very happy to have our innovative approach to Six Sigma deployment independently validated, as it is a key contributor to continued growth, said Doug Neugold, Chief Executive Officer. This award is based upon our documenting how the tools and methodologies were used to design, develop, and commercialize our RegenSi(tm), AutoClean(tm), and Newmix(r) process efficiency solutions, each of which has the potential to save our customers many millions of dollars by bringing yield, cost, and throughput improvements to their processes, said Tim Carlson, Chief Financial Officer. Since inception, we've completed over 80 internal projects generating more than $20 million of savings for ATMI. " ...

Via ATMI: Best Achievement in Six Sigma

Operational Efficiency Limits?

Will high-efficiency enterprises reach a point of diminishing returns when it comes to operational efficiency? ...

... "Logistics experts with a Six Sigma background may argue that point is never fully realizable, although a retailer (or any business) must know when to cut and run when the costs expended to save money cost more than the eventual money saved. " ...

Via BloggingStocks: Limits of Efficiency

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

Cost Reduction Program Yields Results

Standard Register implements cost reduction program to compete effectively in its industry. ...

... "Earlier this year, the Company consolidated its manufacturing and warehousing operations in a move expected to save approximately $5 million annually. Today's action eliminated approximately 250 positions, primarily in management and overhead, representing $22 million annually in compensation and related costs. Other new initiatives that target purchasing costs and other non-compensation expenditures are expected to lower costs by an additional $13 million annually. These actions, including the earlier restructuring, are expected to reduce second half 2007 costs by $15 million versus the levels incurred in the first six months of the year. The remaining balance of the $40 million in annual savings is expected next year. Separation costs associated with today's restructuring are estimated at $3.5 million, which will be recorded in the third quarter. " ...

Via Standard Register: Cost Reduction

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