Here are some highlights that I came away with:

• Good work simplifying and organizing to reduce die changeover time.  The use of dedicated carts for changeover.  Color coded hoses and unique connectors to mistake-proof hose connections.
• There was excellent overall lighting and task level lighting.  Not only is the new lighting excellent for visual inspection, it paid for itself quickly in energy savings.
• The facility was upfitted with a mezzanine so raw material utilizes gravity flow.  It also reduces clutter and congestion around machine at the floor level.
• There were numerous compliments about the facility and several observations that may lead to improvements.
• We had a good discussion about Basic Stability and how EVCO achieves it.  Stability is the foundation for being part of a lean supply chain.  Stability has 3 components,

1) equipment that is always available, i.e. no unscheduled downtime,

-     EVCO’s intensive maintenance program assures their equipment is always operating and available.   They have redundant capability.  EVCO measures and calculates OEE for each press.

2) processes that are reliable and repeatable,

-     We got a good view and explanation of their quality instructions.  Processes are well engineered so they make a good part.  Dies are maintained and regularly serviced.

3) workforce that is well trained and dependable.

-     EVCO works hard at getting good people and making EVCO a great place to work.  They work with the local technical college, Georgia Northwestern Technical College, and the Georgia Work Ready Program.

Troy explains quality instructions at EVCO Plastics

The topic for the event was ‘Lean Assessment’ or ‘You Get What You Measure’!   Some notes taken during the event:

• Lean goals should be aligned with Business Goals
• Management support includes good communications, involvement, motivation, and commitment of resources
• Champions begin at the top and are developed at all levels
• Objectively determine opportunities before applying tools and techniques
• Sustaining lean tools and techniques is directly related to the implementation of formal assessments, forms, or SOPs
• A performance baseline is the starting line indicating successful strategic changes over time

 We will be merging the assessment tools to come up with one that will be appropriate to all the companies in the Augusta Georgia Lean Consortium.  The intent is to assess your company’s lean effort as it is aligned to business goals.  Your support of this Lean community effort is appreciated!

Best always,

Elliot A. Price, Augusta Regional Manager

Note:  We have a number of assessment tools/formats for your use.  Contact any of your Georgia Tech Lean leaders.

USA Today: Some manufacturing heads back to USA August 6, 2010

Paul says, “This is a good article about the return of some production to the US, including the reasoning behind several examples.  Much of it will be familiar to you, but I think it is significant that it is in a general interest newspaper as opposed to an obscure trade journal or blog. Much of the general public is under the impression that we do not, or even should not, make things in the US, and articles like this are helpful in overcoming that misconception.”

An interesting exercise for your next staff meeting is to print the article and highlight all the “lean” reasons for manufacturing in the US rather than overseas.  Send the list to your CEO and CFO.

An audience of 44 soaked up the insights and principles of mistake-proofing presented by Dr. John Grout on Tues. July 20 at Berry College. There were 8 consortium member companies, 4 guest manufacturers and 2 healthcare organizations respresented.

Each attendee found a mistake-proofing or failsafing device from Dr. Grout’s collection at their seat. During introductions, each attendee had to figure out and explain their device. Reviewing these examples, plus Dr. Grout’s explanations, was a good way to learn about many different devices and techniques.

John’s most recent focus has been applying mistake-proofing to medical processes. Mistakes are always costly, but in healthcare the consequences can be particularly devastating. The medical practice greatly depends high levels of skill, training and a high degree of personal accountability. But we in industry know that “pay more attention” or “more training” are unacceptable corrective action responses. The same should apply to healthcare practice. Mistakes will be made no matter what levels of training, skill, expertise and conscientiousness.

John used a new presentation technique called Percha Kucha – a 20 slide presentation allowing only 20 seconds per slide for a total of 6 minutes and 40 seconds – to give us an introduction to mistake-proofing. Do an internet search on the term for more information.

We then learned the mistake-proofing vocabulary. The last topic was using A3 for mistake-proofing and root cause analysis.

Dr. Grout is Dean of the Campbell School of Business, and an international expert/researcher/writer on Mistake-proofing. His most recent work, Mistake-Proofing the Design of Health Care Processes is available free of charge. Go to his web site www.mistakeproofing.com   From this page, you can follow the links to download a pdf version, and/or request a paperback copy.

For more information:
www.mistakeproofing.com
david.apple@innovate.gatech.edu

NW Lean Consortium Benchmarking Tour

Wenesday August 25, 2010

9 am to 1 pm

EVCO Plastics

Calhoun, GA 30701

Contact David Apple to reserve your spot. david.apple@innovate.gatech.edu

http://www.evcoplastics.com/

EVCO is a global, custom injection molder of thermoplastic resins with mold design and mold building. Our ten manufacturing facilities, strategically located throughout the U.S., China and Mexico, employ over 900 people and operate 140 molding presses ranging from 28 to 3,300 tons.
This is another great opportunity to see best manufacturing practices. Evco has wide range of customers from automotive to consumer products packaging. In addition to ‘lean’ stuff, Evco has done some ‘neat’ stuff in facilities management.

Well … I was not expecting this response.  This is from the first company I asked.

“You are welcome to join us anytime.  However, staff meetings really do not exist here. We used to do it, but it really did not provide value and just took peoples’ time.  We are a small group and communication is very simple.  If we had say two or more shifts running, it would be more of a requirement to facilitate communication.  Our company has more than tripled sales and gone from two shifts to one shifts.  We have the same number of associates.

“We have daily production meetings at 7:30am with all line leaders, the production manager, plant manager and HR manager.  I (VP Operations) also attend at times.

 ““This is actually what might be of more interest to you.  Daily meetings focus on the heart of what we are doing.  When I come, I give them market updates, challenges, opportunities, etc.

“

We are working with Kennesaw State University on teaming development for this daily meeting.  It has shown some good results.  Our plant manager is currently working with them on reading the book, Five Dysfunctions of a Team.  We only spend 30 minutes in the meeting and sit overlooking the plant running.

“Once every eight weeks, we have our quality management review, which is part of our Quality Assurance program.  This meeting focuses on process performance in all areas.

“If we have an issue, we will call a quick impromptu meeting with staff that has related interest.

“As long as metrics are met, most staff type meetings are usually done in small groups and not formally.  For example, Sales metrics review is done between me and the sales manager.  Plant issues are covered with me and the plant manager.  Accounting is covered with me and the controller. They also have informal one-on-one meetings and I also act as a conduit.  We have our plan and our budgets and it is really about execution and measurement.  Meet the plan, and no need to meet.  

“From time to time, if one of the other disciplines wants to review financials, for example, then they are always welcome.  I actually can pull the financials off the system and do not even need to discuss with the controller unless I have some specific questions.  She does a gap analysis on the financials for me and upper management which really explains most questions.  Rarely do we review them with our corporate office.  As long as the performance is there, we do not need to talk to them.  The key is not to meet, but hit metrics / budgets.  

“We do have other meetings on a lower level which include product development and customer sampling, continuous improvement, safety meetings, a daily production scheduling meeting and some weekly conference call meetings with customers on projects we are working on with them.  We review inventory with purchasing once per week, line item by line item (that is for several reasons).

“I think the best article I have read was in a flight magazine talking about meetings.  It suggested stand-up meetings.  No chairs, no food, not drinks, just get to the point and get out. Certainly the human interaction has great value, but we interact all day.  Most people really do not like meetings.  They tend to take too much time and too many resources.

“In any case, you are welcome here at any time to attend anything. We appreciate you, your associates and Georgia Tech.  We also work with Georgia Tech on OSHA related items.  They have a class come here once per year for some hands on analysis by the students.

“We are very customer focused and seek autonomy in our individual and group performance.  We have a long way to go, but chipping away at it.”

I would add, “They have come a long way.”  Add your thoughts to this.

Jamie and Buzz

I was very pleased with the 2010 Georgia Tech Lean Leadership Event.  Jamie Flinchbaugh gave us some watch-outs plus guidance on improving our lean implementation and changing to a continuous improvement culture.

Here are my edited Blackberry notes from the day.  Post or email your comments.

Much of what Jamie discussed was an expansion of principles presented in his book, Principle 4 – Systematic Problem Solving and Principle 5 – Creating a Learning Organization.

1. It’s not about the tools — it’s about getting the thinking right.

2. It’s not about the leadership support anymore – but how leadership engages.

3. Organizational change – specifically our organization.  Most changes focus on actions and results – not the thinking of “why these actions?”

We typically jump to solutions when presented with a problem:

-     Changed behaviors include understanding the current situation — the WHY

-     You cannot observe or measure thinking

         -     #people trained, #events conducted are typical measures – but are they good measures?

-     LEARN APPLY REFLECT – best reflecting should be done in the aisle. What did we learn? 

-     Do we fully understand the current state?

       -     Is there a COMMON understanding of the current state?

-     Question everything.

-     Get to CHECK as quickly as possible but reduce the RISK 

       -     The “WELD BOLT CLAMP HOLD” principle. 

       -     How do we test the idea quickly to see if it works?

       -     Experiment cheaply. How can we get the data?

Waste Elimination = Problem Solving

The purpose of 5S is to surface problems quickly.

If a problem is not exposed does it still exist?  Yes, so instead of bemoaning a problem that’s discovered, celebrate that’s its uncovered.  Otherwise you will suffer the effects without knowing why.

“Lean Done Well” means engaging more people.  There is an endless supply of problems so we need more people who can solve problems.

Sessions 1 & 2: Derek Woodham and David Apple covered the Five Principles of Lean.
Principle One: Directly Observe Work as Activities, Connections and Flows
Principle Two: Systematic Waste Elimination
Principle Three: Establish High Agreement of What and How
Principle Four: Systematic Problem Solving
Principle Five: Create a Learning Organization

Session 3: Larry Alford covered Lean Leadership, Five Common Pitfalls, and the
Transformation Roadmap.

Session 4: Special Guest, Andy Carlino, co-author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Lean. Topic – “Putting it All together”
Please see the other consortium news below.