- Lean Implementation Success at Britax Child Safety, Inc.
- Specialty Bar Products Gets Lean and Competitive to Reach New Markets
- Green River Cabins Building Success
- Marketing Assistance Helps Zenith Re-invent Itself
- JBE Increases its Competitiveness
Lean Implementation Success at Britax Child Safety, Inc.
Client Profile:
A world leader in the design and manufacture of child restraint products such as car seats and strollers. Its U.S. manufacturing facility in near Charlotte, NC employs 120 people.
Situation:
SCMEP first introduced Britax to Lean through a Principles of Lean Manufacturing workshop. John Czerwinski, Continuous Improvement Manager, contacted SCMEP to assist with reorganizing Britax's assembly areas into single piece flow rather than standard batch production. Solution: SCMEP provided training in Value Stream Mapping and Single Piece Flow, re-landscaping Britax's assembly areas into u-shaped single piece flow cells, reducing work in process (WIP). 5S strategies complete with weekly audits turned the cells into neat, clean, organized work areas. Implementing Quick Changeover assembly fixtures and tools allowed flexibility in scheduling production lines. SCMEP then assisted with Lean improvements to Britax’s warehouse. The use of magnetic labels enabled raw materials to be moved out of aisles and stored and organized in racks. Czerwinski next extended continuous improvement initiatives to Britax’s suppliers. By instituting a Supplier Scorecard to track performance against targeted cost reductions, he helped shorten lead times and encouraged Lean changes in suppliers’ facilities, such as reducing defects and delivering right-sized boxes and pallets for Britax’s warehouse. In addition, Czerwinski hired two new employees, a Continuous Improvement Analyst to review and eliminate "dead" inventory, and a Utility Technician to support 5S improvements by fabricating whatever is needed, such as customized material delivery chutes to improve single piece flow efforts.
Results:
- Increased number of car seats produced per man-hour of work without adding new employees
- 2,000 square feet in space savings
- 15% production increase and 15% space savings on the pilot Companion line, 17% and 24% on the Roundabout line, 6% and 15% on the Parkway line
- 80% of “dead” inventory eliminated in seven months
- $900,000 in cost savings
- $20,000 in cost avoidance
- $50,000 invested in training and workforce development
- 2 jobs created
Testimonial:
"In addition to Lean training and assistance, we like what SCMEP is doing with the Lean Alliances in the area, designed to bring together manufacturers to share Lean best practices on a regular basis." John Czerwinski, Continuous Improvement Manager, and Metrolina Lean Alliance Steering Committee member
Specialty Bar Products Gets Lean and Competitive to Reach New Markets
Client Profile:
A custom manufacturer of turbine and compressor rotor studs for gas turbines, as well as forged and machined components for a variety of industries, including aerospace, power generation, recreational firearms and marine propulsion. Employs 80 people at its Greenville, SC facility.
Situation:
Specialty Bar Products is General Electric's primary domestic supplier of hi-nickel alloy or stainless steel internal bolts, studs and nuts for turbines and compressors. Fluctuations in the gas turbine market produced large variances in annual sales over several years, and revenues dropped more than 50%. In response, Specialty Bar Products developed a new business manufacturing receivers for FN Manufacturing, a firearms producer in Columbia, SC, and requested SCMEP’s assistance preparing for this market expansion. Solution: SCMEP conducted a Competitiveness Review with Specialty Bar Products' General Manager, Tim Jackson.
The customized action plan returned to Jackson contained strategic and tactical recommendations to improve operations at the Greenville facility, including the implementation of Lean Manufacturing Principles, to help Specialty Bar Products achieve several long-term goals:
- Building a more diversified client base
- Improving the changeover process
- Manufacturing existing and new products more efficiently
- Improving throughput and reducing lead time
- Increasing plant capacity to supply new and existing customers
SCMEP led classes and training programs in Lean 101, Value Stream Mapping, 5S, Kaizen, and SME Bronze Level certification. Implementation of Lean methodology resulted in eliminating a centralized tool crib that was costing Specialty Bar time and money and putting all tools at point-of-use. Other initiatives to enhance competitiveness included improving inventory turns and work-in-process levels, as well as increasing capacity.
Results:
- 97% reduction in walking time to complete set-up
- 80% decrease in set-up time, 40% in changeover time
- 30% increase in shop floor capacity
Testimonial:
"Working with SCMEP enabled us to implement some obvious changes and new production techniques, leading to a stronger operation. The Lean initiative brought a high level of improvement and better efficiencies, and by involving the entire operation, resulted in an explosion of new ideas and motivation for individual self-improvement by helping everyone understand how their every action affects the operation, their own success and our bottom-line. Our entire plant is better positioned to respond to our customer diversification, enabling us to service both new and existing customers more effectively."" Timothy Jackson, General Manager
Green River Cabins Building Success
Client Profile:
Manufactures RV Park models in Campobello, SC and employs 18 people. Situation: When owner Dean Garritson purchased Green River Cabins in 2006, he contacted SCMEP for help with implementing a cultural transformation to improve efficiency and increase customization options to transform the operation from "craft shop" to a "customized manufacturer" of cabins.
Solution:
SCMEP specialists thoroughly observed and documented processes, identified improvement areas, and outlined more efficient ways to produce from building floors through prefabricated parts of wood. The proposed method ensured predictable repeatable quality. SCMEP helped create a deeper understanding that following this practical process increased overall production and revenue by decreasing labor, time and money spent on each unit. After witnessing the success of proposed process changes, this firsthand realization allowed employees to become effective change agents. Modifications within the manufacturing facility included new and improved floor plans, new manufacturing prints and more efficient designs for cabins.
Results:
- 14% increase in productivity
- 13% increase in wages
- 3 jobs created
- Reduced errors in window and door placements
- Achieved a more competitive and profitable position
Testimonial:
"SCMEP consultants were able to show Green River staff that the previous manufacturing culture was insufficient and that the new ideas increased productivity and wages. The improvements to Green River Cabins' success and public benefit were remarkable." Dean Garritson, Owner
Marketing Assistance Helps Zenith Re-invent Itself
Client Profile:
A Chester, SC employee-owned company, Zenith Engraving historically made screens for rotary screen printers used to print fabric for the textile industry; primarily upholstery and drapery fabric. Under new, innovative ownership, the company increased in size 15% to 98 people with the addition of graphic designers and customer service representatives.
Situation:
Zenith’s business was disappearing in 1999 as consumer trends shifted away from printed fabric and toward woven, leather, and solid-dyed fabrics. It was apparent that in order to survive, the company would have to reinvent itself. Shortly after employees bought Zenith, they contacted SCMEP. Solution: Zenith first participated in a Competitiveness Review, which, while confirming that digital printing represented an exciting new direction for the company, also suggested that Zenith needed more strategic marketing direction. SCMEP had researchers from the University of Minnesota conduct a market study to learn if high-end interior designers would be interested in Zenith’s custom pillows, fabrics, etc. SCMEP also assisted with Lean manufacturing training and implementation to enable Zenith to offer customized, short runs of its competitively-priced apparel items. A web designer referred by SCMEP set up an e-commerce website to enable Zenith to sell its finished products through major retailers nationwide.
Results:
- 300% sales increase
- $250,000 invested in capital improvements
- 13 new products added to inventory
- 5 jobs created
- 7 jobs retained
Testimonial:
"The marketing study provided by SCMEP was very useful and told us we were barking up the wrong tree. The Lean work taught us how to digitally produce one product at a time. SCMEP specialists are an ongoing resource for us, and we have recommended them to other small companies in South Carolina." Andy Graven, President
JBE Increases its Competitiveness
Client Profile:
A metal finishing business providing more than 80 sub-assemblies of headlights, taillights, battery cables, jet skis, mufflers, and other parts for its large automotive customers. Employs 100 people at its Hartsville, SC facility.
Situation:
Facing growing demands from new and existing customers, JBE needed to increase its capabilities and capacity while maintaining quality and costing standards. Additionally, JBE had an opportunity to bid on BMW work and needed assistance gaining a competitive advantage. Having worked with SCMEP on several successful projects over the years, including aiding JBE in becoming one of the first ISO 9000 certified minority manufacturers in South Carolina, they again enlisted SCMEP’s help.
Solution:
An SCMEP specialist worked with JBE owner Jerry Ellison to implement programs and certifications needed to gain a competitive edge in attracting new customers, ensure quality and cost efficient production, and streamline business processes and systems. SCMEP developed job descriptions and utilized a job skills assessment to match employees with the appropriate job for their skills where their efficiency is maximized. JBE upgraded its Material Resource Planning (MRP) system with the help of an SCMEP specialist. The upgraded system accepted a larger number of users and allowed for continual information updates, facilitating immediate response to customer needs. JBE also used SCMEP services to perform a cost structure analysis to determine ways of becoming more efficient to reduce production costs. By eliminating non-value added items and streamlining processes to reduce movement and waste, JBE realized increased savings, whichwere passed along to customers. In assisting with proposing potential work for BMW, SCMEP directed JBL in the steps to become approved as a Foreign Trade Zone. As a Foreign Trade Zone supplier, annual realized savings could reach as high as $125 million per year, a key factor in differentiating JBE from the competition.
Results:
- Increased sales $23.5 million
- Reduced lead time
- Created 100 jobs
Testimonial:
"SCMEP has been an invaluable partner in JBE's continued success and growth. Their specialists have provided us the assistance necessary to focus on client demand fulfillment and increased competitiveness in an effort to retain manufacturing business in the state and improve the quality of life in our area. With them, we have developed a business plan for a lean manufacturing operation, created jobs, brought in more business, reduced our lead times, improved our scrap rates, and received the ISO stamp of approval, all of which has made us more profitable." Jerry Ellison, Owner