taking back your manufacturing plant through continuous improvement

Taking Back Your Manufacturing Process Frank Donohue 2013 1

Taking Back Your Manufacturing Processes ThroughContinuous Improvement

By Frank [email protected]

How to Transform From Industrial Age Foundations, Concepts, and Operations to 21st

Century Success Components and Practices

2Taking Back Your Manufacturing Process Frank Donohue 2013

Foreign Competition Unfair Trade Practices by Some

Foreign Countries Government Regulations and

Lack of Economic Forecasting Ability

U.S. Has the Highest Corporate Tax in the World

With so many uncontrollable

problems facing 21st Century U.S.

manufacturing organizations…


What can we do to Compete in our industries and actually

Thrive?


Learn, Practice, Then Train the Way We Think About the Processes Within our Business Units

When we encourage and train our workers to learn to look at everyactivity within our operation as a step in a process, and think constantlyabout ways to improve our processes, not only will you see greatersuccesses in you operations, but you can expect them in the following areas:

• Safety• Productivity• Quality• Maintenance Reliability


Real, Tangible, Process Improvements Start with Lean Leaders

Having a Certified, Trained, Skilled, Accomplished Lean Leader on Your Management Team can:

• Help supervisors and workers make the transition from stagnant, complacent thinking , to Lean Thinking, and train them on the tools and principles they Need to succeed in 21st century manufacturing

• Drive a culture of process improvement throughout the organization• Encourage organic, “bottom up” identification and execution of cost cutting,and efficiency improving value stream mapping project charters.• Challenge supervisors and workers to continually challenge current metrics,identify areas that can be improved, and find ways to realize tangible results


Frank Donohue is a Highly Skilled, Trained ProfessionalWho Can Help Your Manufacturing Organization Make the TransitionFrom a 20th Century “Wandering Generality”, to a Lean, ContinuouslyImproving 21st Century “Meaningful Specific” Manufacturing Machine.


Why Continuous Improvement Initiatives Have Failed in the Past

• In the early days of Six Sigma and Lean Programs, Many Senior Managers in Organizations had False Expectations for the Methodologies. They Expectedthese programs to be the quick fix, magic bullets that would solve all the organization’sWoes in a “One and Done fashion.”

• These programs were overhyped by outside training and consulting contractors• Too much emphasis was put on improvement projects and the work of running theday to day operations suffered.• The training and execution of personnel in the organization was mandated by top management and not enough effort was put into creating buy-in and developing a Proactive Culture down the ranks• Process Engineers with little knowledge of the actual processes dictated changes withoutunderstanding if the changes were actually feasible in the actual process• Not enough value was placed on getting recommendations from the actual process experts• Too often, politics and bureaucracy took precedence over striving for actual results


How to Successfully Implement and Cultivate a Continuous Improvement Program

1. Start by developing Criteria for Continuous Improvement Leaders who willbe trained and lead the program throughout the organization

2. Include an “Observation Based Safety Program” (Like DuPont S.T.O.P) in yourContinuous Improvement Program

3. Train Leaders in developing a continuous improvement mindset. 4. Train Leaders in how to identify a complete process.5. Train Leaders on the 7 types of waste6. Train team on Value Added steps, Non Value Added steps, and Non Value but Necessary steps and how to identify each. 7. Take leaders to Gemba (work floor) to start observing and learning the process, Identify the process steps, have them document the steps and identify the typesOf waste in the process and where improvement opportunities may exist

8. Have the team identify all records and documents that are used in the process tosee if what should be recorded is being recorded. 9. Train team in the concept and practice of “5 Why”10. Develop a Value Stream Mapping session plan for the entire organization


How to Successfully Implement and Cultivate a Continuous Improvement Program

11. Identify What projects in the value stream will be implemented first, andHave those team leaders assigned to those areas12. Have Team Leads identify team members for those projects13. Work with team leads on training new team members for each project14. Team leads will work with project team to define problem statement for Project justification.15. Project Champion will be designated. (Project Champion will be Senior manager in the area project is being performed and will help remove barriers and hurdles the team face 16. Meeting with Project Champion and team will be conducted to discussThe complexity of project, project scope, type of project to be performed (ie:1-3 day workout, Kaizen, 6 sigma or other) project goals, and project timeline


Frank Donohue has Trained Many Team Members and Performed ManySuccessful Continuous Improvement Projects Since 2001

Frank’s Continuous Improvement Roles and Responsibilities Included:• Leading and driving cross functional Lean Six Sigma projects • Identifying areas where process improvements can significantly impact quality, financial viability, and patient/employee satisfactionParticipating in prioritization of technology and/or business process driven projects • Working with Process Owners and Project Champions to drive results • Utilizing appropriate Lean Six Sigma tools such as project charter, value stream mapping, brainstorming tools, statistical tools, and control plans to achieve project success • Monitoring performance and measurement through development of key metrics • Acting as technical expert, coach and train Green Belts and team members • Acting as a change agent to instill Lean Six Sigma culture throughout the organization • Providing on-going communication to all stakeholders including Senior Management


Key Continuous Improvement Project Accomplishments Include:

• Facilitated a Kaizen Event and implemented changes to reduce patient wait time from ER door to ER bed by 51% • Facilitated a Kaizen Event and implemented changes to reduce patient wait time in ER from time in bed to time seen by MD by 10% • Facilitated a Kaizen Event and implemented changes to reduce admitted patient wait time from time bed assignment received to time to • Inpatient Unit Floor by 14% • Facilitated a 1 day Workout to establish clinical criteria for a new 24 hour Clinical Decision Unit being constructed by hospital • Performed Process Observations and analysis of OB Presumptive Eligibility Screening to reduce process cycle time by 12%

HEALTHCARE PROJECTS



Manufacturing Projects

• Implemented 4 team leader positions to reduce front line supervision by 66%. • Eliminated departmental boundaries to promote team work and synergy to integrate 2 business units into 1 manufacturing powerhouse. • Identified excessive raw material costs in the melting department. Reduced the cupola diameter from 108” to 92” and increase metal to coke ratio from 6:1 to 9:1. • Reduced scrap loss by 2.2%, or $440,000 in casting department by decreasing ladle size, downsizing cupola and increasing iron transfer time. • Presented monthly operational metrics to President and CFO of company to explain reasons for negative cost variances. • Communicated monthly performance results to departments, congratulating employees for meeting objectives and inspired the workers to continue the progress.


Key Continuous Improvement Project Accomplishments


• Encouraged, coached and developed newly appointed team leaders to facilitate and conduct daily peer group safety huddles and production meetings. • Assisted in developing, implementing and training all plant personnel on a new software program, CEBOS. This assisted in conducting daily quality audits, manufacturing procedure audits, Writing and maintaining SOPs. • Reduced man hours per ton from 5.3% to 4.8% by analyzing weekly overtime and double-time hours worked by Union personnel and cutting overtime hours and directing day shift maintenance personnel to do nightly work orders during up time. • Assessed raw material usage by product and price, and implemented most cost effectiveproduct mix, increased yield by 4% and significantly reduced direct materials cost.

• Conducted time study of iron delivery from the melt process to the casting operation and discovered an excessive temperature loss. Reduced ladle size to increase transfer time and gained 60 degrees in iron temperature for pipe casting.


• Developed new standard operating procedures for the cupola operations to melt high quality iron with good chemistry properties. Increased blast CFM and reduced oxygen usage saving an average of $.95 per ton over previous year • Coordinated biweekly training sessions to developed hourly personnel on job related manufacturing procedures. • Created user friendly operational down time reports to more accurately track down time reasons, easily identify PMs to be put in place and determine the frequency they should be conducted. • Developed a report for supervisors to identify mechanical or production related missed opportunities to be presented at the daily operational meetings. • Devised an electronic log book for maintenance supervisors to enter shift breakdown information, parts purchased and pending issues. This improved communications between shifts and established proper shift turn over.




Frank Donohue:

• 17 Years of Progressive Supervisory and Managerial Experience• Certified Six Sigma Green Belt• Trained by GE in Lean Sigma Kaizen ,and Workout Facilitation• Trained by GE in C.A.P. (Change Acceleration Program)• Trained by DuPont in S.T.O.P. Safety (Safety Training Observation Program) • ISO 9000 Internal Auditor Certified• Dale Carnegie Course Graduate• Former Member of Toastmaster’s International • Former Member of AFS (American Foundry Society)• Burlington City Chamber of Commerce• United States Navy Veteran


If you are interested in finding out how Frank Donohue can Help your organization start a Continuous Improvement Program, or how to revive an existing program,

Email Frank @ [email protected]