STABILEM’s typical approach is to deploy the following methodologies, techniques, and systems to facilitate the creation of a Culture of World Class Performance within the client’s enterprise. Each methodology is listed with a brief description of what is involved.
Organizational Alignment:
Management Alignment. The leadership team will align to key principles, concepts and practices needed for a continuously improving organization. They will reflect on the prevailing culture relative to each principle through application exercises. A True North definition will be built to which the Enterprise will be expected to align. The leadership team will define actions to be taken to begin the cultural transformation.
Strategy Management. Through analysis of and reflection upon past performances and anticipated challenges, the leadership team creates a Strategic Improvement Plan to meet business goals in a manner that is directionally correct (toward “True North”). A review structure is designed and implemented to ensure progress toward the on-time execution of the plan with expected results. Each improvement initiative is summarized on an A3 document which identifies the business case, current condition, target condition, deployment plan, team composition, and key performance indicators.
Value Stream Design:
Value Stream Analysis. The current material (receiving to shipping) and information (suppliers to customers) flow for all value streams within the plant are mapped with relevant data identified (current staffing, cycle times, inventory levels, frequencies, changeover times, lead times, takt). An operator balance chart is also created to depict operator utilization versus takt for the purpose of finding productivity improvement opportunities. Once the current state map is created, opportunities for improvement are denoted as “starbursts.” A target state map is created based on the starbursts identified to describe what the process will look like in the target condition. An action plan is created to achieve the target condition.
Depending on what is identified in the Value Stream Analysis, any of the following methodologies may be subsequently applied:
Creating Continuous Flow. Analysis of all work content, summarized in a “single stack” and Operator Balance Chart. Redesign of the production system, operator work flow and material presentation to support 1x1 flow, balance of operators to takt and work content reduction through waste elimination.
Standardized Work. Documentation of work standards, including Work Combination tables, Standard Work charts, and Operator Balance charts depicting the sequence, timing, and location of all work elements for each operator.
Leveled Production. Develop a production scheduling system with small batch sizes, sequenced to minimize changeover, reflecting historical and forecasted customer demand. Scientifically calculate inventory levels of raw material, work in process, and finished goods. Raw material replenishment based on Pull. Build to Stock inventories replenished by Pull.
Material Delivery System. Analysis of internal logistics summarized in a Plan for Every Part (PFEP). Creation of replenishment cycles driven by the pull from the manufacturing lines. Standardization of material delivery cycles with all material handling work removed from Value-added operators.
Visually Managed Problem Response:
Takt Attainment with Hour-by-Hour tracking. This process is designed to make a system’s labor productivity and performance to takt visually managed so that it can be checked frequently by many layers of management (team leaders, supervisors, managers, PM) and continuously improved.
Problem Response and Escalation. Exposing problems yields no improvement without a problem response. In fact, without a problem response, an organization will usually regress from flow back to batch production. This process provides all employees with a standardized, unambiguous system to define root causes, identify countermeasures, implement countermeasures, and validate countermeasures. In the event that some part of the problem response system breaks down, an Escalation policy is also put in place.
Leadership Standardized Work. People know what is important by what management checks. This process creates standards for all levels of the manufacturing operations organization (at least) for when to check and how to respond to non-standard conditions (as exposed by visual indicators).
Structured Problem Solving:
Core Problem Solving Training (and Sponsor Training). In any organization, there are far more problems and opportunities for improvement than human resources to respond to them. In order to improve as rapidly as possible, it is necessary to provide all employees at all levels with a simple problem-solving methodology that can be used to solve 99% of the problems. Participants learn a standardized, structured problem-solving approach that can be used by anyone at any level of the organization by solving a real problem that they select.
Intermediate Problem Solving: We lead and teach the application of the 8D process pioneered by Ford. This process ensures a formal approach to high-risk and high-profile problems to ensure all information is considered. This is best used when dealing with Customer Quality, Supplier Quality, and EHS Issues.
Advanced Problem Solving: A statistical problem-solving method that combines the best from Six Sigma and Shainin methodologies. This approach is best used when you have a variation issue that needs to be reduced or controlled. We have successfully used the approach to solve problems that were deemed unsolvable.
Leadership Development:
Team Leader Development. A culture of continuous improvement is run by team leaders. They are the people who create standardized work for the operators, coach operators in problem-solving, teach operators standardized work, and are the first responders to problems. A typical manufacturing organization will either (a) not have team leaders, (b) will be misapplying the role of team leader, or (c) will promote the best operator to the role instead of the best leader. This process defines the team leader role, leads the client through a selection of team leaders, and delivers skills training and coaching to help team leaders effectively execute their assigned roles.
Socratic Coaching. Often, we have the wrong flow of problems in our culture: Operators identify a problem, and management offers a solution. Since the operator is the expert in their process, we swap the roles. Therefore, the manager identifies the problem (with the help of visual indicators), then coaches the operator to find a solution. A helpful teaching technique is called the Socratic Method. It involves teaching by asking questions. Instead of the operators becoming dependent on the manager, they become independent thinkers and problem-solvers.
Engineering/Design:
3P (Production Preparation Process), VAVE, DFMA: To ensure the product is designed to support manufacturability and assembly flow, we work with the Design, Sales, and Manufacturing Sites to enhance the product and process design of a new platform or a current product being built (includes Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis, Value Analysis / Value Engineering, Design for Manufacturability and Assembly).
Bill of Material (BOM) Accuracy: Refinement of BOM and establishment of routings in Materials Requirements Planning software, which will facilitate daily updates to raw materials inventories and, therefore, daily opportunities for re-order triggers.
Value Analysis / Value Engineering (VAVE): A rigorous process used to reduce a product's overall (total) cost while maximizing the functionality for which the customer is willing to pay. We typically get 10% of COGS using this process.
Equipment Focus:
Equipment Kaizen. Assess and identify the current state of operation, which could include process capability (Cpk), capacity, 4M analysis, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) to identify the root causes of problems. Identify countermeasures for problems and action plans for implementation with many problems addressed during the event.
Total Productive Maintenance. TPM focuses on a broad organizational approach to restoring, maintaining, and improving our equipment. This is done by bringing the people most familiar with the equipment together in a concentrated effort to increase the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) of each piece of equipment. This is performed in an event-based team environment with Maintenance Technicians, Operators, and Engineers.
Reliability Centered Maintenance. A process used to determine the maintenance requirements of any physical asset in its current operating context. During this process, we will also identify the need for spare parts to assist in the maintenance of the equipment.
Quick Changeover (SMED). We work with a cross-functional team to train the concepts of SMED, analyze the changeovers, and improve the changeovers. These benefits include: Increasing production capacity, providing greater flexibility, reducing lead-time, enabling small lot production, and enabling leveled production.
Human Resources Focus:
Recruiting, Screening, Hiring, Onboarding, and Retention. Many systems and processes are used to enhance this arena, including Pay for Performance systems, reward and recognition systems, gain-sharing solutions, satisfaction surveys, performance appraisals, people development, succession planning process, and psychometric testing. We offer following psychometric screening assessments:
Our passion is helping companies save and create jobs. If your team is stuck and not sure what to do next or you have an idea and are not sure where even to begin, please get in touch with us at mentor@Stabilem.com.
Phone: +1 864-221-3165
Email: mentor@Stabilem.com