Home | Time Wise Solutions® | Time Wise Institute® | Time Wise SupplyPoint® | MEP Management Services | Workforce Development
MEP Affiliate Sites | SeaPort-e | Contact Us | Client List | Press Room | Success Stories
Time Wise® Success Stories
The following is a Lean Case Study from our MEP MSI-managed family of Manufacturing Extension Partnerships (MEPs) that demonstrates the impact of the Time Wise® Management Systems’ Lean transformation methodology deployed through Time Wise® Solutions training products.
PORTLAND, ME - When Brockway-Smith company officials found themselves behind in their production schedule, they recognized the company needed the assistance of the Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership (Maine MEP).
"The company had a challenge meeting the demands of their customers," said Maine MEP project manager Larry Robinson. "But company officials knew they were also limited by square footage. Our goal was to increase production while utilizing the same manufacturing space. A real challenge!"
In business for more than 115 years, Brockway-Smith operates under the name BROSCO. Founded by Louis Brockway and Fred Smith in 1890, the company distributes doors, windows, and specialty millwork, as well as columns, mantels, moldings, posts and stairs through a network of dealers in New England and New York. The company has four manufacturing and distribution centers in New England, the smallest facility being in Portland, Maine with over 100 employees. Its customers include architects, building materials dealers, as well as contractors.
"The company really benefited from a strong regional housing boom," Robinson said, "and has been experiencing high year-over-year sales growth over the past three years.
However, having challenged themselves to meet this increased sales volume without increasing their facility square footage, Brockway-Smith officials began looking for ways to increase their manufacturing throughput," Robinson said.
The Maine MEP trained Brockway Smith personnel the principles of Time Wise Lean Manufacturing and Value Stream Management as well as Rapid Improvement through Kaizen. Using these tools, the company optimized facility layouts using new automated equipment in a flexible manufacturing cell orientation. This allowed Brockway Smith to adjust to changes in daily demand by quickly reorganizing their capacity on an as-needed basis.
"With the assistance of Larry and the MEP team, we trained the workforce to become the solution," said Ray Briere, Brockway-Smith plant manager. "The result has been a 20 to 25 percent increase in production capacity within the facility.
"The Maine MEP helped us realize machine utilization, product flow and placement, along with employee participation, were the keys to this success," Briere added.
"Flexibility became the key issue for Brockway-Smith," Robinson said. "When an order is received it might be for a different window/door than the assembly line is set up for at the time. Using Lean manufacturing principles, we worked on the assembly line to ensure that it was flexible enough to change over quickly and meet the demands of the customer."
The Maine MEP conducted a Kaizen event in the company’s window and door departments and simultaneously conducted 6S training for work place organization. "That seemed to put everything into perspective and allowed the employees to be successful," Robinson said. Six S training includes Sort, Set in Order, Shine (keeping equipment and the factory space clean), Standardizing, Sustaining and Safety.
"One of the important things a company needs to do is sustain its changes and maintain the structure of the process," Robinson said. "That way, waste is easily spotted and the employees can see when things begin to fall back to what we call creeping normalcy."
Briere could not agree more. "Six S training has contributed immensely to our success," he said. "It also improved the cleanliness of the shop by having everything in its ‘proper’ place. That promotes a positive attitude and has proven to be a morale boost as well. When just keeping the departments clean makes the job easier it’s a win."
Briere said the one area that success stands out is in Brockway-Smith’s shop production recovery percentage. "The goal obviously is 100 percent," he said. "The norm company wide has been below that benchmark. However, the Portland facility has consistently produced over 100 percent, and we have hit as high as 121 percent recovery figure. Obviously, working smarter versus harder really shows results here."
And, according to Briere, the Portland manufacturing facility has virtually eliminated overtime, which had been averaging 6 to 10 hours per person each week.
While Briere is pleased to give credit to the work of the Maine MEP team, he knows his team still has their work cut out for themselves. "Sustaining the momentum will be the next challenge we will face" Briere added. "However, I am happy to report all is on track."
The Lean success story you have just read is an actual case study from one of our MEP MSI-managed state MEP centers. Our affiliate MEPs utilize the Time Wise® Management Systems’ Lean transformation methodology based on world class Time Wise® Solutions training products. MSI-managed MEP center project managers are vetted and trained at the Time Wise® Institute and receive access to a full suite of integrated Time Wise® products.
Our certified Lean-trained project implementation facilitators work with a company's management team to identify conditions that impede the ability to become more competitive and prosperous. During intensive hands-on training sessions with employees at all levels of the organization, our certified Time Wise® MEP specialists solve specific problems from the shop floor to the front office and assess how well each department contributes to overall productivity and profitability. Essential tools are furnished to optimize performance and provide guidance so that companies can use those tools and systems effectively on their own to sustain the improvement process.
Since our MEP affiliates have begun utilizing the Time Wise® Solutions suite of products, their performance has increased significantly. Just a fraction of the accomplishments of our affiliate state MEP centers have been reported on our web site. Click here to read additional success stories.
To learn more about Time Wise® Solutions products or to join the Time Wise® Management Systems team of MEP Centers, please call 1-866-USA-MADE (1-866-872-6233) or email us at: info@timewisems.com.
Our certified Lean-trained project implementation facilitators work with a company's management team to identify conditions that impede the ability to become more competitive and prosperous. During intensive hands-on training sessions with employees at all levels of the organization, our certified Time Wise® MEP specialists solve specific problems from the shop floor to the front office and assess how well each department contributes to overall productivity and profitability. Essential tools are furnished to optimize performance and provide guidance so that companies can use those tools and systems effectively on their own to sustain the improvement process.
Since our MEP affiliates have begun utilizing the Time Wise® Solutions suite of products, their performance has increased significantly. Just a fraction of the accomplishments of our affiliate state MEP centers have been reported on our web site. Click here to read additional success stories.
To learn more about Time Wise® Solutions products or to join the Time Wise® Management Systems team of MEP Centers, please call 1-866-USA-MADE (1-866-872-6233) or email us at: info@timewisems.com.