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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.
Premiere Naval Communications Manufacturer Revitalizes their Design Review Process, Cuts Costs
NEWBURYPORT, MA - When your job is to build communications equipment for every vessel in the United States Navy, quality is a top priority. Since 1919, the Newburyport, Massachusetts company L-3 Henschel has been the leading manufacturer of control, navigation and communications equipment for the US Navy and commercial maritime industries, providing systems that meet a wide range of military and commercial needs. Their Quality Assurance Program meets strict requirements of quality standards, and all products undergo a serious of rigorous and environmental tests to ensure reliable performance.
In order to maintain their stellar reputation in the business and keep up with high demand for equipment, Vice President of Operations John Sewall wanted to make sure all employees were trained in their engineering design process. With a grant from the Massachusetts Workforce Training Fund, the company was able to team with the Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MassMEP) and begin training all employees in Time Wise Principles of Lean Manufacturing.
"We wanted to eliminate waste from our production lines, streamline our process, and cut costs at the same time," said Sewall. "The first step was to conduct a Time Wise Value Stream Management System session, a tool that helped us lay out and manage our engineering design process, so we could identify and eliminate any real or potential design flaws in our operation."
A series of kaizen events followed, where the team developed a detailed implementation plan for improvements. A kaizen is a focused, short-term activity designed to improve a process over a few days, with a goal of producing big results in terms of efficiency and productivity. Now employees go through a design review checklist before beginning each project.
MassMEP helped Henschel outline a list of specific design parameters by discipline, and helped them create a procedure for dealing with engineering change requests. This way, problems can be identified early and they have a training plan for design review participants and an audit procedure to ensure compliance.
Further improvements include revising Henschel’s sales process. They found that customer supplied data could be structured in a manner to cut even more waste out of the design review process.
"We wanted to improve our total operation and reduce the amount of waste within our production process, all while delivering an error-free design to manufacturing," said Sewall. "The MassMEP team really helped us produce some major results, and now each Lean Manufacturing training participant has the skill set needed to carry on through our Lean journey."
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.