|
Company Profile |
|
Country |
India |
|
Capital |
US$ 500,000 |
|
No.
of Employees |
161 (in three plants) |
|
Products |
Rubber and PVC
profiles, seals and body trimmings for automobiles |
|
Exports |
15% of turnover.
Exports products to UK, France, Italy, Portugal, Germany, the
Netherlands, Middle East, East Africa, South East Asia, Australia |
|
Technology |
Technical license
agreement with Saiag Industrial S.p.A., Italy, in manufacturing of new
generation sealing profiles and glass run channels. Two joint ventures. |
|
Certification |
ISO 9002 |
|
Improvements Achieved
(within 6 months, without
any capital investment) |
|
Production space: increased by 45%
Machine down time:
reduced by 60%
Machinery breakdown: reduced by 42%
Scrap: reduced by 75%
Standard operating procedures (SOPs): increased by 50%
Workforce flexibility:
increased by 57%
Productivity awareness:
increased dramatically
Quality awareness:
increased steadily
Staff motivation: improved
significantly
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Implementation Strategy
Non-capital changes by using world-class manufacturing (WCM) methods such as
single minute exchange of die (SMED), 5S activities (Sort
– Straighten – Sweep – Standardize – Self-discipline),
variations of the Kamban
system and other recognized methods of generating productivity gains.
Lean Enterprise: 13 Tips
Most Notable Impact
A number of space and time utilization
improvements were achieved. Shop-floor organization included leveling and
repainting, with the additional benefit of improved safety and material flow
on the shop floor. A 45% gain in production space was due largely to
5Ss
activities.
Kaizen Mindset
These activities combined with a red-tag campaign also contributed to a
reduction in machine down time by 60%. Another contribution in this respect
came from a systemic analysis of machine down time at each workstation,
followed by remedy-search sessions held in the Engineering Department.
Production set-up time was reduced by 33% by
the application of single minute exchange of die (SMED) method. Gold Seal
engineers participated in a training program which focused on
standardization of changeover procedures and streamlining internal
operations. Subsequently, standard operating procedures (SOPs) were expanded
to include manual work.
Consequently, approximately 50% of the production processes performed on the
company's shop floor were standardized. This led to reduction of the lead
time required for production and completion of goods by 25%.
Through training, workers were able to develop additional skills, which led
to an increase in workforce flexibility. Skills matrix was developed for
each department. The outcome of such as exercise revealed that 57% of the
workforce at Gold Seal was multi-skilled.
Takt-time leveling benefits were analysed in order to move towards a
single-flow production system.
Implementing Kaizen: 7 Conditions
Motivation
A dramatic mindset change. A prevailing
"culture of blame" was replaced by a more productive climate. A major
contribution came from a female executive who exhibited a high level of
motivation and ensured that the activities agreed upon were properly carried
out.
Yin-Yang of Employee Empowerment
Quality Control & Scrap
Reduction
Quality circles (QCs)
were established and they increasingly involved the workforce. A
suggestion system was also introduced, with suggestions being reviewed
twice a month.
These mechanisms combined with SOPs for manual work, and the utilization of
new measuring devices had a significant impact on product quality. Scrap
volume was reduced by 75%.
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