Listed below are the current Lean Manufacturing and Quality initiatives that we will show evidence of on current and future projects.

TEAM BASED MANUFACTURING
We have established teams throughout the plant based on product lines to help facilitate quick changeover and productivity and quality improvements. We have 18 teams with team signs, logos, names and colors. We also have a team based feasibility meeting on all new quotes with all of the disciplines represented.

5/S
5S is a cleanliness and organization program that is based on 5 main criteria: Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain. We are between stage 2 and 3. We have a solid audit system that has been implemented since October of 2003. We report out results and recognize successes.

SIX SIGMA
We have one associate that is certified as a Black belt and a Six Sigma Champion. We also have one that has just finished his first project on his way to certification. We will continue to invest in this direction with total commitment to resources and education for our long term success and the success of our customers.

QUICK CHANGEOVER
We have started a quick changeover initiative focusing on the multi-spindle Acmes first. We had an outside expert come in and spend 2 days with us aligning our goals, actions, responsibilities and needed results. We look to reduce over all setups in the Acme area by 50%.

VALUE STREAM MAPPING
We have used this exercise on three part numbers with good success.

KANBAN
We currently are using a finish goods Kanban system with three customers. We have their min / max requirements and the product is on the shelf waiting for their orders.

PULL SYSTEMS
We have one customer’s whole family of parts on a pull system from them through EJ Basler’s plant to the supplier. We also have some MRO suppliers on a pull system.

TRAINING INITIATIVES
We have set up a training plan for all hourly associates and we have a training need for salary associates that we established in this round of performance reviews. The hourly training plan began with testing of all associates to establish deficiencies and competence levels. We now know what our primary training needs are and we are setting up a training plan to fill that need.

POKA YOKE
We have identified the next operation in the process as the customer and the need to stop errors from getting to them. If we are successful then the end user (our primary customers) will not see any defects. The best way to do this to not focus on PPM but defect free and the best tool for that is Poka Yokes that prevent a bad part from getting out of the operation that created it. This was realized in our Six Sigma project by the team and we will use this thinking moving forward.

ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS
We have taken a different look at how we analyze and approach problems. We are using a team with the Six Sigma approach to drill down through the layers to find and address the real reason we had the issue.

ORGANIZATION
We have changed the organizational chart and we have top graded several positions to align the company with our new direction, focus and determination to be one of the premiere suppliers to our customers by adding value through quality, price and performance.