Operation Excellence through Lean Six Sigma Engine

A leading global producer of electronic and fiber optic cable assemblies, electrical power cords and harnesses. The Group currently operates from 14 manufacturing facilities with 18 sales and support offices located strategically in Asia, Europe and North and South America.

Poor quality and unsatisfied customers had driven staff morale to very low levels. The capability improvement enabled the organization to minimize time spent on fixing defects, rework, recycle and improved the responsiveness and performance of support services.

Operation excellence through Lean Six sigma engine

Client:

a leading global producer of electronic and fiber optic cable assemblies, electrical power cords and harnesses. The Group currently operates from 14 manufacturing facilities with 18 sales and support offices located strategically in Asia, Europe and North and South America.

Challenge:

Introduce and initiate a cultural change and a structured approach for problem solving through Lean and six sigma initiative Projects:
1.productivity improvement Cycle time reduction
2.Attrition rate reduction
3.Inventory reduction

Approach:

:: Lean Six sigma DMAIC approach for problem solving which includes Assessment of process and activity yields, Activities :
:: Cultural assessment, Creation of organization structure for lean six sigma implementation,
:: Champion’s workshop, training of Lean six sigma tools and hands on project

Results and financial returns:

:: Response time reduction of RFQ from 7 to 3 days achieving operational cost reduction by $50k
:: Reduction in inventory levels from average 25% to 15%. average retention period of contract employees improved from acreage 80 days to 220 days.
:: Cycle time reduction of one of the runner products (optical fiber) reduced from average 70 mins to 45 mins

What makes this a “Lean Six Sigma” project?

:: Cultural change within the company and shifting of mindset from fire fighting to structured problem solving.
:: Focus on reducing the number of defects found by customers and internal defects.
:: Intensive use of process metrics and quantitative methods.
:: Introduction of new review techniques to improve defect containment.
:: Mistake Proofing the manufacturing process.

The Lean Six sigma toolkit:

Process mapping techniques, Process capability analysis and metrics, cause and effect analysis, Pareto analysis, Value stream mapping, VA / NVA identification and reduction hypothesis testing and regression analysis, design of experiments Statistical Process Control (SPC).

How did we engage people and drive change?

Poor quality and unsatisfied customers had driven staff morale to very low levels. The capability improvement enabled the organization to minimize time spent on fixing defects, rework, recycle and improved the responsiveness and performance of support services.

Gazelles added value:

Extensive experience in Manufacturing Process Improvement initiatives, change management and the ability to effectively teach more advanced verification techniques for defect containment and elimination.