IIE 2008 Minneapolis Conference

Continuous Improvement

Methodology and Tools Supporting a Continuous Improvement Culture

22

Andersen Enterprise

• Industry Leader• 14,000 employees• 16 facilities• 12 million windows & doors

3

Philosophy behind the Andersen Manufacturing System

KA I ZEN

4

Recipe for Continuous Improvement

5

Eliminate Interruptions

• Get chaos

out of

the process

Photo by Dave & Anna Douglass. Used with permission.

6

3 Types of Interruptions

• Abnormalities

• Process Design Interruptions

• Product Design Differences

7

Abnormalities

• Machine

• Material

• Training

• Feedback

8

Process Design Interruptions

• Non-cyclical tasks designed into the process that interrupt the cyclical work

9

Product Design Differences

• Customer wants variety, choices• Minimize impact to the operator’s

work flow

10

What is Standardized Work?

• An agreed upon set of tasks • resulting in the best sequence

of human motion and machine • achieving the best quality output in the

safest manner with the least labor, space, inventory and equipment

• that is continually improved

11

4 Step Process

12

Process Variation is the Enemy!

VAR IATIO N

Standardized Work not

only a concept but also

a means to identify,

reduce, and eliminate…

13

Role of Leadership

SUPPORTIVE – LEADERSHIP MODEL

OPERATOR

TEAM LEADER

VALUE STREAM SUPERVISOR

PLANT MANAGER

ENGIN

EERI

NG

MAINT

ENAN

CE

FULF

ILLM

ENT

SAFE

TY

HUMAN

RES

OURCE

SVALUE STREAM MANAGER

14

Never be satisfied

“Any improvement must be made in accordance with the scientific method, under the guidance of a teacher, at the lowest possible level in the organization.”

Steven Spear & H. Kent Bowen

15

Scientific Method

• Stating a hypothesis

• Test the hypothesis

• Confirm or disprove hypothesis

16

Method of Implementation

REFLECT

Act Plan

Check Do

GRASPTHE SITUATION

HYPOTHESIS

EXPERIMENT

ADJUST

17

Three options:• Adjust &

experiment again• Adopt the change• Abandon the idea

• Experiment – test the change

• Develop idea• Determine expected

result

• Monitor & Measure• Analyze gaps between

actual & expected

• Identify the problem• Define current situation• Analyze potential causes

Act Plan

Check Do

GRASPTHE SITUATION

18

Changes must improve the process

• Quality

• Efficiency

• Ease of Learning

• Safety

19

Summary of Part 1

20

Tools of Continuous Improvement

• Continuous Improvement Board

• Focus Board

• Story Board

21

22

Continuous Improvement Board

• Purpose: Employee involvement in process improvement. Captures quick and easy ideas that can be implemented by the employees.

• Process: Use of a card on the Board that follows PDCA methodology and visually shows the progress of the idea.

23

Focus Board

24

Focus Board

• Purpose: Focus on a specific issue that may involve multiple stations.

• Process: Team problem solving approach. Grasp the situation through run charting and Pareto analysis. Test several hypotheses and look at the impact.

25

Story Board

26

Story Board

• Purpose: Problem solving requiring deep root cause analysis. Used by team members supporting the value stream (engineers and leaders.)

• Process: The employee uses a standard template to present the problem solving process from problem description, through the 5 Why analysis, to permanent counter measure.

27

Summary/Recap• Andersen Manufacturing System Philosophy

– Customers– Continuous Improvement– Operators– Production Floor

• Work Processes– Stabilize– Standardize– Simplify

• Tools– Continuous Improvement Board– Focus Board– Story Board

28Questions?