CHUTES International · Managing the New System Our supervisors are now “Supervising”the departments as opposed to putting out fires all day. We now have QDIP boards in each department

CHUTES InternationalLEAN JOURNEY 2019 - 2020

2 | CHUTES INTERNATIONAL

INTRODUCTION

Compelling Needs For Change

● Increase output to meet / satisfy customer demand and eliminate delivery issues which could lead

to potential loss of customers.

● Need to organize the space for each department to identify and free up usable space for future

business.

● Due to an explosive customer demand increase, CHUTES needs to elevate our processes and

manufacturing systems.

● Sales is forecasting another demand increase, as a result CHUTES’ infrastructure needs to match

its sales capabilities, allowing the sales team to go after business, rather than rationing business.


Improved Quality & Ergonomics


Making Our Team Members Work Easier!

● Many team members had to lift heavy products multiple times in our

manufacturing processes.

● Through Video Analysis we worked with our team members to innovate

new ways of working to eliminate these difficult processes. From their

input, they helped us implement better and safer practices.

● The feedback from our team members was they felt more positive about

their work and happier because they didn’t feel as fatigued as before.


Improving the Work for Welding

●Our weld team has a

lot of lifting and turning

to do of heavy items.

● The increase in

demand was causing

fatigue for employees.


Improving the Work for Welding

● We also developed a cart to transport the

floor frames to the paint booth in a more

ergonomically friendly fashion.

● The team helped to design a cart to move

and weld the chute sections and intakes.


Making Life Easier in The Door Department!

● Our video analysis showed

how many quality issues

were happening in our

Door Department that were

not being addressed. We

began to change from a

culture of “making it work”

to a culture of Root Cause

Analysis, so the problems

don’t reappear


Making Life Easier in The Door Department!

● As a result, our engineering

team and door department

collaborated on a new design to

our door frame to eliminate the

issues with our door trim.

90%

Savings to process step


Batching vs. One Piece Flowand Reducing Work In Process


Setting Up our Teams for Success!

● We previously used to batch types of

product together which meant we

wouldn’t complete jobs for days at a

time. We now produce one job at a time

taking hours instead of days.

● We knew we needed to streamline our

processes and set up lines for bumping

and the most efficient output in order to

meet our customer demand.


Transitioning from Batching to One-Piece-Flow

● We knew it was going to be very different for our team members to

understand how One-Piece Flow (OPF) worked and how it is better than

our current method of batching items.

● We ran multiple experiments and used on the line coaching to help the

operators learn and understand the new system.



● We purchased new racking which allows

us to punch material for one job at a

time.

● Our video analysis lead us to understand

we had a mixed model of items that are

fabricated, and the lines needed to be

set up to accommodate this.

● With this new racking and the

implementation of an order traveler we

can see where all the work is placed in

one location



● We use bumping to get

the product through the

line in the most efficient

manner.



● Our door department used to

batch types of doors we needed

for a week at a time.

● Most of the time they would only

have some of the parts they

needed to complete the job

which resulted in a lot of WIP

sitting around and doors on the

floor.



● Through our video analysis we

determined typical jobs would

take days to complete because

of material shortages.

● The layout of the door line lent

itself to a lot of excess walking

from area to area.

● When all material was available

the labor time to get one door

done was 27 minutes.



● Our video analysis led us to

realize we needed to streamline

our line.

● We introduced the concept of

bumping to the team.

● We now have our labor time

down to 12 minutes per door

and we are continuing to reduce

that through current and future

engineering improvements.



The door department’s new motto is “No Doors on the Floor!”


New ManagementSystem


Managing the New System

● Our supervisors are now “Supervising” the departments as opposed to putting out

fires all day.

● We now have QDIP boards in each department which allows supervisors and

management to meet and discuss potential issues as they happen.

● Through video analysis we developed standard work for the team members as well

as leader standard work for the department supervisors.

● It was determined that a water spider was needed in our weld department in order to

increase the value-added work from our weld team.


Managing the New System● The team developed scheduling boards to enable our team members to clearly see

which jobs needed to be completed.

● The use of QDIP boards allows for supervisors and management to have a daily

meeting to discuss and tackle any issues that arise.



● Our area supervisors now perform

standard work audits to ensure the

team members are working to the

standards created.

● Leader standard work was also developed to

give the supervisors a framework each day

about what needed to be accomplished



● A cross training matrix was

developed with the supervisors

to determine each team

member’s skill level.

● The matrix is a visible tool for

ensuring team members are

being trained in various areas as

needed.



● It was determined after

performing PDCA that a water

spider was needed in the weld

department.

● The water spider effectively

removes all the non-value added

activity from the welders. The

removal of the waste from the

build sequence has allowed us

to increase our output.


A MindsetShift


Changing our Mindset









● Lean training was essential. Learning

the BASICS™ method was critical for

everyone involved to understand the

road we needed to go down.



● Communication with team

members, vendors and

management lead to

breakthroughs.

● We had a live chat with a vendor

regarding a nonvalue added

activity we were performing.

The vendor is now doing this for

us before the material arrives in

our plant.

Before: We had to cut

out a notch in our

insulation to

accommodate a part.

After: We have our

vendor making the cut

in the insulation.



● Communication from our team members to

the supervisors regarding quality issues or

problems was few and far between.

● We talked with team members and installed

an Andon light so they can notify the

supervisor immediately when problems

arise.

● We learned that our employees had a

different interpretation of our motto,

“whatever it takes”.



● We encourage team members to submit

ideas for improvements in their department.

● Golden Hammer Award is born!

“I’d like a light to go off when we have a problem”

My supervisor would know when I have a problem

GinaMarch 2, 2020

Andon light installed at production line with switch for operators

AlvinMarch 2, 2020

When I have a problem I want to make sure we can address it Quickly

Example of card given by team member


Our Takeaways and Lessons Learned Thus Far


Lessons Learned

● We realized soon after embarkation on the journey that we had a LOT of boiled frogs in our

company.

● Our video analysis shed light on exactly how much nonvalue added activity was being

done.

● We now believe in creativity before capital. This has helped us have growth through

ingenuity.

● This has been a very exciting time of learning and growth for CHUTES.

● We couldn’t do what we have done so far without the dedication from our upper

management and help from Business Improvement Group.


Project Results

● In the Door Department we gained an

additional 858 sq. ft. of usable space for

future business and equipment.

● In the Weld Department we gained an

additional 960 sq. ft. of usable space for

future business and equipment.


Our AWESOME Teams!

● Our Door Team


Our AWESOME Teams!

● Our Weld Team


The Road Ahead....

●We still have a

long way to go

but we are

extremely proud

of what we have

accomplished in

the past seven

months.


ANY

QUESTIONS?

Documents

CHUTES International · Managing the New System Our supervisors are now “Supervising”the departments as opposed to putting out fires all day. We now have QDIP boards in each department