accelerating your lean journey · 2016-10-31 · accelerating your lean journey learning how to go...
TRANSCRIPT
Accelerating Your Lean
Journey Learning How to go from Excess to Success in a Lean Transformation
Stephen Russo
Director Operational Excellence & Quality
Scott Kenyon
Business Analyst
Who is AstroNova?
• Founded in 1969
• Three distinct brands, Test & Measurement, Aerospace and QuickLabel
• Annual sales over $95 Million
• Publicly traded [NASDAQ: ALOT]
• 325 employees
• World Headquarters located in West Warwick, RI USA
• European Headquarters in Rodgau, Germany
The Beginning of Excess
• New CEO with Focus on Lean – Prior Danaher Exec
• Use Consultants
• Drive By Kaizen
• Tool Based implementation
• Strategy Deployment Process (SDP) Launched
What We Caused as a Result
• Although training everyone in Lean 101, only select few participated
in the Kaizen process
• Kaizen events were selected in an ad hoc fashion – not scientific
• The difference between being on a Kaizen and being Kaizened
• Just because the CEO is on board doesn’t mean that the rest of the
Leadership Team is
• Consultants were pro’s at Kaizen Math
• We created islands of success surrounded by a sea of waste
• Confused tools usage with transformation
• SDP without accountability is a waste of everyone’s time
The Re-Start
• Hired internal Lean talent
• Developed our Corporate Vision
• Created a scientific approach to Kaizen
• Talked about our Lean Vision at every Team meeting and outside
correspondence
• Invigorated the SDP monthly review process with Countermeasures
and accountability
• Eliminated Kaizen Math – No longer calculating hard savings, rather
are we doing what is right for the business
• Realized that Tools Do Not Define an Operating System
• CEO engagement with the entire Leadership Team Worldwide
Down the Path
• Change the Culture
• Employee Involvement
• Lean Daily Management
• Change Management
Change the Culture Change the Environment
Change the Culture Change the Environment
Change the Culture Change the Environment
Change the Culture Change the Environment
Employee Involvement
• Implementation of Lean Daily Management (LDM) Tiered approach
• Employee Engagement Survey
• Kaizen Process
Initial LDM
• Leadership Gemba Walk – Observation by Walking Around
• No actions taken
• A simple report out of prior day results
• Metrics not actionable by the LDM owners
Initial LDM
Initial LDM
Initial LDM
LDM Tier I
At the Start of each shift – a 5 minute update on yesterday and what’s on the agenda for today
LDM Tier II
Management Gemba Walk - Sr. Leadership Team to Manager and LDM board Owner
LDM Tier III
• Stand-up meeting
• Sr. Leadership Team Weekly review of Key Business Metrics and
Countermeasures
• Actions assigned
• Assists in SDP performance
Successes
• Small bite approach – event selection is key
• Eliminate the Math
• Make the place look different
• Learn how not to fight an Emotional battle with Logic
Less Than Successful
• LDM Tiered approach – want to measure too much
• Accountability – knowing when to show you’re displeased and how
• Projects (Kaizen Newspapers) don’t manage themselves
Continuing Down the Path
• Even today – two years later – The entire Leadership team is not on-
board
• With Top down implementation, not everyone is willing to give up the
old tried and true
• Many successful Kaizen events and scores of people involved
• My favorite comment – I actually enjoyed this event, it wasn’t what I was told…
Key Takeaways
• There’s a reason it’s called Continuous Improvement
• Like SDP, Keep moving forward toward the goal
• Lean is a philosophy and not a tool
• Don’t let perfect get in the way of better
• We sell what we do, e.g. QuickLabel Printers
• The Soft stuff is the Hard stuff – Need to focus on Change Management
Where We’ll be in 3 Years
• Double in size
• Manufacturing sites around the world
Thank You!
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Session: TP/11
Accelerating Your Lean Journey
Stephen Russo
AstroNova