by Heather Schaefer - Daily News Staff - hschaefer@rhinelanderdailynews.com

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Manufacturing leader says ‘lean manufacturing' cuts waste, boosts productivity

If you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got.

That was the warning issued Tuesday evening by Jim VanGrinsven, regional project manager for NWMOC (Northwest Manufacturing Outreach Center) to local manufacturers gathered for the Regional Manufacturer's Group dinner meeting.

VanGrinsven, the evening's keynote speaker, urged local manufacturers to embrace the concept of “lean manufacturing” which he described as a strategy that will help local businesses cut down on waste while boosting productivity and the bottom line.

VanGrinsven said clinging to outdated business practices (always doing what we've always done) is a recipe for disaster in an increasingly competitive market where the customer, not the manufacturer, is setting the price.

“If the other guy gets better, what happens to you?” he asked the group.

VanGrinsven identified several major “wastes” that plague nearly all manufacturers. They are overproduction, excess inventory, excess motion, non-value added processing, prolonged waiting, transportation and underutilized people.

He encouraged each manufacturer to take a close look at their operation and identify areas that can be improved (cleaning up workstations, eliminating stand around time) and then focus on convincing the workforce to invest in the changes.

VanGrinsven said owners and managers should “identify and empower champions” within the labor force who will model the appropriate behaviors. If that happens, sooner or later the rest of the contingent will start adopting the same practices “by osmosis” he said.

“Create a culture of continuous improvement,” VanGrinsven said.

VanGrinsven cautioned that implementing “lean manufacturing” will result in some temporary chaos and warned the managers and owners in the room that they will need to be patient, tolerant and forgiving with their employees so that an “atmosphere of experimentation” can grow.

Two local businessmen who have introduced lean manufacturing at their shops followed VanGrinsven and shared how the strategy has helped them get orders done faster, produce a higher quality product and ultimately bring in more cash flow.

Steve Moore, director of manufacturing at Wausau Paper's Rhinelander plant, showed the group before and after pictures of how machines and work stations at the plant used to look (cluttered and chaotic) and how they look now (well organized and safety conscious).

Moore said the simple changes at the mill have resulted in the company saving hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Ray Burgan of Enterprise Wood Products (EWP) in Rhinelander echoed Moore.

Burgan said he stays up nights thinking of ways he can better position Enterprise Wood Products to compete with “the Mom and Pops” who can provide products at a cheaper price and the big box stores (Home Depot and Menards) who can deliver products to the customer faster.

Burgan said EWP has changed how its inventory is organized so workers can find the right wood faster and can complete more orders in a shorter period of time.

“It doesn't matter if you are union or non-union, large or small, lean works,” he said.

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P.SWAMINATHAN wrote on Jun 17, 2009 8:21 AM: " the article is very interesting . " The comments above are from readers. In no way do they represent the views of the Rhinelander Daily News.

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