Kaufman
Global Supports the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic
For the second year in a row, Kaufman Global had the pleasure of participating
in the July 12th National City Celebrity Pro-Am as part of the Jamie
Farr Owens Corning Classic (JFOCC) Presented by Kroger. Our President
Jerry Timpson had the privilege of golfing a few holes with LPGA pro and
good sport Laura
Diaz before heavy rain forced an early stop to the on-course activities.
Despite Wednesday's inclement weather, we enjoyed the rest of the week's
activities and were again impressed with the wonderful coordination and
hard work of Owens Corning and all the organizations involved that help
make this event the success that it is.
Now in its 22nd year, the JFOCC has given over $4.8 million to 90 local
children's charities in Northwest Ohio. In 2005 alone the tournament distributed
$500,000 to eight children's charities plus the JFOCC Scholarship Fund
of the Toledo Community Foundation.
Note Our Address Change - We've Moved!Kaufman Global recently moved to new lake-side office space on the north side of Indianapolis at bustling Keystone at the Crossing. You can still reach us at the same phone and fax numbers, but please make note of our new mailing address, effective immediately for all types of correspondence:
3815 River Crossing Parkway, Suite 100
Indianapolis, IN 46240 USA
Tele: +1 317 818 2430
Fax: +1 317 818 2434
Stay in Touch - Update Your Contact Information!
Have you recently moved, gotten a new phone number, or changed your email address? Email us and let us know! Update your contact information and ensure you are among the first to know about new publications, workshops or opportunities with our firm.
Planning for Continuous Improvement in 2007
The 4th Quarter is nearly upon us and that means budgets for next year will soon be set. Have your made room for continuous improvement efforts in 2007? Whether your organization is just getting started with CI or you need to accelerate the performance of your current activities next year, leveraging outside expertise can help and we want to be your implementation partner of choice!
Kaufman Global Highlights for 2006
2006 has been an exciting year for our firm as we have worked to deliver results with outstanding and engaged clients who are each at different milestones on the path to continuous improvement. Some of the highlights of our year so far include:
- Implementing operational performance systems in production facilities, offices, and supply chains for clients in the foods, pharmaceutical, steel and consumer products industries.
- Conducting leadership workshops and seminars for global clients with delivery to over 500 top executives in North America, Europe, and Asia.
- Business process improvements in the areas of forecasting, product development, accounting and finance/audit (SOX).
- Inventory reduction and supply chain / MRP optimization in industrial products manufacturing.
- Applying lean techniques in hospitals and labs.
- Enabling internal client change agents through a highly structured combination of teaching and doing to drive results.
We have always gotten tremendous feedback from our readers on the case studies we feature in our newsletters. Despite the many variables that exist between products, services, and industries, the lessons of continuous improvement learned from someone else's experience help propel all of us to approach our own initiatives with new perspective.
Increasing Capacity & Productivity - A Case Study in Lean
Manufacturing
A world leader in the automotive & transport industry wished to increase
capacity by 30%, increase direct labor productivity by 25% and increase
inventory turns from 6.0 to 9.0 in one of its European locations. Project
governance structures were implemented to ensure consistency and follow-thru;
teams were trained in lean techniques with specific focus on the 20 Keys®
methodology and a structured daily management system while site leadership
was coached on fostering effective cultural change. As a result, the facility
achieved its Annual Operating Plan for the first time in a number of year's
and. Read
More
Business Process Improvement -
Streamlining the Document Change Notice Process from 15 to 2 Days
A leading provider of packaging and plastic components used in the health care and consumer products industries had a Document Change Notice (DCN) process that involved many people reviewing and signing the DCN, numerous handoffs and long lead times for final approval. The team utilized Value Stream Mapping, RACI Charting and Handoff Charting techniques to streamline the process, clearly define roles and responsibilities and eliminate non-value added activities. As a result, DNC process cycle time was reduced 87%, from 15 days to 2. Read More
Increasing Line Throughput to Meet Demand
A manufacturer of refrigerated display cases and systems was experiencing increasing product demand on a line that was already producing 25% of the entire volume run at this particular facility. The team needed to increase throughput on the line from 60 to 80 cases per shift without increasing costs while reducing WIP by 50%. Through the application of line balancing and standard work techniques the team generated over $1M in associated financial benefits from this event! Read More
Special Considerations for Rapid Improvement in Business Process Excellence
By Jerry Timpson
The Rapid Improvement Event (RIE) is an extremely effective implementation technique that is regularly employed as a mechanism for accelerating results. They are a fundamental improvement mechanism that must be part of any successful change initiative. Also known as a Kaizen Event or Accelerated Change Process, a RIE is usually a one-week “small project” that focuses a dedicated team on an under-performing process or function.
The RIE addresses one of John Kotter’s Eight Reasons Why Transformation Efforts Fail by planning for and achieving near term wins. One critical outcome of the RIE is a result that is immediate and measurable. It also addresses another critical outcome, one that we have found to be the essential ingredient of implementation - team-based involvement! The RIE quickly gets results, engages the organization in a structured way and creates kaizen (ongoing improvement) momentum - all fundamental to an organizations performance imperative.
RIE methods can be applied in a variety of settings from factories to business processes and supply chain initiatives. Implementation approaches must be adapted, however, especially outside of the production environment since this is not a purely formulaic approach.
Special considerations must be made for success in the application of RIEs to business process opportunities. These include issues of scope and sponsorship, resource allocation, and measurement or metrics. In addition, every Rapid Improvement Event, be it in a factory or office, must have structured and regular follow-up to ensure ongoing success and improvement.
Click here to read the entire article.
Recommended Reading:Lean Six Sigma for Supply Chain Management by Jim Martin
Written by a master black belt/educator and neatly condensed into a 10 step process, this book teaches business managers how to apply the tenets of lean operations (from the Toyota Production System) and six sigma management principles to supply chain management. The tools, methods and concepts presented in the book provide a concise Lean Six Sigma supply chain reference for champions, managers, black belts, green belts, lean experts as well as supply chain professionals. Jim Martin includes more than 200 tables and figures describing roadmaps, critical success characteristics, as well as specific information necessary to fully integrate Lean Six Sigma concepts within your supply chain. It provides, in one place, concise information to major supply chain systems such as master production scheduling (MPS), materials requirements planning (MRPII), inventory systems, forecasting systems, and logistics. Practical examples of Lean Six Sigma applications for supply chain management are provided throughout the book, including a detailed discussion of strategies to improve asset utilization and reduce inventory investment.
Jim's book is available online from McGraw-Hill and at Amazon.com.