I think you might be interested in reading my latest column “The Rebirth of Made in America”, which can be found at: http://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/950499-pcb-mar2018/76
I am excited to inform you that my interview, “Defining Customer-Supplier Relationships and Customer Satisfaction,” has now been published in SMT007 Magazine. I invite you to read the full story here,
http://iconnect007.uberflip.
Register now for my IPC/APEX PCB Executive Forum to learn how to implement W.O.R.C., a new lead time reduction strategy for high-mix, low-volume manufacturing operations. Join me Monday, February 26 at 2:00 pm by registering at: http://www.ipcapexexpo.org/html/register/default.htm
Highlights
Lean, theory of constraints (ToC), quick response manufacturing (QRM), cross-training, and SPC are powerful, tried and true methodologies for process improvement. However, these tools are rooted in high-volume manufacturing environments and don’t always play nice in a high-mix, low-volume (HMLV) operation. The new W.O.R.C. cycle reduction strategy (Workflow Optimized for Rapid proCessing) was specifically developed to overcome these shortcomings while capitalizing on their strengths.
What You Will Learn
- Limitations of the Current Toolset
- Introducing W.O.R.C.
- Physical, Virtual & Hybrid W.O.R.C. Cells
- W.O.R.C. Cell Cross Training
- Myth-Busting Traditional Thinking
- W.O.R.C. Cell Thinking
- Strategically Planning For Spare Capacity
- Office W.O.R.C. Case Study
- Manufacturing W.O.R.C. Case Study
Who Would Benefit
Manufacturing, production and operations professionals in high-mix, low-volume manufacturing organizations that want to reduce cycle time and improve on time delivery.
About the Instructor
Steve Williams is a 40-year veteran in the electronics industry, having gained prominence and recognition as an authority on manufacturing, quality and management. The former Sourcing Manager for global EMS provider Plexus Corp., he is currently the President of The Right Approach Consulting. Steve has authored numerous books, including Lean, Quality and Leadership, has published more than 150 business articles & white papers, and is a columnist for The PCB Magazine at i-Connect007.
PRESS RELEASE
The Right Approach Consulting
February 13, 2018
West Bend, WI
Moraine Plastics Receives ISO 9001: 2015 Certification
I am proud to announce that client Moraine Plastics has received certification to ISO 9001: 2015 from registrar Intertek. The company had a strong quality foundation going in from many years of certification to prior revisions of the standard, and the transition was fairly straight forward. Quality Manager Jeff Weinert and the Moraine Plastics team were a delight to work with, and got the job done without a hitch in an expedited timeframe.
About Moraine Plastics
Moraine Plastics is a manufacturer of High Volume Custom Plastic Injection Molded parts and products for customers around the world. They are one of 3 manufacturing companies in the PM Plastics family, along with PM Plastics Co. and Nitschke Mold & Manufacturing. The group has been a family-owned and operated full-service plastic injection molding U.S. contract manufacturer since 1946. 
They are a solid partner to businesses and industries who manufacture their products in the United States. With over 70 years of experience in manufacturing, they provide a wide range of services from concept to the consumers hands through quality control, engineering and project management.
For more information, they can be reached at (262) 335-0601 or through their website http://www.pmplastic.com
Operational excellence takes work; more specifically, it takes relentless execution. There should be no lack of available continuous improvement projects in the average PCB or other custom component manufacturer. Developing a strategy for identifying the potential projects should be the first step in the process. Using defect data and Pareto analysis you can easily see where the largest dollar return can be gained in each functional manufacturing unit. Customer complaints, quoting accuracy, and customer (external and internal) surveys are good sources for identifying continuous improvement projects within support functions. Focusing on improving the top 3 issues within any one functional unit will achieve much higher return than trying to reduce the bottom 80% if the issues (the old reliable 80/20 rule).
Developing solutions that result in improvement can be expedited by utilizing tools such as Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA), Process Control Plans, SPC reports & Process Capability (CPK) data, and Gauge R & R Studies. Advanced problem-solving techniques such as Group Brainstorming, Ishikawa (fishbone) Cause & Effect Diagrams, and Design of Experiments (DOE) are very effective in facilitating root cause analysis.
Give me a call to start operational excellence in your company!
920-841-3478
Steve@TheRightApproachConsulting.com
Formal improvement teams are arguably the most effective continuous improvement vehicle available to an organization. When resources are scarce, many companies are using their TRB (technical review board) as a CI team. Providing group dynamics and team building training to teams increase their effectiveness exponentially. Companies have come up with some very creative names for their teams, and creativity does help sell the concept to employees (PIT Crews, OpX, Tiger Teams, etc.).
The modern continuous improvement team got its roots back in the 1960’s when my former professor Dr. Ishikawa invented “quality circles”. Teams generally are permanent entities assigned to specific processes, with a cross-functional membership empowered to make organizational decisions. It may also be advisable to rotate some members to provide fresh perspective and prevent team burnout. No matter how you approach it, the old adage has never been more true: two heads are always better than one.
Give me a call to start operational excellence in your company!
920-841-3478
Steve@TheRightApproachConsulting.com
The underlying philosophy, which ensures the success and growth of an organization, is that every facet of the operation must continuously improve. This means that instead of having one specific objective that once met signals the end of progressive effort, employees at every level of responsibility must always strive to perform better next month than last month. Such a never-ending plan defines excellence as continuous improvement. This philosophy must permeate the entire organization, not just manufacturing. Tremendous benefits can be achieved in the areas of customer service, sales and marketing, quality, & engineering, but are often overlooked in a continuous improvement program.
Give me a call to start operational excellence in your company!
920-841-3478
Steve@TheRightApproachConsulting.com
Continuous improvement is a journey, and as with most things worthwhile, needs to be an integral part of an organization’s everyday life. It can only come from people, motivated and committed, learning what they can learn, solving problems that they can solve, and implementing solutions that they develop.
The venerable quality guru W. Edwards Deming defined continuous improvement simply as “improvement initiatives that increase successes and reduce failures.” Sounds simple, doesn’t’ it? In concept it is simple, it is the execution that requires perseverance. The need for continuous improvement is present in every industry, but mandatory in technology industries with complex processes. Continuous improvement cannot be defined as putting together an ad-hoc group to “put out a fire”. Crisis management is not continuous improvement; crisis prevention is.
Give me a call to start operational excellence in your company!
920-841-3478
Steve@TheRightApproachConsulting.com
As you fill out one of your endless forms, have you ever asked yourself why you are doing it, only to remember that it is needed for ISO? That should never be the answer; every single activity should be adding value to your organization. Yes, ISO certainly has requirements that must be complied with, but I would argue that if implemented correctly, they each make the business better.
When I work with a client, every single procedure, work instruction, form, checklist, log and task is filtered through the TRAC foundational philosophy of “does this add value to the organization?” If it does not, it either goes away or is improved so that it does add value.
Eliminating non value add activities is not just related to manufacturing operations; it equally applies to your support functions and documentation.
Give me a call so we can make the system work for you.
920-841-3478
Steve@TheRightApproachConsulting.com
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