• Developed a plan for a major Kaizen Event to greatly simplify the assembly of a large finished goods product. Results included:
  • a 25% reduction in direct labor,
  • over 75% reduction in WIP,
  • and a 25% reduction in floor space used.

2. Steel Fabrication

• Developed direct labor standards with improved work methods, procedures and layout. Implemented key performance indicators. Reduced labor costs/unit and cycle times by over 50% in less than a year.

• Developed a database of labor standards for the installation of many different types of lighting in many different work environments including: commercial, industrial and retail. Data was used for job estimating, job costing and manpower planning.

• Materials handling equipment Trainor & Associates recommended and helped install led to substantial labor cost savings (Reduced order pickers needed by over 30 and reduced need for temporary workers).

• Recommended changes in order picking locations and labor utilization resulted in a twenty-fold increase in ROI in less than a year.

• New labor standards we recommended eliminated major time wasters and added-cost operations, leading to better control over vendor performance and accountability.
• Inefficiencies in layout and SKU location were identified and corrected.

• Changes in materials access reduced work force requirements, reduced overtime, increased throughput, and improved inventory control.
• Relocation plan for gasket warehousing and distribution operations resulted in a successful move completed within budget and on time.

• Improved production of in-store product display pallets.
• Established measurable production rates and production capacity requirements.
• Defined production costs of operation.
• Improved product flow to each pallet and movement of pallet to shipping

9. Aircraft Parts Distribution

• With employees involved in the Receiving & Shipping operations we were able to simplify work processes, cut travel time by over 65%, reduce workspace needs by 30%, and improve productivity by over 25%.

• With the use of Work Sampling tools we observed the order fulfillment process, and quantified the daily impact of non-value added tasks performed in the work processes.  We identified over $239,000 in non-value added tasks.

• We created a new and improved facility lay out where by 80% of the time the pick path for order fulfillment was greatly reduced

10. Food Processing & Packaging

• We identified how to relieve the bottleneck on the filling to increase the throughput by over 25% without a major capital investment.

• We quantified points of losses on filling line to help know where best to focus corrective action.

11. Printing Industry

• Helped company solve a problem for list WIP by finding the root cause of the problem.

• Increased inventory accuracy for WIP storage locations.

• Showed company how to reduce WIP, eliminate, and combine operations to reduce wasted travel and time

12. Liquid Filling

• Collected data and information to identify where and why major losses were occurring and the extent of the loss at each point on the line.

• Developed a corrective action plan whereby production losses could be reduced greatly without a major capital investment

13. Window & Screen Manufacturing

• Trained teams of employees on the tools of Five S.

• Coached employees through multiple Kaizen events to help them reduce waste, travel distances and increase throughput

• Several teams were able to:
  • Cut floor space needs 20-30%
  • Reduce travel by over 50%
  • Increase throughput by 20-30%
    
• All was done without any major capital investment.

14. Food Distribution

• Using Work Sampling, quantified how the typical worker spends their time.

• Identified over $300,000 in productivity improvements that would not require a large capital investment.

• Reduced the pick path for top 80% of the items by over 60% by warehouse space planning and smart-slotting tools.

15. Leather Working

• Reduced Work in Process Inventory by 50+%.

• Increased productivity 20+%.

• Reduced work flow space needs 25%

• Reduced customer lead-time by 50%

• All done without a major capital investment.

• Trained employees in the use and benefits of Lean Manufacturing, Tools of Five S Cellular Manufacturing, and Quick Changeover.

 

16. Equipment Changeover

• Documented the current situation to identify time wastes and those tasks done internal to the changeover that could be done external.

• Developed ideas and a corrective action plan with production personnel to cut changeover time 46% in the first pass.

• Simplified the changeover process by establishing a procedure for the equipment operator and the mechanic to better prepare for the changeover work to be done

17. Problem Solving

Suncare Compounding Operation out of tank capacity to do work due to excessive cycle time to cool product.  Client wanted to justify adding more tanks to increase compounding capacity.

Findings: Plant water supply line was not sized to meet current water demands.

Recommendations:  

• Increase size of water line to the facility.
• Increase capacity to chill water and recycle for product cooling.

Results: Product formula was changed to reduce water  requirements for product cooling.

Paper products manufacturer not able to meet production requirements to produce sufficient quantities of a quality product.

Findings: Each production machine used to make finished product was different due to equipment modifications made over the years.  No one knew which piece(s) of equipment was performing best overall.

Recommendations:    

• Gather data & information to identify which machine performed best and when. 
• Use this data and information to compare with the other machines’ performances. 
• Make improvements on the poor performing machines based upon the findings of the best performing machine.

Results: Company was able to increase throughput, reduce scrap, and increase product quality in less than 30 days.     

18. Distribution Center Operations

• From work Sampling studies performed in nine different companies, we taken over 11,000 observations of 356 workers in the order fulfillment process. The findings are as follows:

• 45% of the time the workers are involved in Non-Value added tasks such as travel, wait, look / hunt and idle time.
• 55% of the time the workers are performing Value added tasks

Conclusions:

• For every $100,000 spent in labor costs, $ 45,000 is spent on Non – Value added costs in a typical Distribution operation.
• Most Distribution / Warehouse operations have not slotted the most active items near the shipping dock, down low and with easy access.
• The typical Material Handling and storage equipment is not compatible with the current operation’s needs.

Example: the pallet rack is only single deep, the lift trucks are sit down rider trucks, the aisle widths are over eleven feet