State Senator Gary Dahl recently visited Black Bros. Co. in Mendota to learn more about their effort to create a LEAN enterprise. Black Bros. along with their training partner, the Illinois Manfacturing Extension Council (IMEC) presented to the Senator some of their experiences with the early stages of the process.
LEAN is defined as ‘a systematic approach to identifying and eliminating waste through continuous improvement by flowing the product at the pull of the customer in pursuit of perfection’. LEAN concepts are being applied in both the manufacturing and office processes at Black Bros.
IMEC was established in 1996 to help Illinois manufacturers to be more productive and globally competitive. A non-profit organization, IMEC is funded in part by the National Institute of Standards and Technology - Manufacturing Extension Partnership, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and by fees for services paid by Illinois manufacturers. Thirty two specialists, based at ten office locations throughout Illinois, provide hands-on technical assistance and consulting services to help manufacturers innovate, contain manufacturing costs, streamline processes, and increase profits. Black Bros. has received a grant to help offset the cost of the training aspects of their LEAN journey.
Implementing lean practices involves changing a work area or a business process through continuous improvement activities to maximize efficiency, improve quality and safety, eliminate unnecessary motion and inventory, and save time and resources. The benefits of lean can include a significant reduction in lead times and inventory, improved product quality, an increase in on-time deliveries, and ultimately, improvements in profitability.
Black Bros. Co. COO Skip Stachlewitz said “We have informally implemented improvement activities for years. Lean methodology including Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is an outstanding structure to get all the right people involved in the process and take action.”
IMEC’s lean services run the gamut, from cellular manufacturing, to Kaizen blitz team improvement efforts, to pull/Kanban inventory control systems. Kaizen, a signature element of lean, relies on multi-disciplinary teams to improve product quality, productivity and customer service. A Japanese term for continuous improvement (the word is based on “kai” meaning change and “zen” meaning good); it involves an intense analysis of an assembly operation, literally breaking the process down to determine where it can be improved.
In a pull/kanban system, a manufacturer builds to actual demand, not forecasts, which help reduce excess inventory. “We measure the time it takes to get raw material in the door, to when product is shipped,” said Mark Lamboley, an IMEC specialist. “If you can reduce that time, you also cut your inventory, which costs about 22 percent annually to hold onto. That frees up cash for new equipment and product lines.”
CEO and President of Black Bros. Co. Matt Carroll spoke of the reasoning behind enlisting IMEC and starting the lean journey. “Our customers want quality and innovative products with improved delivery, but they won’t accept price increases,” said Carroll “Our goal is to become more efficient without reducing our great desire for safety and quality. We have worked with IMEC on several projects over the past eight years. As a result of that relationship it was natural for us to call on them to help.” Black Bros. Co. one of the oldest manufacturing concerns in the area, founded in 1882 and moved to Mendota in 1900.
During a plant tour Senator Dahl was shown the Lean Board a location in the Black Bros. plant where critical measures are posted so all associates can stay informed. The tour also included stops in the parts department where inventory controls and packing aids have decreased time to shipment and in the production control office where visual tags prioritize orders.
Senator Dahl is quite familiar with the challenges of manufacturing businesses in the area as companies like Black Bros. were his customers in the trucking business. “Some of the best jobs and benefits in our area are in manufacturing. Some people in Springfield forget that the bills we pass in the Senate can hurt Companies like Black Bros. and the jobs they provide. It’s great to see Black Bros. Co. utilizing IMEC to assist them in providing a stable and secure future for their current and future associates.”
Senator Dahl at Black Bros..pdf
Submitted by
Frank Kobilsek
Director of Product Development
Black Bros. Co.
815-539-7451
fkobilsek@blackbros.com