Congratulations to our 2007 Team Finalists
GOLD Winner- The Boeing Company/Boeing C17 Stuffed Tailcone Team
Type of business: AEROSPACE
Team type: IMPROVEMENT
Responding to safety concerns raised by factory personnel, the Stuffed Tailcone team used problem solving tools to generate solutions that eradicated unsafe conditions during installation, and initiated process improvements with positive results in areas of quality, cost, and schedule with direct impact on organizational goals.
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The Boeing Company/Boeing C17 Stuffed Tailcone Team |
SILVER Winner - The Boeing Company/Boeing C17 Obiggs II Team
Type of business: AEROSPACE
Team type: IMPROVEMENT
The C-17 On-Board Inert Gas Generating System II (OBIGGS II) Project replaced the existing system that protects the fuel tanks from explosion by filling the volume above the fuel with nitrogen-enriched air. The OBIGGS II team greatly enhanced reliability of the inerting system through outstanding teamwork, innovation, and dedication.
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SILVER Winner - The Boeing Company/Boeing C17 World Class Safety Team
Type of business: AEROSPACE
Team type: IMPROVEMENT
Responding to high injury rates and extremely high workers’ compensation costs, Boeing’s C-17 leadership embarked on a journey to become “world class” in safety. By benchmarking “best-in-industry” companies, employing expert safety consultation, and using root cause analyses, the team saw dramatic results from the development of an integrated safety management system.
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SILVER Winner - Department of Children and Families, Suncoast Region Team Scanit
(1st time participant, and winner of local Florida Team Showcase Award)
Type of business: SOCIAL SERVICES AGENCY
Team type: QUALITY INNOVATION AND IMPROVEMENT
Team ScanIt developed, piloted, and implemented an electronic imaging system for receipt, storage, and retrieval of all paperwork associated with the region’s 190,000 public assistance cases saving $269,816 the first year and $310,126 annually thereafter. This enterprise solution improves accessibility to information, eliminates rework, and significantly enhances process capabilities.
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BRONZE Winner - CSX/Locomotive Fuel Process Improvement Team
(1st time participant)
Type of business: TRANSPORTATION
Team type: PROCESS IMPROVEMENT/SIX SIGMA
The locomotive shutdown team increased shutdown time of idling locomotives, reducing fuel consumption across CSX. The project used CSX’s Accountability Model and Six Sigma DMAIC process. A wide variety of qualitative, quantitative, and project management tools were used. The team generated savings of more than 14 million gallons of fuel worth $28 million.
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ALCOA, INC. – NORTH AMERICAN ROLLED PRODUCTS, LANCASTER, PA/MOLTEN METAL DEGASSING IMPROVEMENT TEAM
Type of business: ALUMINUM ROLLING MILL
Team type: PROCESS MANAGEMENT
The project purpose was to achieve improved quality of aluminum ingot through implementation of Alcoa’s process management system, using tools such as SPC, benchmarking, brainstorming, and the team process. Savings included a reduction in rework of more than 70% and cost savings in excess of $450,000 annually.
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COLOMBIAN RED CROSS – D&G PROFIT IMPROVEMENT CONSULTANTS/BLOOD MANAGEMENT CENTER
Type of business: HEALTHCARE
Team type: IMPROVEMENTThe blood management center team used the daily management method to improve surplus in 2006. By using many quality tools including Pareto analysis, tendencies graphics, tree diagrams, cause-effect, why-why, 5W1H, etc., the surplus totals increased by 48%.
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DENSO MANUFACTURING TENNESSEE, INC./MOLDING MANIACS
Type of business: AUTOMOTIVE PARTS MANUFACTURING
Team type: QUALITY CIRCLES
The team worked with a supplier to reduce foreign matter in the molding process. Through teamwork and the use of quality tools, the team exceeded Molding’s glass front defect goal that had not been met in 16 years. This was a 47% reduction in foreign matter defects for an annual savings of $88,440.
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GENENTECH, INC./PASTEURIZER OPERATIONS–OPTIMIZATION THROUGH DISCIPLINED EXECUTION
Type of business: BIOTECHNOLOGY
Team type: LEAN/DMAIC
This project focused on minimizing a known process bottleneck, pasteurizer H153, a critical production asset required for all plant products. Lean and DMAIC methodologies were employed resulting in a 44% reduction in equipment downtime and a 12.6% reduction in standard deviation associated with unit preparation.
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Genentech, Inc. |
HOUSING & DEVELOPMENT BOARD/ THINKERS IQC
Type of business: SINGAPORE’S PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY
Team type: QUALITY IMPROVEMENT
This project used many creative tools such as the lotus blossom, assumption breaking, serendipity, and random word techniques to minimize staining to door frames. The solution reaped significant manpower savings and other intangible benefits. It also enhanced HDB’s image and improved team cohesion.
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KOREA ELECTRIC POWER CORPORATION/BLUE OCEAN
Type of business: ELECTRICITY PRODUCER & DISTRIBUTOR
Team type: IMPROVEMENT
The team worked to achieve trouble-free realization through improvement in the performance of the gas insulated swithvear of 345Kv substations. By improving the performance of the control block, compressors and precision check of a gas leak using scientific equipment, we expect the cost savings to be $2.5 million per year.
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KOREA PLANT SERVICE & ENGINEERING CO., LTD./OULIM
Type of business: PLANT MAINTENANCE COMPANY
Team type: IMPROVEMENT
Frequent unexpected breakdowns and a fire accident occurred at the Boryung Power Plant because of excessive dissolved gases and transformer malfunction. As a result, power generation stopped and operating costs increased. Quality control activities have since been implemented and have resulted in breakdown prevention, increased productivity, and operating cost reduction.
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LEGGETT & PLATT/FLEX-O-LATORS OPERATIONS IMPROVEMENT TEAM
Type of business: AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURING
Team type: OPERATIONS IMPROVEMENT
This presentation explains the team’s two year journey of improving every aspect of its operations. The projects yielded significant advancements in production and savings of $2.8 million. Tools such as Lean, Six Sigma, 8-D, problem solving, and about 15 more were used to help guide this project. The team completed a major turnaround with its facility and would like to share its story.
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MAGNEKON S.A. DE C.V./ENERGÍA MAGNÉTICA
Type of business: MAGNET WIRE PRODUCER
Team type: LEAN SIX SIGMA
The team’s purpose was to improve the level of quality and service, reduce costs and expenses, and recuperate sales of 67 tons/year. We achieved our objective using quality tools, including graphic methods, support techniques, tree diagrams, gantt, flow, relationships, and matrix impact-performance. Benefits included 100% customer fulfillment, savings of $46,000, and income of $292,120.
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MEDRAD, INC./ONE DAY AT A TIME (ODAT)
Type of business: MEDICAL IMAGING MANUFACTURER
Team type: LEAN SIX SIGMA
The objective of the ODAT team was to achieve and maintain an average of one day’s inventory level in QC Incoming Inspection. By following MEDRAD’s IMAGES process (Lean Six Sigma), the team achieved the objective in seven months, reducing inventory by $1.5 million with the same headcount.
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MT. LEBANON SCHOOL DISTRICT/MQST-MT. LEBANON QUALITY SUPPLY TEAM
Type of business: EDUCATION
Team type: MALCOLM BALDRIGE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
The Mt. Lebanon Quality Supply Team is procuring quality supplies, meeting stakeholders’ needs, and exceeding its expectations while achieving 40% savings, generating $15,000 in revenue/free products, and approaching zero waste. The process models Baldrige continuous improvement principles that are aligned with the team’s organizational goals of constituent satisfaction and fiscal responsibility.
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NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE OFFICE/ MEDIA SERVICES CENTER
Type of business: UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
Team type: SIX SIGMA
The Media Services Center undertook a performance improvement project in response to customer complaints about late delivery of products and services. The project team used Six Sigma processes to achieve overall improvement in on-time delivery, product quality, and customer satisfaction.
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National Reconnaissance Office (L to R) Graphics Producation manager, Graphics Production Manager, Former MSC Center Chief, Customer Service Representative, Deputy MSC Center Chief, Program manager, ASG Group Chief, Video Production Manager, Administrative Assistant |
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RED RIVER ARMY DEPOT/HMMWV RECAP TEAM
Type of business: DEPARTMENT OF ARMY REMANUFACTURING
Team type: LEAN/SIX SIGMA
The Lean/Six Sigma project was to increase effectiveness and efficiency of the HUMVEE recapitalization line. The team used VSA, kaizen, Kanban, line balancing, visual contols, FMEA, 6S, Poka-Yoke, and JIT Supply and increased throughput by 3000%, reduced cost by $25,000 each, and reduced rework by 25%. Project savings totaled $69 million.
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SIEMENS VDO GUADALAJARA/IMPROVE SOLDER PASTE PRINTING PROCESS
Type of business: AUTOMOTIVE
Team type: SIX SIGMA
Responding to problems concerning solder bridges, field customer returns, and rework, the team set the objective of improving the percentage of scrap/sales in the Epsilon Project from 0.045% to 0.018%. The team used quality tools including TSP, process-map, cause-effect diagram and matrix, Gauge R&R, hypothesis tests, DOE, and control charts. Benefits included $275,886 MXN of scrap reduction and 0 PPM field returns during five consecutive months following the 6S DMAIC methodology implementation.
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SIEMENS VDO GUADALAJARA/SATURN
Type of business: AUTOMOTIVE
Team type: SIX SIGMA
The objective of the project was to improve vision station performance from a sigma level of 1.97 to 2.23 and STDEV from 0.19 to 0.058. The historic failure rate of GMT project is 11% and 32% of the total failures are due to vision station. Secondary metrics are scrap cost. Quality tools used included, Pareto, maping, kaizen, C&E Matrix, FMEA, R&R, Cp, ANOVA, HT, correlation, regression, PCP, DOE, and RSM. Results achieved included a sigma level of 2.33; STDEV of 0.0145; financial savings of $138,962 MXN; and a cost avoidance of $4,000 USD of new equipment.
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U.S. NAVAL SHIP REPAIR FACILITY AND JAPAN REGIONAL MAINTENANCE CENTER DETACHMENT, SASEBO, JAPAN/ CHAN-PONG
Type of business: GOVERNMENT
Team type: IMPROVEMENT
A team of five U.S. Navy ship repair experts from Japan tackled the Navy’s urgent and strict requirements. Through crystallizing the expert workers’ experience and knowledge, they developed a device that enables them to replace a major part on the Navy’s diverse lifeline system with minimal cost and time, while fully satisfying the Navy’s requirements.
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U.S. NAVAL SHIP REPAIR FACILITY AND JAPAN REGIONAL MAINTENANCE CENTER DETACHMENT, YOKOSUKA, JAPAN/ TEAM TIGER
Type of business: GOVERNMENT
Team type: LEAN
Team Tiger from the U.S. Navy Japan, will present results from eight improvement activity teams’ efforts in executing the organizational goals within the Marine Internal Combustion Engine Shop. This success story outlines how to overcome the difficulties in keeping organizational coherence by the first line workers: Focus and Execute on the Command’s “LINE OF SIGHT” plan.
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WYNDHAM VACATION OWNERSHIP/ TRANSACTIONAL MUDA BUSTERSType of business: HOSPITALITY
Team type: KAIZEN IMPROVEMENT
External new hires experience extreme delays in obtaining mission-critical systems access and hardware required to become a productive member of the WVO team. Using the Kaizen improvement methodology, along with a cross functional team, the team discovered causes and solutions to improving cycle time and quality of enabling new hires to become productive on the first day of their employment.
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