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Continuous Improvement White and Yellow Belt
With the help of: Pennsylvania Manufacturing Extension Partnership
About
Church & Dwight Co., Inc., established in 1846, is the top U.S. producer of sodium bicarbonate, widely recognized as baking soda, and a prominent player in the U.S. consumer packaged goods industry. Based in Ewing, New Jersey, the company boasts 14 key brands, contributing 80% of their revenue, with Arm & Hammer, Trojan, and Oxiclean among their "power brands." Approximately 43% of Church & Dwight's domestic consumer products fall under the Arm & Hammer brand, while the remaining 13 power brands have been acquired since 2001.
The Challenge
MANTEC, part of the Pennsylvania MEP and the MEP National Network™, worked closely with Church & Dwight's leadership, providing crucial training and guidance that equipped their team with the necessary skills and knowledge to cultivate a culture of continuous improvement and accountability. Sustainability of these skills and the culture was a key focus for Church & Dwight.
Collaborating with MANTEC was a seamless experience. Scott R. served as our primary liaison and consistently exceeded expectations to ensure we maximized our training benefits. The consultants we engaged were highly effective in educating our team about lean concepts. As a result, we've significantly boosted our production efficiency and increased our output.
MEP's Role
To achieve this, MANTEC designed a process for Church & Dwight emphasizing internal coaching and long-term sustainability. Church & Dwight employees obtained certification in Six Sigma White and Yellow Belt training. White belt training taught the tools and methods required for driving daily incremental improvements, while yellow belts were well-prepared to actively participate as team members in ongoing continuous improvement projects.
Furthermore, from among the yellow belt graduates, select individuals were identified to progress to the project-based coaching level, called "Winning Teams." These individuals would work alongside round two improvement coaches, further contributing to the success of additional or alternative winning teams.
Church & Dwight's employees are now equipped to establish a continuous improvement culture across the entire organization. This initiative builds upon a solid foundation of tiered continuous improvement meetings and draws inspiration from successful models adopted by similar organizations.