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Lean Training and Implementation Leads to Much Better Outcomes for Harvey Building Products
With the help of: New Hampshire Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NHMEP)
About
Harvey Building Products began in Waltham, Massachusetts, in 1961, and quickly established itself as one of the most respected building products corporations. Harvey Building Products employs 404 people serving the building and construction industry with the manufacture of high-performing, custom-made windows and doors. In 2006 the company moved to a 380,000-square-foot facility in Londonderry, New Hampshire and remains there today.
The Challenge
“One of the measurables of our KPI’s is called units per person, or UPP,” said Harvey Building Products' Continuous Improvement Manager Matt Bouvier. “We were shooting for a KPI of 13, but the UPP was around 8-1/2 to 9. So we weren’t making the money as we hoped. We knew there was a lot of meat on the bone to go after, and looking at the line itself we saw how unorganized it was. All of this contributed to having trouble meeting on-time delivery.”
Bouvier realized quickly, however, these were not acceptable outcomes for sustainability and growth. Bouvier had previous experience with MassMEP, part of the MEP National Network™. Then, through a colleague at Harvey Building Products, he discovered NH MEP, the New Hampshire MEP and another part of the MEP National Network™.
Harvey Windows and Doors greatly appreciates NH MEP coming out to our facility in Londonderry, New Hampshire. Their eagerness to learn our process and coach us through activities such as value stream mapping, waste reduction and other lean tools helped us achieve our productivity goals fast and effectively. We look forward to partnering up with them on other initiatives in the future.
MEP's Role
Bouvier reached out to NH MEP, and, with the help of a NH MEP project manager, developed an on-site lean training and implementation program to meet Harvey Building Products' needs. The intent of the lean training was to educate, as well as mentor, employees, in principles of lean, value stream mapping, and the execution of Kaizen events.
The introduction to the principles of lean are the foundation and building blocks for success at the client’s site. Shortly thereafter, a value stream mapping training event targeting a specific product family led to Kaizen training events focused on targeting and eliminating the waste discovered during the value stream mapping process. This hands-on experience, combined with the mentoring role of selected individuals employed by the client, created the workforce skills necessary to recreate and expand the lean, continuous-improvement-focused culture.