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Lean Training and Digital Mapping Lead to Operational Efficiencies and Improvements
With the help of: Purdue Manufacturing Extension Partnership
About
The Challenge
The team really enjoyed the Lean training which was easy to see through the engagement in discussions and activities. The instructor kept the material relevant and relatable for our team. As we continue forward, we are encouraging the team to use what they have learned, find those areas of inefficiencies, and make changes to remove the obstacles and reduce waste. As people make those little changes, they can add up to a lot. We’ll continue to push the team to do more of that.
MEP's Role
Purdue MEP conducted a Lean 101 training session with 16 team members from Polycor. Time was also allocated to creating a spaghetti diagram and a digital Value Stream Map (eVSM) of the most complex and process-driven product lines, thin veneer. The eVSM began at the point where the stone is brought to the saws and ended with the finished product in the shipment area, providing a visual representation of the value stream.
Lean training at Polycor successfully equipped employees with a foundational understanding of waste-reduction techniques, fostering a mindset centered on process improvement and minimizing unnecessary steps. The eVSM process validated Polycor’s assumptions about inefficiencies in the thin-veneer product line, clearly highlighting areas with excessive handling and movement. This led to a targeted re-layout of a specific area within the thin-veneer line, optimizing the flow between slabbing, breakers, and thin saws. As a result, Polycor has seen significant improvements, eliminating wasted steps in the thin-veneer process and boosting efficiency in the breaking process by repositioning equipment. This initiative resulted in a 9.8% increase in production without requiring additional labor, surpassing the initial efficiency predictions.