CLARK METAL PRODUCTS
Work Structure & Processes Category
Clark Metal Products was looking to increase profitability by following the principle of Lean Manufacturing, which places an emphasis on eliminating waste and streamlining work processes. In order to develop better and easier practices, which in turn would increase productivity and profitability, all employees had to get involved. The challenge was to encourage employees to take an active part in improving upon their daily work environment and methods of manufacturing.
In June of 2006, V.O.I.C.E- Valuable Outcomes Implemented by Clark Employees was developed to authorize and encourage the employees of Clark Metal Products to make process improvement recommendations. The V.O.I.C.E program has two primary goals: correcting mistakes and/or reducing the levels of waste found throughout the business and manufacturing processes and to empower employees and encourage them to submit 2 suggestions per employee per month. The V.O.I.C.E process begins when an employee believes that an aspect of their daily job could be improved upon. The suggestion for improvement could be a quality of production issue, a way to reduce costs, a more efficient methodology, or a way to increase safety. Employees then fill out an Improvement Recommendation/V.O.I.C.E form. The individuals present the challenge and offer their own solution. They also indicate what type of process improvement they are making – time saving, increased cost effectiveness, safety related, etc. The Continuous Improvement, or C.I., Coordinator is dedicated to facilitating the execution of the program. He reviews the suggestion to determine if it requires any further clarification and decides on the urgency of implementation. The C.I. Coordinator determines the validity of the recommended change based on: the potential impact to the overall manufacturing process or system, the potential impact to the product and/or customer, the feasibility of implementing the change, and the cost vs. benefit of making the change.
The V.O.I.C.E program has achieved fantastic results in the 18 months it has been in use. Employees have a greater sense of empowerment as well as involvement in the daily operations of Clark Metal Products. Every employee has the opportunity to make a difference in their work environment, which makes their work much more interesting and gives them a great sense of value. And as their job becomes easier, productivity increases. There is a direct correlation between profits and the V.O.I.C.E suggestions with profits increasing as the number of suggestions increase. The program has become part of the work culture at Clark Metal Products and continues to be expanded.
Company Bio:
Clark Metal Products was founded by J.W. Clark, Sr. in 1954. From its 69,000 ft2 building in Blairsville, PA, Clark Metal manufactures fabricated metal enclosures and components for a wide variety of industries including: electronics, healthcare, transportation, and communications. Thanks to a highly skilled and experienced workforce and the use of advanced manufacturing techniques, Clark has doubled sales in the past 5 years. Now a third generation family business, Clark employs 146 people and is projecting sales of $17.5 million in 2008.
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