From Belts to Baldrige

Abstract

The Anderson leadership team “discovered” a new formal approach to continuous improvement in 2004—Lean Six Sigma (LSS). Senior management integrated the two approaches into Lean Six Sigma—attacking both the product and process variation and waste. Our processes are supported with over 100 engineers, mechanics, and technicians. A significant training effort allowed all of them to be Lean Certified. They have saved over $10 M annually in improving equipment and setups alone. Anderson has developed 18 of 200 Green Belts (our best) into Black Belts and six of them into Master Black Belts. They saved almost over $7 M annually. The Steering Committee has committed everyone in every department to participate. To that end our projects are focused in every area of the company: Production 44%, Quality Control/Assurance 26%, Maintenance 8%, Warehouse 8%, Sales/Administrative/Finance 8%, Engineering 4%, and Human Resources 2%. The results are cost reduction, improved customer service and measurable improvement in quality, employee and customer satisfaction resulting in over $15 M annual savings plus cost avoidance, and increased capacity. In addition, over 25% of our projects improve our regulation and compliance. As a result of these efforts in 2011 Anderson won the IQPC’s “Best Manufacturing Project Award.” In 2012 Anderson won the IQPC’s “Best Manufacturing Continuous Improvement Program Award.” In 2013 they won the “State of Illinois Malcolm Baldrige Award.”