IISE Solutions consultants recently worked with a major aerospace manufacturing company assisting with the deployment of what they refer to as program affordability. This is an organizationwide effort to use continuous improvement tools to reduce costs by both improving quality and increasing productivity. The involvement began with a series of strategic planning initiatives led by the senior vice president responsible for the program. Once the strategy was set and agreed upon by operations and support, then training began. The initial training, which was a mix of lean and Six Sigma, was conducted for senior management. This was followed by a cascade through the organizational ranks and included operations, engineering, and all support functions. While specific savings cannot be stated due to confidentiality annual savings are into eight figures.

A port operation was analyzed by industrial engineers for labor inefficiencies within maintenance operations. All work tasks were documented, standards set, and expected work time determined based upon completed work orders. The variance between expected hours and actual paid hours was determined and staffing levels were adjusted to reflect workload. Annual savings were projected to be at least $2 million.

At an automotive sector manufacturing organization, the engineering/research and development led the effort to implement continuous improvement. Again, IISE Solutions consultants facilitated strategic planning led by the corporate director of engineering and the vice president of manufacturing. Their goal was to institutionalize the improvement efforts. Once the plan was put into place, the organization, i.e., the steering committee, was formed consisting of the top officials in both research and manufacturing as well as each of the plant managers. Under the broad umbrella of Six Sigma, the steering committee received the first black belt training. This was followed by two more groups of senior managers. Plans are now being made to roll out the implementation within the plants and support organizations.

A furniture manufacturer requested assistance with ergonomic analysis of individual work stations. The engineers spent several days observing work cells and identifying opportunities for improvement. After implementation productivity increased by 15 percent, and workplace-related injuries were reduced by 20 percent.

A manufacturing facility requested an audit of work standards. This led to the development of a simulation model that permitted the center to balance its production line. The consultants had to document the work, identify the work flow, set standards, and develop and apply the simulation methodology. The resulting reduction in cycle time and work-in-process inventory permitted the organization to fund its expansion via internally generated funding.

Analysis of the layout of a fast food chain’s stores led to a redesign of the food preparation area and a reduction in customer service time. Application of classic facility layout principles coupled with the development of work standards permitted the chain to serve more customers with the same staff levels. Customer satisfaction scores showed a statistically significant improvement after the redesign was implemented.

Workflow analysis in call centers led to increased quality, increased customer satisfaction, lowered handling times, and lower operational costs for an insurance company’s call center. This was accomplished through the use of multiple industrial engineering approaches, including the development of work standards, application of lean principles, redesign of workstations, and development of appropriate employee training programs.