Topic(s)
- Product development
Overview
In this presentation, Dr. Marcos Esterman, enterprise excellence manager, will describe A.O. Smith’s Lean Product and Process Development (LPPD) implementation journey. He will discuss the motivation for implementing LPPD, how LPPD differs from Lean in manufacturing, the essential elements of the company’s implementation, its current status and lessons learned.
Key learning objectives
- What LPPD Is
- How it differs from Lean in a manufacturing context
- Implementation challenges
- Some keys to successful implementation
Company
A.O. Smith Corporation is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of residential and commercial water heaters and boilers, offering a comprehensive product line featuring the best-known brands in North America, China, India, Vietnam and Europe.
The company was founded in 1874 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is headquartered. A.O. Smith employs over 12,000 individuals at operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, India, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. It also has sales and distribution in more than 60 countries worldwide.
As a global leader, A.O. Smith and its employees pride themselves on applying innovative technology and energy-efficient solutions to products marketed worldwide. The company’s goal is to be a leading global water technology company, focusing on building this platform through new product development, global expansion, strategic acquisitions and partnerships. https://www.aosmith.com/
Presenter
Dr. Marcos Esterman received his B.S. and M.S. in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Stanford University. As an enterprise excellence manager at A.O. Smith, Dr. Esterman is responsible for overseeing the development, implementation, support and sustainment of A.O. Smith’s New Product Development Process. Prior to joining A.O. Smith, he was a professor of industrial and systems at the Rochester Institute of Technology, where he taught product and process development and systems engineering. His research interests included the integration of Lean into the product development process, structured product development methods, sustainable development and print as a manufacturing process.
Dr. Esterman’s industry experience includes Hewlett-Packard’s Imaging and Printing Division in Boise, Idaho, where he held a variety of positions in manufacturing and R&D. His primary product focus was the Color LaserJet products. His analysis work at HP enhanced design and product architecture decision-making. Dr. Esterman also worked as an x-ray tube development engineer at General Electric Medical Systems in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and he was a graduate of their Edison Engineering Training Program. 
