Non-traditional Manufacturer Gains Huge Benefits from AME Consortia Participation

Implementing lean concepts is a difficult task for a company working on its own. One non-traditional distributor of equipment in Wisconsin simplified its adoption of lean processes by becoming involved in an AME consortium, where it could draw on the experience of fellow consortium members.

“One should expect to learn about and adapt lean concepts in non-traditional manufacturing operations through consortium participation,” said Tonja Brabazon, operations manager for Brabazon Pump, Compressor & Vacuum based in Green Bay, WI. The company is an AME Northeast Wisconsin Silver Consortium member. The $25 million company, with 80 employees, is a distributor of pumps, air compressors, air dryers and vacuum equipment throughout the Midwest. The company also maintains a service fleet, operates a job shop and manufactures several different products. 

Although Brabazon had already committed to lean implementation before joining the consortium, an initial membership benefit was shared expertise on value stream mapping (VSM).  “One of the first things we tackled was our order-entry-through-invoicing process,” Brabazon said. “We were able to identify steps that were not value-added. We can get accurate invoices out in a more timely way, which is a benefit to both Brabazon and our customers.” She noted that consultation with a representative from Optima, the consortium facilitation management firm, was a key factor in this transition. Another VSM session targeting maintenance contracts is under way.

Taking turns as consortium meeting hosts provides more learning opportunities. “When we hosted a recent meeting, we received input from peers on opportunities for improvement throughout the company,” Brabazon said. “They identified the top three priorities among the areas we selected. Their suggestions reaffirmed our game plan, and we put their ideas together with ours. We are working on improvements in those areas, including the parts handling, shipping and receiving area.” Employees also are redefining work-cell space and tooling in the assembly area, reflecting internal proposals and consortium participants’ feedback.

“Because we are a small business and a non-traditional manufacturer, we don’t have a full-time continuous improvement engineer on staff. Because of the participation in the consortium, we have the benefit of having a team of lean experts as a resource,” Brabazon said. “So the benefits from the consortium have been huge. We’ve been able to hit the ground running with improvements. We’re not just reading about lean concepts; we can call on others in the group and visit their facilities.” Fellow members have been generous in passing along documents and other materials needed for improvement initiatives, she said.

Consortium meetings introduce speakers offering useful counsel, Brabazon added. She noted a lean product development session led by Ron Mascitelli, and an executive workshop on Lean Transformation, Strategies and Policy Deployment/Hoshin Kanri led by Art Byrne and Ed Miller.

Brabazon Pump, in turn, can offer “lessons learned” about applying lean concepts. “When a company uses lean techniques internally, it not only eliminates wasteful steps and reduces costs within any business, but also brings value to the customers by improving lead times and customer service,” Brabazon said. “Also, because every company has distributors, we offer an insight into our challenges as a distributor and how there are always opportunities to improve those partnerships.”

Editor’s note: To learn more about AME Consortia and how you can share, learn, coach and improve with fellow lean/continuous improvement practitioners in your area, visit ameconsortia.org.

You are invited to participate in informative, engaging consortium special activities during the AME Toronto 2013 Conference. On Tuesday, October 22, consortium global companies will share best practices during 12 special sessions held during networking periods. All conference attendees are welcome to hear the storytelling presentations by practitioners throughout the day. Each presentation will be scored by a panel of lean experts; the three top-rated teams will present again during Lean Consortia Night. Well-known lean practitioners and consortium member companies will provide timely counsel and “lessons learned” during the evening session. Use these experiences and consortium connections as building blocks for discussion with your teams.

Lea Tonkin, president of Lea Tonkin Communications in Woodstock, IL, is the former editor in chief of Target and Target Online.