CFO, M2 Global Technology, Inc., www.m2global.com
M2 Global's Commitment to Growth and Profitability through Continuous Innovation
“The big eat the small” used to be a common saying in the business world, but in today’s environment, the fast eat the slow. With the pace of commerce increasing, companies unprepared to make changes quickly are likely to fall behind. Examples abound of yesterday’s market leaders becoming today’s followers. To remain competitive, it is essential to be both competent and quick at making effective changes and implementing processes that facilitate significant and sustainable improvements.
M2 Global Technology Ltd., a San Antonio–based company, has built a reputation as a premier manufacturer and service provider in an unusual way: by taking chances. The winner of numerous awards, including being one of Lockheed Martin Aeronautic Top 25 2016 Performing Suppliers, US Small Business Administration Subcontractor of the Year for their region in 2011, the company builds on its successes but does not rest on its laurels. When not challenged by external circumstances, such as a devastating factory fire and a major upset in their primary customer's demand leveling, the company challenges itself, investigating and leveraging virtually every effective process improvement tool and technique available.
An active member of AME since 1999, M2 Global offers an impressive example of the benefits of AME membership. Headed by founder, president, and CEO Doug Carlberg, M2 Global is a worldwide supplier of radio frequency microwave passive components and value-added services for the defense, telecommunications, and aerospace industries. With its staff of over 60 resourceful employees, M2 Global exemplifies a lean culture that encourages and rewards innovation and “pushing the envelope” on lean.
The company does not limit lean thinking to the factory floor. M2's intent is to introduce world-class initiatives for business processes that support the entire product life cycle, from new business capture to aftermarket product service and support. Their operational strategy is to apply lean manufacturing principles across the enterprise, leveraging commercial best practices to produce and service high-reliability electronic products.
M2 Global has several ongoing operational initiatives:
- Design-To-Cost involves setting a design target cost or market price that customers are willing to pay.
- In Design-For-Manufacturing, products are designed with the intent of ease of manufacture.
- Lean Supply Chain involves focusing on optimizing supply-chain operations so that product in delivered to the end customer with minimum waste.
- Quick-Changeover focuses on the reduction of material, skilled resources, and time needed for equipment setup.
- Process and Knowledge Management is the practice of collecting best practices and lessons learned and applying them to new products and processes.
- In Lean Six Sigma, lean principles are incorporated with six sigma, a method for identifying and removing the causes of defects and minimizing variability in manufacturing and business processes.
Where did M2 Global acquire these tools? According to Carlberg, one great source is the company's AME membership. “The seminars, workshops, and networking contacts have enabled us to learn and apply lean best practices throughout the organization. AME membership has returned benefits tenfold to us.”
