Hansatech EMS, UK specialists in bespoke electronic contract manufacturing and assembly services, have successfully a lean manufacturing initiative.. A a 20-week NVQ level 2 programme for 15 employees from different disciplines was delivered by XR Training & Consultancy at the company’s Poole site. Major benefits being seen across all areas of the company, include a 40% reduction in NPI cycle times, a 63% reduction in flow solder defects and an 80% reduction in offsite storage requirements.
Commented Paul Gill, Hansatech EMS’ managing director, “A wide ranging review of our current operations suggested that we needed to enhance our overall business performance to gain a competitive edge and we decided that Lean production was the way forward. The training programme was our most ambitious to date requiring major time investment for the company. Senior management to middle management supervisory to machine operators, technicians, admin, sales and shop floor personnel are all now empowered to bring about real, quantifiable front- and back-end improvements for customers.”
The training provider, XR Training & Consultancy, had extensive background in lean manufacturing within the automotive industry and offered various methods of training. 15 candidates underwent 10 one-day sessions with additional projects and assignments. Modules included effective team working, continuous improvement (Kaizen), flow process analysis, waste reduction and value stream mapping (VSM), plan, do, check, act (PDCA) methodology, Pareto principle, cause and effect diagrams, 5S housekeeping development and visual management systems.
The candidates not only gained the ability to apply these techniques and significantly improve core business processes but the resulting progress in team skills, decision making and individual confidence levels was noticeable. There has been a marked difference in how the company as a whole recognises waste, problems and processes that need attention, in addition to understanding how the resulting improvements are valued in the eyes of the customer.
At the next stage, selected Hansatech staff will be taken to NVQ level 3 and Black Belt Six Sigma.
“It was clear from the outset that Hanastech EMS was totally committed to the encouragement, enthusiasm and support throughout which was reflected in the programme and to business improvement in general,” commented Neil Anderson, technical director, XR Training & Consultancy. “Senior managers provided excellent trainees who showed a great willingness to learn and apply the new techniques in the workplace.”
www.hansatechems.com www.xr-training.co.uk.
