Presented by Evan Graczyk and Bob Bell In this webinar, you will learn about: 1) Developing a Continuous Improvement Culture Why small ideas are important How rigid should the improvement structure be? How to evolve this culture based on internal and external input 2) Managing a Continuous Improvement Culture Challenges in a complex organizational structure Unique challenges in construction Evan Graczyk Continuous Improvement Manager, Woodfin Heating & Oil Evan has a bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering from Clemson University, along with a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification from Clemson. Previous roles include being a Lean Process Engineer at Schaeffler Group and a Lean Manufacturing Engineer at BorgWarner. Bob Bell Financial Planning and Analysis, Woodfin Bob has a BBA in Marketing from the University of Georgia, a PBC in Information Technology from the University of Richmond, and an MBA from the UVA Darden School of Business. He earned his Six Sigma Green Belt while working at Circuit City. His background includes Retail (Operations & Finance), Information Technology, Inventory Management and Financial Planning and Analysis.

1. Building a Better Way, Every
Day: The Value of
Small Improvements
Hosted by
Host: Mark Graban
Senior Advisor, KaiNexus
Mark@KaiNexus.com
Presenters:
Evan Graczyk
Continuous Improvement Manager,
Woodfin Heating & Oil
Bob Bell
Financial Planning and Analysis,
Woodfin

2. About Evan & Bob
• Evan has a bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering from
Clemson University, along with a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
certification from Clemson. Previous roles include being a
Lean Process Engineer at Schaeffler Group and a Lean
Manufacturing Engineer at BorgWarner.
• Bob has a BBA in Marketing from the University of Georgia, a
PBC in Information Technology from the University of
Richmond, and an MBA from the UVA Darden School of
Business. He earned his Six Sigma Green Belt while working
at Circuit City. His background includes Retail (Operations &
Finance), Information Technology, Inventory Management
and Financial Planning and Analysis.
Evan Graczyk
Continuous Improvement Manager,
Woodfin Heating & Oil
Bob Bell
Financial Planning and Analysis,
Woodfin

3. About Woodfin:
Many Different Types of Operations
• Heating Oil / Fuel Delivery
• Convenience Stores
• Residential Services
• (HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing, IAQ, Security)
• Commercial Electrical
• (Construction & Service)
• Commercial HVAC
• (Construction, Service & Metal Fabrication)
• Vehicle Maintenance & Wraps

4. • 5 Separate Businesses with different cultures
• Geographic Challenges:
– Lexington & Ladysmith
– North Carolina (GMI)
Early Challenges

5. How did we start thinking about Continuous Improvement?
• Owner & Key Executives attended small event where
Dr. Alan Robinson spoke
– The Idea Driven Organization
• Key Point:
– SMALL PROBLEMS are the foundation of a Continuous Improvement Culture
The Idea Driven Organization

6. • Began in Spring of 2018
• Started with 4 Pilot teams covering major disciplines within the company
• Bob came on as Director – January 2019
• First Priority: Establish Controlled Expectations à Idea Network Manual
– Framework – not too rigid!
– Goal: make it easier for people to accomplish their goals; not tell them how to do it.
– Participate, Be Respectful and try to find the best answer.
– Solicit feedback from participants in The Idea Network (feedback loops)
• VISION STATEMENT à
The Start of our Journey

8. • Facilitator Round Tables
• Surveys before and after Rollout
• Attending a large portion of early meetings & constant interaction with Idea Teams
Focus on SMALL PROBLEMS
Getting Up & Running

9. These are items that people experience everyday and Management is
rarely aware they exist
• Solved quickly with communication & Root Cause Analysis
• Rarely require a large capital investment to solve
• Easily Replicable AND they add up!
• Everyone in the organization can participate. à 100-headed brain!
Why Small Problems?

10. 100-Headed Brain & Solutionism
Alan G. Robinson (2019)
Idea = Problem + Solution

11. The Bottom-Up Idea System
According to Dr. Alan Robinson,
~80% of a company’s improvement
potential comes from bottom-up
Idea Systems (vs. Top-down).

12. Examples of Small Ideas
• Alan – the holes in the floor at the bar
• GPS on phones turned off – rural addresses
• Sewer Machine broken and missing

13. Primary Concerns
• Managers seeing the value in small Improvements
• Managers serving more of a Mentor role than Manager
• Many teams go after big, shiny Ideas and get caught up for months
• People run out of Ideas after a period
• Training Time & Resources

14. Evolving
• All based on The Idea-Driven Organization at this point
• Fall 2019 – Attended Shingo Institute Company Tour in Utah
• Exposed to many different types of Improvement mechanisms!
Key Takeaway: There does not have to be one single method for improvement.
This helped with a few areas that had been challenging to us previously…

15. Construction Process
• Initially rolled out Standard Idea Network Procedure – Fell off quickly
Root Cause Analysis:
• Were not giving Managers enough
training & including them in the
design of the process
• Weekly meeting structure was not
effective with working structure
• Expectations for Team were not clear
Solutions:
• Involve EVERYONE from the ground-up
• Daily, fast-response Structure
• Constantly Reinforce Importance of SMALL
IDEAS
• Matching the Software to the process
• Training, Training, Training…

16. Lessons Learned
• The Manager plays a crucial role in the early development of an Idea Team so they
must be a valued part of the development process
• The Facilitator is the ‘anchor point’ to the teams
• Establish & communicate clear expectations for ALL roles
• Maintain personal connection as technology’s role becomes more prominent
• Must remain open & encouraging of team members suggestions for improvement
to the overall process

17. Next Steps…
• Idea Activator Training
• Six Sigma Training
• Soft Skills Training
• Monthly Workshops (based on Surveys & Round Tables)
• Team Rotations & New Teams
§ New Mentors & More Experienced Problem Solvers!

18. Announcements
(Then Q&A)

19. Future Webinars
• Training Team Office Hours
– May 20th
– KaiNexus customers only
• Presentation Webinars
– Month of May: KaiNexus Customer Webinars TBD
– Open to ALL!
Register: www.KaiNexus.com/webinars

20. Other Resources
blog.KaiNexus.com
KaiNexus.com/webinars

21. KaiNexus Podcasts
• www.KaiNexus.com/podcasts
• Subscribe via:
– Apple Podcasts
– Google Podcasts
– Stitcher
– Spotify

22. Q&A
• Web:
– www.kainexus.com
– blog.kainexus.com
• Webinars on Demand:
– www.kainexus.com/webinars
• Social Media:
– www.twitter.com/kainexus
– www.linkedin.com/company/kainexus
– www.facebook.com/kainexus
Mark Graban
Senior Advisor, KaiNexus
Mark@KaiNexus.com
Evan Graczyk
Continuous Improvement Manager,
Woodfin Heating & Oil
Bob Bell
Financial Planning and Analysis,
Woodfin