The document describes several case studies of companies that implemented lean principles to improve their operations: 1. The All Natural Furniture Company eliminated duplication of work stations, reducing waste in process (WIP) and allowing smoother product flow with less risk of damage. 2. ABC Fence Company reduced their facility space by 41% and cut production time by 50% through applying 5S and standard work practices. 3. The Daily Fresh Juice Company improved ergonomics and cleanliness in their warehouse by implementing operator ideas from lean training. 4. Multiple other companies saw improvements such as reduced space usage, lead times, inventory levels and defects by applying lean tools with cross-functional teams.

1. The Synergetics East Institute of Lean Development Visual Case Studies of Lean Projects BEFORE BEFORE BEFORE AFTER AFTER AFTER

2. All Natural Furniture Company Excessive WIP due to duplication of work stations. Excessive WIP impedes flow of product & exposes it to damage. The work environment is full of chaos – tying up thousands of $s. Department supervisor explains lean principles and goals. Operators apply Lean principles to their work areas “to make easy”. Operators share best practices to create standard work – redesign. The operators build a “proto-type” workstation for a trial run. With some modifications, the final workstation is complete & ready for production. A World Class Lean Team!

3. Case Studies File Kaizen Implementation CCA-01 Kaizen Team Results: The All Natural Furniture Company

4. ABC FENCE COMPANY Shop is dirty and disorganized. Excessive Inventories. Machines and Equipment take up space. The work area takes on the look of a dungeon and has poor lighting. Management and operators work side by side for a 5S Effort. Operators work with Maintenance and engineers. Operators create best practices for standard work. After the event, the same area as the picture on the upper right. What a difference. Signage and other forms of visual controls make the shop flow very clear.

5. ABC FENCE COMPANY 12,800 Sq. Ft. 6,400 Sq. Ft. 1,091 Sq. Ft. 6,983 Sq. Ft. Reduction of 5,817 Sq. Ft. 41% Reduction in space 341 POMPY 170.5 POMPY 89 POMPY 43 % Reduction 2,654’ (Per Unit Cycle) PRODUCT TRAVEL (Per Unit Cycle) 1,327’ (Per Unit Cycle) 1,322’ (Per Unit Cycle) 50.1% Improvement 638 Units 319 Units 66 Units 91% Reduction in Units CYCLE TIME (Per Unit Cycle) 4.25 Hours (Per Pallet Cycle) 2.125 Hours (Per Pallet Cycle) 1.5 Hours (Per Pallet Cycle) 231% Improvement 50% Reduction in Cycle Time (PPC)

6. DAILY FRESH JUICE COMPANY Warehouse 36 degrees and an ergonomic nightmare. Operators walk in circle to fill carts with product, then bend down to fill pallets. Cleanliness of the department barely meets FDA requirements. Management & operators learn and work together to apply Lean Principles. The team discusses Lean opportunities and share ideas to improve the process. The team begins work on their 5S effort – S3 SHINE! The floor is power-washed and protected with industrial acrylic. The operators ideas are implemented & eliminate potential injuries & increase productivity! THE LEAN DREAM TEAM!

7. Kaizen Team Results: Page Nine Case Studies File Kaizen Implementation CDFF-01 The Fresh Fruit Juice Company

8. PERCISION METAL MACHINE SHOP Relatively clean, but very unorganized, chronic problems that affect production. Poor machine maintenance results in dangerous spills and machine failures. A Bone Yard filled with old, obsolete equipment and wasted space. The Operator Team committed to making a difference and improving their process. Working together they begin to implement the changes they identified in the classroom. Visual cues help ensure the gains will be maintained – involvement - ownership

9. THE LA SIGN COMPANY Production areas are riddled with disorganization and clutter. Poor storage choices causing damage to expensive materials and slow production. Not only are the work areas disorganized and unsightly – but dangerous! The Lean Team of operators and management learn to make improvements. The operators learn the Lean principles that they will apply to their work areas. Operators create a new lay-out for their work area – faster cycle time! The LEAN TEAM!

10. The American Sign Company 8,982 Sq. Ft. 4,491 Sq. Ft. 1,091 Sq. Ft. 1,091 Sq. Ft. Reduction of 7,891 Sq. Ft. 78% Reduction in space 522 POMPY 261 POMPY 3.2 POMPY 316 % Improvement 586’ (Per Unit Cycle) PRODUCT TRAVEL (Per Unit Cycle) 293’ (Per Unit Cycle) 132’ (Per Unit Cycle) 93% Improvement 11 Units 143 Parts 6 Units 71 Parts 5 Units 60 Parts 55% Reduction in Units 58% Reduction in Parts CYCLE TIME (Per Unit Cycle) 3.25 Days (Production Cycle) 1.625 Days (Production Cycle) 1.27 Days (Production Cycle) 64% Improvement

11. PROFESSIONAL OVEN & STOVE MANUFACTURING The Team had two primary objectives; the 1 st was to eliminate ISO 9000 issues. Major non-conformances in the area of document control (Out of date Prints). The other objective was to reduce the 800 Sq. Ft Hard Copy File Storage area. The team was challenged with a very small budget, so creativity was critical. Upper management participated in the team meetings to show support. The team came up with a computer based print program – no hard copies! This idea eliminated out of date prints, engineering would have control over availability. Scanned prints eliminated the need for physical (hard copy) storage. An operator of a Press Brake demonstrates the solution to upper management.!

12. Electronic Technologies Company ETC is a manufacture of components for the Ford EV-1, Public De-fibulator Units, and electronic switches for the Space Shuttle program. The team created a process “IS” map to capture the sequence of events and how much time was in the process. A serious bottle-neck was identified during a chemical setting time with a silicone type material. A newly selected material was discovered after a meeting with a silicone material specialist brought in by the team – the result is “miraculous” . The team records the necessary tasks to complete for the Lean Event objectives to be met – they assign each to a team member. Success! Due to proprietary concerns photos of the process are not available, however a lay-out design has been provided on the next page.