The document outlines the lean journey of a European manufacturing organization from 2014-2016. It describes initial problems like lack of investment in people and resistance to change. First steps included structuring roles, providing formal training to shift managers and team leaders, and empowering employees. Early projects focused on improving yarn flow and reducing changeover times. Subsequent efforts sustained changes through daily management reviews, waste walks, and continued training. Looking forward, the organization aimed to maintain continuous improvement projects on each shift and expand lean methods to service departments.

1. 1
Finance presentation
European OPS
October 2013
Our Lean Journey 2014 – 2016

2. 2Who Are We? What Do We Do?

3. 3First Steps – Understand the Problems
Investment in machinery not in people. A “them and us” culture
Lack of Trust
No focus on H&S or Training
Lack of Management Commitment
Prior failed CI attempts
Resistance to change
FLMs under valued & under utilised
Lack of man management
Shift Managers over tasked and unwilling to delegate
Lack of Leadership

4. 4First Steps: Structure, Engagement & development
Shift Manager: Coach & Mentor, support
Team Leaders: Formal training (Institute of Leadership & Management)
Project work
Role profile and remuneration review
Employees: Training Representative
(per shift) Health & Safety Representative
Quality Representative
Environmental Representative
Volunteers : Reward through investment in person, formal training
and portable qualifications

5. 5First Steps: Training Package Development & Delivery

6. 6First Steps: Formal Training Certification

7. 7First Steps: First Project, Yarn Flow
GEMBA – Go See
Stoppages at Tufting machines were being attributed to changeover
downtime and were hiding the true issue which was within material
planning and delivery decisions
Yarn consolidation Buffer Winding Tufting machines
Yarn Flow Project:
- Lead by CI manager & one Team Leader
- Contributed to and implemented by all Team Leaders
Material Call:
- Change from Shift Manager to System based call
- Visual markers in place denoting material flow

8. 8First Steps: First Project, Yarn Flow
Hand drawn experimental boards (above) and
magnetic visual boards currently in use (below)
Yarn Call Off rules, creating 24 hour WIP in
each part of the process
Snapshot of WIP status in production
process areas March to July 2014

9. 9Lean Thinking Culture:
Introduce project working (one per shift) – Shift Manager to Lead,
Team Leads to “DO”
Language!!
 Changeover (understanding of ALL tasks including prep) SMED
 Housekeeping (3S likely) 6 S
 Process Flow (sanity check) VSM
Formal Training in some Basic Lean Tools: Invest NI supported
SMED: (i) Changeover project team first
(ii) All operators (using in house examples/results)

10. 10Lean Thinking Culture: SMED Project
Standardised the Changeover process & delivered cross shift sustained improvement

11. 11Lean Thinking Culture: A3 Format for Projects

12. 12
 Yarn Flow
56% increase in throughput at winding
 SMED Changeover Time Reduction
£792,000 potential capacity / machine
 Machine 29 Efficiency Improvement
15% OEE increase (+ 6 weeks of production / year)
 Yarn Waste Reduction
£300,000 / year reduction in yarn waste

Lean Thinking Culture: A3 Project Results

13. 13Sustaining Change:
Project reviews and updates Management Daily Review Meeting
Understanding measurement and
downtime recording
Employee empowerment, involvement
& ownership

14. 14Sustaining Change: Waste Walks - TIMWOODS
Transport
Inventory
Motion
Waiting
Over Production
Over Processing
Defects
Skills
Together we can eliminate waste in our process and
enjoy a better working environment

15. 15
Sustaining Change: TIMWOODS Action
Planner
Current A3 Project
Re-Visit at a later date
Quick win identified – requires volunteers
Write your name in
bright green spaces

16. 16Looking Back: Project & Engagement Training
 Yarn Flow Warehouse to Tufting
 Yarn WIP visibility
 Post production yarn flow process (including
quality colour checks)
 SMED changeover machines 28 / 29 / 31
 SMED changeover machines 24 / 25 / 26
 Waste Reduction – creel yarn segregation
 Waste Reduction – Beam Pull Through (cones)
 Material movement & flow – Bit winding &
stripper machine
 3S at winding area
 Visual Risk Assessment development
 Tufting WIP and material movement flow
 Warehouse short delivery to Winding area
 Constant Modes
 Machine 29 efficiency improvement – tight end
stoppages
 Machine 31 efficiency improvement – poor run
ability
 Basic Lean Tools & Techniques
 Lean Tools - SMED
 A3 Project format
 Institute of Leadership & Management
 Basic introduction to Risk Assessment
 Train the Trainer Accreditation
 Fire Marshall training
 Institute of Waste Management
 COSHH
 Unite union Safety representative training
 Lean Tools – TIMWOODS
 Lean Tools – Standard Work
COACH….. MENTOR….. SUPPORT….. BE TENACIOUS…
..NOT AFRAID TO GET IT WRONG…..TRY & TRY AGAIN

17. 17
 Maintain CI project activity on each shift
 A3 Project push down: Team Leader supporting employees to “DO”
 System Thinking: Lean for Service Departments, more joined up
company approach
 A3 projects: Service Departments – coach/mentor/support delivery
 Develop & Implement Process Confirmation: sustaining change,
creating ownership
With Continued Support from Invest NI
Looking Forward: Next Activity Focus

18. 18
LITTLE THINK BIG DO
Final Thoughts