Omaha, NE

Practice Area:
Manufacturing Systems - Lean Manufacturing Company Profile:
Marianna makes beauty products such as shampoos, conditioners and bubble baths. These are made in large batches. Marianna also silk screens bottles and does high speed filling.

Situation:
The market for these products has changed. The batch sizes and runs are smaller and change overs can be very long and involve several process such has mixing, bottle screening and filling. Each process is done discretely and lead time and inventory is large. The logisitics of scheduling and production are complex in this environment. Set-up, through a management assessment was determined to require 40% of the production labor costs.

Solution:
Set-up Reduction , Lean 204, was done in-house in two sessions using video and set-up on Marianna equipment instead of the class simulation. The end result of each class was an action plan. Key set-up technicians, maintenance personnel and operators were trained. The set-up reductions developed in the class were implemented within two weeks.

Results:
The real test of training is whether or not the results are sustained and expand into other areas. 4 months after the class, set-up reductions are still being implemented.

Testimonial:
The most recent implementation was on the Anzors, high speed silk screening machines. The manafacturers rep had come to the site and done training. Changeover best was 3 hours. By standardizing the procedure, getting tools organized, standardizing bolts and wrenches , set-up was reduced to 45 minutes. We've only scratched the surface.