Success Stories
ECC’s Corporate Services department provides programs for local employers on-site and on ECC’s campus. Ginger Knapp is the Director of the program. Pam Saylor assists companies with programs held at their facility.
V&F Becomes More Competitive!
ECC’s Corporate Services department was contacted by V&F Transformer Corporation in Bartlett, IL. V&F Transformer has been making custom transformer assemblies, sub-assemblies and NEMA rated enclosures for over 40 years. V&F called upon ECC to learn more about Lean Mfg. processes. They wanted to apply these techniques to their facility in order to remain competitive.
Choosing the right resources can be the deciding factor between success and failure of a Lean initiative. ECC selected the training provider – Cimpro Incorporated. Cimpro is a global firm specializing in Lean, Six Sigma and VaVe techniques. Managing partners of Cimpro - Jim Dickson and Rich Woodrich along with ECC representatives met with V&F to understand their current situation and suggest ways Lean Implementation would help V&F remain competitive. ECC also provided Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Development (DCEO) Employer Training Investment Program (ETIP) grant funding. This finding provided V&F a substantial subsidy for facilitation and material costs for training. ECC has been a long time provider of this funding. Corporate Services currently has 45 companies that participate in their ETIP grant network.
Prior to starting the analysis phase, Cimpro reviewed the company vision and determined short and long-term goals for the plant. They verified that the goals were achievable and recommended an approach to meet or exceed their targets. The project would take six months to complete.
A management steering committee was formed to monitor the teams’ progress and to make sure that the necessary resources were available in order to succeed.
An in-depth analysis was implemented that identified opportunities for improvement. Cimpro follows a teach/learn/apply technique. The students immediately apply the techniques that are taught in the classroom. Each lesson taught includes PowerPoint lessons, classroom simulations and homework that applies to the plant’s processes. This technique allows the students to practice the tools taught in the classroom. The effect is higher retention and better training results.
Due to the creation of standard work for the new procedures and techniques, V&F will be able to sustain the improvements implemented. Management has embraced the implementation and this is key to the sustained success.
V&F identified the returns on this training investment. These include:
- Floor space has been reduced by 50%.
- Work in Progress (WIP) has been reduced by 90%.
- Inventory levels has been reduced over 50%.
- Scrap/rework has declined over 20%.
- Order to Delivery process was reduced by75%.
- Over $11,000 in training grant funding was utilized.
- Total Annual Savings = $1,334,000
- Savings Impact is 11.8% of Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)
Wesley Foderaro, quality assurance manager for V&F states:
top“The Lean manufacturing training provided by ECCs Corporate Services department has allowed our company to evolve and provided the blue print to become a world class organization almost overnight. Our eyes have really been opened to the immense possibilities that these tools have afforded us. Cooperation and understanding has created a 'can-do' atmosphere that has unleashed unlimited potential for continuous improvement".