When Camfil Farr plant manager George Chickering first heard about lean manufacturing processes, he was skeptical. “I had seen many manufacturing enhancements come and go, and I thought this was simply one more,” he said.
That was before the air filtration and pre-filtration plant in Conover reduced their lead time by nearly 40 percent. Before the plant maintained its employee head count while increasing sales by 21 percent in two years. Before they reduced their inventory substantially while realizing productivity gains and cost reductions.
Today Chickering is an enthusiastic advocate for lean techniques. “I now understand lean is a common sense team-oriented approach that gets spectacular results,” he said. “Our success has been phenomenal.”
Why Choose Lean?
The company produces air filtration products for HVAC systems in commercial settings—malls, airports, industrial buildings. The 107,000 square foot plant produces tens of thousands of filters each day, and provides employment for nearly 90 people. They were facing price increases and sales decreases, and they had to become more cost competitive to survive. They chose lean as the tool to help them thrive, and it’s working beautifully.
About three years ago the plant began to incorporate lean, initially using a private consulting group. After a year, they decided to partner with NC State University Industrial Extension Service, and have been delighted with the results. “We chose NC State because the cost of their services versus a private consulting firm was considerably less, and the service level remained constant,” said Chickering. “Our sensei (lean teacher/partner) is a good fit for us; he knows when to push and when to back off.”
At the end of each year, employees across the plant participate in a value stream mapping event lead by a NC State lean specialist and Robert Wilson, Camfil Farr’s lean coordinator. This helps them set the course for the coming year. They determine where they currently stand (current state) and where they want to be (future state). “This activity is so helpful when we plan the next year’s events,” said Wilson.
Wilson has nearly three years experience with lean, and thoroughly enjoys the process. “I really wanted to learn this,” he said, “and the changes we’ve experienced are unreal. We just keep watching it get better. One thing I appreciate is that it’s really just about using common sense.”
Quick Results
Camfil Farr conducts eight focused events each year with the help of NC State. They also complete several other non-supervised events in specific work areas. Called kaizen events, these activities include employees from many different areas that come together, usually for a week, to look, listen, improve, and implement the improvements quickly. Results include a 50 percent reduction in a specific work area’s floor space during one event, opening up space for other products. Productivity gains of almost one-third are common.
When the kaizen events first started, some employees were uncertain, anxious about what was expected of them. “I was scared at first because I didn’t know what to expect,” said Rhonda Lunsford, lead person who has now completed three events. “I guess I thought it would be harder, and after the first one I was very tired. But I saw how it made things easier for the girls on the Hi-Flo line, the work flow is smoother. I don’t think the company would be here today without lean. Now we have a steady flow and I feel more secure about my job.”
Employees participating in these events now enjoy the process and appreciate the knowledge and skills provided by NC State’s Doug Vick. “Doug is great, he has so much knowledge and the people on the floor really like him. He knows how to lead us one step at a time,” said lean coordinator Wilson.
Other Plants
With the excellent results the company has achieved so far, it’s no surprise that this plant is setting the example for Camfil Farr plants worldwide. In fact, they are one of two Camfil Farr plants in North America to start lean processes (the first was the corporate headquarters in New Jersey). Wilson participated in a kaizen event at a sister plant in California, helping them achieve similar results in a work cell the Conover plant had already focused on using lean techniques.
Plant manager Chickering emphasizes that lean is permeating the entire company, not just the manufacturing floor. He notes that they are introducing lean to their distributor network and will soon use it with their supplier base. “It’s simply about reducing waste and non-value added work, and everyone needs that,” he said. He will participate in a kaizen event this fall with one of their distributors, the first time this has occurred.
Chickering is quick to point out that this plant is only at the beginning of implementing lean, and that they will continue to improve. “These events generate so much creativity, and continuous improvement, which is of course the ultimate goal. We will never be finished, we’ll go back again and again to areas we have already studied, because there’s always waste. But lean is the vehicle that delivers continuous improvement for us, improvement that helps us meet ever increasing market pressures. By meeting those pressures in a creative way, we are saving jobs for people in North Carolina.”
September 2006
