Enhancing Production Through LEAN Practices
Recently, our Director of Operations, Cathi Giard, led an insightful workshop at our New Hampshire manufacturing facility, bringing together key members of our production team. Finn, Jeff, Aliyah, Issac, and Jordan, all Apprentice Precasters, along with Vinny, our QA/QC Supervisor-Precaster, and Kevin, our Production Supervisor-Master Precaster, collaborated in the session. Their focus was on refining the manufacturing processes for EZ-PIER, POWERPAD, and the Coote line—identifying opportunities to enhance efficiency, minimize waste, and optimize production workflows.
A key focus of the workshop was a review of LEAN manufacturing principles—a methodology aimed at improving efficiency by eliminating waste and non-value-adding activities. One of the core concepts discussed was the DOWNTIME acronym, which highlights eight forms of waste in manufacturing:
- Defects: Reducing efforts caused by rework, scrap, and incorrect information.
- Overproduction: Avoiding excess production beyond actual demand.
- Waiting: Minimizing idle time between process steps.
- Non-Utilized Talent: Leveraging team members’ full potential and expertise.
- Transportation: Reducing unnecessary movement of materials and information.
- Inventory: Controlling excess materials and work-in-progress stock.
- Motion: Eliminating unnecessary physical movements that do not add value.
- Extra Processing: Avoiding additional work beyond quality requirements.
By analyzing video footage of our production floor and identifying areas where DOWNTIME waste occurred, we achieved significant efficiency improvements:
- Reduced the number of production team workers by 20% on the EZ-PIER line.
- Streamlined POWERPAD production, reducing the labor by 40%
- Improved pouring processes, cutting 2 minutes from each POWERPAD cycle.
- Reallocated workforce resources, adding 2-3 people to the Coote line.
- Gained additional time at the end of each shift to prepare workstations for the next day’s production.
These refinements not only increase output but also enhance job efficiency, reducing strain on our team while maximizing productivity.
Wisconsin Manufacturing Plant: Scaling Up Efficiency
Our commitment to Lean practices extends beyond New Hampshire. At our Wisconsin manufacturing plant, we conducted a full value stream mapping of our production floor. This in-depth analysis resulted in:
- A reduction of 5 minutes in the production time of each POWERPAD.
- The capacity to produce 20 additional POWERPADs per day with no increase of labor.
- A 3-4 minute reduction in prep time for each pallet of POWERPADs before shipment.
These operational improvements have significantly enhanced utilization rates across both our manufacturing locations, reinforcing our reputation for high-quality, cost-effective production.
Looking Ahead: Innovation as a Competitive Advantage
By involving our production teams in every step of the process, we foster collective buy-in and empower our workforce to drive meaningful change. These latest advancements showcase EZ-CRETE’s unwavering commitment to staying at the forefront of precast concrete manufacturing, ensuring we deliver superior products with greater efficiency.
As we continue to innovate, our focus remains on identifying new ways to optimize production, reduce costs, and exceed customer expectations. Stay tuned for more updates as we push the boundaries of what’s possible in the precast industry.
