Several Design Engineers were promoted to managers and were highly skilled in their specialty. They were being asked to perform in a role where they had not been trained. Leading people presented new challenges. Requiring new references for making decisions.

The second level manager wanted to provide these new managers with a foundation of concepts and theories to help them to be better leaders.

Several four-hour training modules about the theory and practice of management were created and delivered. Content that provided a framework for their new responsibilities as managers.

A very large manufacturer was using new materials and a new business model. As part of the restructuring, Systems Engineering created a special group to create custom software for use by Design Engineering and fabrication groups throughout their new global supplier network. In a startup, high pressure, behind schedule, environment departmental relationships had deteriorated.

The Engineering programming group introduced a unique working meeting structure. The Lead Engineering Architect and a Program Engineer were coached in using facilitation skills to replace the usual confrontation and opinion arguments normally used in the organization.

During the initial meeting most programming requests were addressed. Two thirds were cancelled or redirected. Several were consolidated, with three requests negotiated for acceptance by programming.

A 2,500 person product line was loosing $4M per month. Product required installation of 800K fasteners. Conducted a study of the hole drilling process (variability, reliability, predictability). The result was the process was statistically under control and fully capable.

One observation was a difference in cutting tool performance between ‘new’ and ‘sharpened’ drills. Cutting tool specifications were changed to match manufacturer’s specification. Resulting in a 30% drop in rework and a tool purchase savings of $1.1M per year.

An aerospace part used to keep dirt and water out of a sensitive area of the end product. The part was expensive, complicated to build and had a long lead-time. From a design point of view, the part was a low priority item for a redesign effort. However, the complications it created for operations made it worthy of a study for improvement.

Part cost went from $4,000 to $200. Fastener count went from 57 to zero. Part numbers used was reduced from 10 to one, Suppliers went from nine to one.

During the workshop a design engineer was looking at the actual part. He said “in the 23 years I’ve designed products, I’ve never been told how much it costs to install a fastener. All I have to do is place a cross on the drawing where the fastener should go. And I’ve always figured the more the better.”

A large company had one officially sanctioned process improvement methodology (LEAN) and several un-sanctioned but tolerated practices operating within the organization. Conflict, competition, and infighting over limited resources were common. Meanwhile the corporation was missing out on the greater benefits of those practices.

A Systems Thinking Group concluded that no single improvement methodology was complete or robust enough to meet the wide range of needs of the company. What was needed was for those existing factions to work together, with tolerance and cooperation for optimal benefit to the Company.

Inspired by the need of organizations to come to terms with the implementation of various improvement methodologies, an article was written which summarized the pros/cons of several methodologies.

A large company was introducing Value Engineering skill set from their defense division to their commercial division. Several experts were hired or transferred to accomplish this task. Management determined an intranet website was needed.

Feedback from various global groups praised the concise descriptions, depth of information provided and the general usefulness of the content.

A supply chain management group produced a semi-weekly delivery schedule update to suppliers. Only 15% of the reports were delivered on time. Report formats were inconsistent and confusing.

Using LEAN techniques while working with the group a few days per week for 10 months, achieved 98% on-time fulfillment, productivity improved 11 fold during an eight fold increase in volume.

A supplier of Commercial cargo van equipment had a sudden increase in demand for their ‘Cab Organizer.’ This new demand triggered a new supplier qualification assessment from FORD and production was three weeks behind schedule.

A one week ‘learn-do’ (KAIZEN) event showed a direct labor improvement from 8.75 minutes to 4.9 minutes, number of operators from 7 to 3, time between deliverable units from 5.62 minutes to 2.32 minutes. Resulting in a direct annual savings of $300K.