By Ron Kirscht, president, Donnelly Custom Manufacturing Company

 

Donnelly Custom Manufacturing of Alexandria, a short-run injection molding company, knows proper training is vital to productivity and quality. Still, using traditional methods, training was taking longer than desired and employees often weren't retaining enough of what had been taught. We realized a need for more advanced training practices to help employees fully understand their jobs, improve quality, and eliminate any turnover associated with job confusion.

 

Through Enterprise Minnesota, we learned of a Lean technique called Training Within Industry (TWI), which worked with our supervisors to develop critical leadership and analytical skills to help them rapidly and consistently train employee teams and recommend process improvements.

 

Getting people to challenge conventions and take initiative is the key to that success for us with TWI. Most importantly, it helps keep quality high and U.S. manufacturing competitive.

 

TWI produces positive results by encouraging people to work better, not harder. The goal is to make the best use of people, machines, and materials currently available-a mind-set Donnelly shares. The program also fosters improved quality and increased productivity.

 

TWI consists of three basic teachings:

Job Methods helps analyze jobs to reduce cost, work in progress, and inventory, thereby improving quality and increasing throughput. The objective is to develop and prepare people to become problem identifiers and solvers. Highly trained people who solve problems create better quality, elevate productivity, and improve working conditions.

Job Relations instructs to evaluate and take proper actions to solve and to prevent problems with people, which are often ignored or avoided because they aren't fun or may seem too personal or uncomfortable. The objective of job relations is to build relationships and cooperation to solve problems before they get out of control.

Job Instruction teaches supervisors how to train employees to do a job correctly, safely, and more effectively and efficiently. The mantra is, "If the worker hasn't learned, the instructor hasn't taught." The process recognizes that new employees often are overloaded with too much information and can't remember everything they learn in training. The method includes informing the employees how to perform a process, showing how to do it, and then performing that process while being lead through it.

 

Since beginning TWI in August 2006, we have trained 25 percent of our 230 workers in job methods and implemented more than 400 improvements-exceeding our goal of implementing one job method improvement per shift per week.

 

More than 50 percent of the improvements resulted in at least a 20 percent improvement in the labor content of job; a third resulted in 15 percent to 20 percent improvement. We have implemented more than 98 percent of proposals resulting from job methods completed by employees.

 

Implementing the new training methods resulted in a dramatic cut in training time: from months to days. In addition, Donnelly turnover rates continue to remain low. Employees say the training makes their jobs less stressful and more productive, supporting our core value of "Always work as a team."

 

Job relations training has resulted in improved scores on employee surveys for fairness, increased confidence in supervisors, reduced stress on the job, and improved communications among workers.

Donnelly has since shared these methods with our suppliers and customers to help them implement the same continuous improvement processes in their own operations.

 

About the author
Ron Kirscht is president of Donnelly Custom Manufacturing Co. and has been instrumental in leading Donnelly's relentless pursuit to set the standards in short-run molding. As a leader at Donnelly since 1991, he understands the nature and necessity of profitability and financial stability. Kirscht combines business strategy with the manufacturing innovation that is critical to mid-market manufacturers.

For More Information on TWI, visit www.enterpriseminnesota.org

 

Glenn Pence, director of sales for Enterprise Minnesota, has been selected to participate in a new elite manufacturing leadership program offered through the National Institute of Standards and Technology/Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST-MEP).

 

The Emerging Leadership Program is a yearlong series designed to help develop "center" staff draw on best practices from around the country. It consists of two interactive workshops, opportunities for situational learning, five to seven webcasts, joint projects, and mentoring. The goal is broaden participants' perspectives on running an managing a MEP center day-to-day.

 

Pence was one of eight senior leadership candidates selected from the 57 nationwide MEPs for the inaugural class. Pence currently directs 23 field specialists to help clients improve their efficiencies, contain their costs, and achieve real growth in sales revenue and earnings.

 

"This is an outstanding opportunity. The contacts, networking, and learning should all prove to be highly valuable for Glenn and for Enterprise Minnesota," said Enterprise Minnesota CEO and president Bob Kill. "We look forward to supporting him as he learns new skills, challenges his own thinking, and brings new ideas back to us."

 

With a federal partnership through NIST MEP, Enterprise Minnesota utilizes industry-wide benchmarks and proven, results-based tools to benefit manufacturers across the state.

 

Pence enters the program with more than 25 years of business experience. He has been at Enterprise Minnesota since 2005, and director of sales for more than a year.

 

The latest issue of Enterprise Minnesota Magazine is now available electronically.

Features

Waste Not, Want Not: Learn how going green can save you green.

Engineering Innovation: In the face of a challenging economy, custom packaging equipment manufacturer Douglas Machine Inc. is using lean innovation to minimize frustration and maximize production.

Cultivating the Cultural Side of Business: Sportech Inc. founder Chris Carlson shares his insights on how an innovative company culture can help your business thrive.

In Every Issue

Editorial: Manage your relationships, and the supply chain will fall into place.

Enterprise Minnesota News: Enterprise Minnesota sharpens its focus on business.

MEP News: Defining a company identity often leads to the creation of a successful marketing strategy.

The Final Word: The Growth Acceleration Program helps create quality jobs and improve local economies.

Innovations

The State's Drive to Excellence

Benefits of Manufacturing Jobs

Car Repair's Best Kept Secret

Four Questions with Jim Hoolihan

For more information about Enterprise Minnesota visit www.enterpriseminnesota.org

 

• State Economy: Following national trends, Minnesota employers dropped 3,100 jobs in August, according to figures from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). Over the past 12 months, Minnesota has lost 8,200 jobs, a decline of 0.3 percent, equal to the national pace for that period. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the state stands at 6.2 percent for August; the national rate is 6.1 percent. Over the past 12 months, growth in the financial activities sector remains positive, adding over 2,500 jobs or 1.4 percent, led by growth in insurance carriers. In addition to financial activities, Minnesota is outpacing the nation in construction; manufacturing; trade, transportation and utilities; and government over the year.

 

• New Hire: Enterprise Minnesota announced has appointed Kevin Kaufman to its Business Development Staff. Kaufman will work with Enterprise Minnesota clients in the southeast Twin Cities metro area to identify and implement business growth strategies. Prior to joining Enterprise Minnesota, Kaufman served as professional placement manager at Manpower Inc., manager/recruiter of the banking division at Management Recruiters of Winona, Inc., wholesale sales manager at Wild Wings, LLC, and prior sales and banking positions. Kaufman holds an undergraduate degree in finance from the University of Wisconsin -Whitewater, and his Master's of Business Administration with an emphasis in marketing from the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse.

 

• New Hire: The Minnesota Center for Engineering & Manufacturing Excellence has hired Dr. Ronald J. Bennett as Executive Director. Dr. Bennett has more than 40 years experience as a scientist, engineer, business executive, educator and leader working in both industry and academia.

 

• New Name: Mankato-based Katolight, which has provided on-site electric generators for more than 50 years, recently announced that it is changing the brand name to MTU Onsight Energy.

 

• Tekne Finalists: The Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA), in partnership with Enterprise Minnesota and LifeScience Alley, have announced finalists for the ninth annual Tekne Awards, a celebration of superior technological innovation and leadership in Minnesota. View finalists online via http://www.tekneawards.org/

 

• New Facility: Hereaus Medical Components has opened their new facility in St. Paul, beginning consolidation of the company's five state locations. The 60,000 square foot facility is the first of three phases of development at the site.

 

• Job Postings: Enterprise Minnesota currently has an opening for a receptionist/marketing assistant, a half-time position. For more information and to apply, visit www.enterpriseminnesota.org

Upcoming Events:

Revenue Generating Business Ideas
Wednesday October 15, 2008
Greater Mankato Growth - Technology Plus Building, Mankato

Generate ideas that will grow your business and your revenue. Eureka! Winning Ways® is the first scientifically based process proven to grow businesses significantly. Join John Connelly, director of product management at Enterprise Minnesota, and Roger Hurd, business growth specialist at Enterprise Minnesota, as they discuss past experiences using Eureka! Winning Ways with a panel of Minnesota businesses.
Register at www.enterpriseminnesota.org

 

Creating Profit Through a Lean Journey
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Open Systems, Inc. Shakopee

Implementing Lean in your workplace isn't just a one-and-done project. Truly successful companies travel the Lean Journey - implementing Lean long-term, and throughout the entire company. More than just creating greater efficiency, it is creating profit through a Lean Journey. A panel of expert speakers will share their experiences of implementing continuous improvements to business processes. Hear how they have found success by embracing change, seeking out new opportunities, empowering their employees, and continually looking for new ways to improve their processes and systems.
Register at www.enterpriseminnesota.org

 

Innovation in Business and Healthcare Conference Hosted by the Council for Quality
October 7th - 8th, 2008
Embassy Suites Hotel, St. Paul

This conference will focus on one of the hottest - and most important - concepts in business and healthcare today: innovation. Leaders will share how they systematically some aspect(s) of their enterprise - either product/service design and features, programs, processes, operations, workforce-related processes, and/or overall business model - to create new value for their customers and stakeholders.
For more information or to register, click here.

 

 

9th Annual Minnesota Tekne Awards
October 30, 2008
Minneapolis Convention Center, Minneapolis
For more information visit http://www.tekneawards.org/

 

Operations Management: How to Manage Inventory from Leadtime to Obsolescence

Hosted by APICS Twin Cities Chapter

October 15, 2008

Maple Grove Community Center, Maple Grove

For more information, or to register, click here

 

Understanding Sarbanes-Oxley for Operations Professionals

Hosted by APICS Twin Cities Chapter

November 13, 2008

Shoreview Community Center, Shoreview

For more information, click here

 

International Bioenergy Days
September 28 - October 3
Various locations throughout Minnesota.
For more information visit www.bioenergydays.com

Workforce Ready: Re-training, Training and Retaining
October 7, 2008
Doubletree Park Place Hotel, St. Louis Park
Learn More / Register

Minnesota and the Global Economy - A Wake-Up Call for the State
October 7, 2008
ADC Auditorium, Eden Prairie
Learn more

 
Do you have news or events to submit?

Email them to nate.duoss@enterpriseminnesota.org or call 612.455.4213