What our partners say about ILS
Add Testimonials‘We’ve seen very substantial savings . . .’
Ed Furniss VP/Plant Manager - Wabash Plastics
At first, we had difficulty seeing how Lean could fit in with our operation, but our production manager attended a certification class taught by David Veech and his associates and came back with a much clearer understanding. Then the company president, John C. Schroeder, and I attended a one-week ILS executive seminar and later invited ILS to our plant. They put together a plan that enabled us to implement Lean systems throughout the company.
Our goal all along was not to install little bits and pieces of Lean, but to change the culture of the whole company. We felt very strongly that employee involvement was the key. So every employee has gone through extensive training.
We’ve seen very substantial savings each time we’ve implemented a group of machines with a team leader. We’ve reduced the amount of material handling needed because of lower inventories, and we have less scrap and less rework.
Best of all, the employees have accepted this extremely well. Once they go through the training and they’re on the team, there’s more enthusiasm and understanding.
Ed Furniss – VP/Plant Manager
Wabash Plastics, Evansville, IN
Wabash Plastics is a provider of high-quality custom plastic injection- molded parts and professional design assistance. The company employs 240.
‘They guided us through the whole transformation process . . .’
We never could have made the transformation to Lean without ILS. They guided us through the whole transformation process. We worked closely with Parthi (Damodaraswamy, ILS director of operations). In fact, Parthi’s leadership was so critical to our success that we even named him an honorary Director of Lean Transformation at Columbia Forest Products.
Education is the key to any transformation of this magnitude. It’s a matter of constant reinforcement. This is a huge concept, and you have to get people to understand that we’re trying to improve everything we do. We had to address employees’ concerns and reaffirm that the only reductions in workforce would be through attrition.
But it has been well worth the effort. We’ve seen annual savings of over $2.5 million. We were able to accomplish this by looking at every aspect of our operation and by making better use of our resources – labor, energy, equipment and so on.
I talk to other people who are well schooled and well known in the Lean field, and ILS comes highly recommended. Their expertise and their ability to get things done are second to none.
Bill Duarte - Director Columbia Way
Columbia Forest Products
Columbia Forest Products is North America’s largest manufacturer of hardwood plywood and hardwood veneer, and a longstanding leader in the sustainable wood products industry.
‘They were always there to support us . . .’
Suzy WhatleyDirector of Operations - Rev-a-Shelf
It has been a partnership from the very beginning. ILS taught us the basic skills, and as we implemented changes, they were always there to support us, give us direction and show us new ways of thinking to help us move forward.
We’ve adopted Lean in every part of our operation. Using the Lean principles we learned from ILS, we’ve doubled our sales growth without increasing our headcount significantly and actually reduced warehouse space.
Suzy Whatley - Director of Operations
Rev-a-Shelf, LLC.
Louisville, KY
Rev-a-Shelf, LLC, makes quality, functional residential cabinet storage and organizational products.
‘The greatest accomplishment is the cultural change . . .”
We engaged the ILS team early in our lean transformation and asked them to assist in the education part of our transformation plan. Our strategy, developed with their assistance, was to teach lean and develop a thorough understanding of lean principles within the organization. This foundation could then be used to implement the changes to reduce wastes, establish process stability and flow, foster broad team member participation, and in the end, create a learning organization.
In the two years since we started, substantial changes have taken place within the company. We have noticeably improved flow, streamlined material delivery, freed up space, and improved product quality. We have begun putting in place Standardized Work. Bottom line is we have a strong start on building an effective production system.
But the greatest accomplishment is the cultural change our people have experienced. We have established strong teamwork, broad participation in improving operations and problem-solving and better communication. For many employees, the improvement philosophy has even carried beyond the workplace. This type of transformation could never have been achieved without the lean educational program championed by ILS.
Brad Denning - Skier’s Choice, Inc.
Maryville, TN
