Expert Details
Lean Manufacturing, Kanban
ID: 726353
Michigan, USA
• Drove implementation by initiating and guiding plant projects focused on creating continuous flow and kanban pull systems based on value stream maps. Trained and coached leaders and project teams on lean tools and management practices. Typical projects saved over 20% in labor cost and reduced manufacturing lead times 80%.
• Established an effective and self-sustaining lean production system by introducing a full gamut of lean practices. Established lean management system including standard work for leaders, daily accountability meetings, hourly team leader roles and shop floor level root cause problem solving. Introduced heijunka and job instruction training, trained shop floor leaders to train their own employees on lean, and initiated weekly kaizen events in plants.
• Built organizational alignment to eliminate barriers to progress. Simplified hourly classifications and pay, established high expectations and discipline for employee performance, and implemented flexible plant utility connections to facilitate quick relayouts.
• Saved over $40 million in manufacturing costs, reduced inventory over 30% and reduced floor space over 50%, enabling plant consolidations worth $30 million more in savings.
• Launched lean in non-manufacturing business processes to gain further efficiencies
He directed a team of lean consultants, change management experts and plant lean leaders. He trained and coached leaders and project teams on lean tools and management practices.As a senior consultant he led project teams.
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: 1991 | Degree: MBA | Subject: Strategy, Finance | Institution: University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
| Year: 1985 | Degree: BSE | Subject: Industrial & Operations Engineering | Institution: University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 2007 to 2009 | Employer: Steelcase, Inc. | Title: Director, Corporate Strategy Projects | Department: Corporate Strategy & Development |
Responsibilities:Executed projects for the Vice President of Corporate Strategy at the request of business unit presidents or the CEO. Developed framework to evaluate consolidation of common functions including marketing and design across independent business units resulting in increased efficiencies. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2005 to 2007 | Employer: Steelcase, Inc. | Title: Director of Operations Strategy - Product Complexity Reduction | Department: Operations |
Responsibilities:Led cross-functional project teams in this Board of Directors strategic initiative to simplify product offerings and raise profit margins. Replaced a redundant, low margin collection of products with a platform-based coherent portfolio of products with distinct features and price points. Reduced part count 72% and raised margins by $35 million. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1999 to 2004 | Employer: Steelcase, Inc. | Title: Director of Lean Implementation | Department: Manufacturing |
Responsibilities:Led implementation of lean (Toyota Production System) across the company. Directed a team of lean consultants, change management experts and plant lean leaders. Saved over $40 million in manufacturing costs, reduced inventory over 30% and reduced floor space over 50%, enabling plant consolidations worth $30 million more in savings. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1995 to 1998 | Employer: Steelcase, Inc. | Title: Manager of Operations Planning | Department: Operations |
Responsibilities:Directed an operations strategy staff group in developing manufacturing strategies to reduce fixed costs. Led development of North American manufacturing strategy, to free up two million square feet of space for new products and save $15 million per year in overhead and logistic |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1991 to 1994 | Employer: KPMG Peat Marwick | Title: Senior Consultant | Department: Consulting |
Responsibilities:Implemented Activity Based Costing (ABC) in diverse service and manufacturing businesses |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1990 to 1990 | Employer: MINISTRY OF FINANCE OF POLAND | Title: Financial Analyst and Consultant | Department: |
Responsibilities:Analyzed competitive position of state-owned enterprises in order to select candidates for privatization. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1987 to 1989 | Employer: Procter & Gamble | Title: Quality Manager | Department: Manufacturing |
Responsibilities:Reduced defects 90% in papermaking operation by building customer and quality focus. |
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International Experience
| Years | Country / Region | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Years: 1990 to 1990 | Country / Region: Poland | Summary: As financial analyst and consultant, he worked with the Ministry of Finance of Poland to analyze the competitive position of state-owned enterprises in order to select candidates for privatization. |
Additional Experience
| Training / Seminars |
|---|
| He has developed and delivered training on lean manufacturing, value stream mapping, kanban pull systems, continuous flow production, heijunka, standardized work, and lean management systems including daily accountability meetings, visual controls and standardized work for leaders. He has developed and delivered training on product complexity reduction. |
| Vendor Selection |
|---|
| He has met and worked with a variety of Toyota trained lean experts. |
| Marketing Experience |
|---|
| He has applied lean methods in the furniture industry to processes like stamping, welding, assembly, and wood fabrication. He has dealt with highly variable demand, make to order production and small lot/high mix production. In the Office Furniture industry, he has optimized the product mix to offer the variety demanded by customers without adding unneeded complexity. |
Fields of Expertise
lean manufacturing, continuous flow manufacturing, focused factory, just-in-time inventory, kanban, build-to-order, manufacturing lead time, lead time, Shingo manufacturing, plant operations management, manufacturing cell design, activity analysis, lot sizing, industrial engineering, production control, inventory management, inventory control, business process re-engineering