MetaExpert Transforms a Family-Owned Business into a Corporate World-Class Organization

Situation

  • The company was a family-owned business manufacturer of custom wood front doors, acquired by a large manufacturing corporation of products for the construction/distribution industry,
  • The operation had a unique design of products but wasn’t meeting the sales and financial goals.
  • The manufacturing process was rudimentary with lack of controls, process standards, procedures, metrics, and poor materials inventory control & planning.

Actions

  • Facilitated an event to identify potential business growth, evaluating the sales performance activity, gathering information to enable product mix and sales strategy decision-making using the VOC.
  • Evaluated the market needs, pinpointed opportunities, defined key initiatives and created action sales plans aimed at selective customers.
  • Facilitated the materials team to develop and implement an MRP and inventory control system.
  • Conducted Kaizen Events with the team and re-layout the production process.
  • Spearheaded a deep analysis at the Gemba, to review all activities with the owners to uncover and identify Mudas and improvement opportunities.
  • The team used lean tools such as Waste, 5S, 5Why, Poka Yoke, FMEA, One Piece Flow, Ergonomics, TPM and Kan Ban.
  • Led a cross-functional quality improvement team, training them on QFD, PDCA, Impact Indicators, reaction to out-of-control conditions, root cause analysis, 5Why, Fish bone analysis, (Ishikawa), operations standards and cross-training.
  • Performed a financial quantification of improvements benefits and formulated a plan to enable measurement of benefits.
  • Confirmed the current state and defined the future state; generated a plan of improvements fitted to the organization’s direction and long-range goals.

Results

  • Transformed an organization from a family-owned business to a corporate world-class organization, delivering positive financial results and positioning the plant team and products for success.
  • Emergence of a new organization with a lasting continuous improvement culture where involvement at every level from senior leadership to individuals on the production floor leverages their capabilities to create a competitive advantage.

Return on Investment

Cost reduction savings over $200K per years, sales grew 300% and exceed profitability goals.

ME Transforms a Family-Owned Business into a Corporate World-Class Organization