ASQ honors teams for creative solutions, cost savings

RP news wires, Noria Corporation

Benjamin Franklin's famous quote, "Remember that time is money," has special meaning for 31 business teams from around the world participating in the 23rd annual International Team Excellence Awards Competition hosted by the American Society for Quality (ASQ).

 

Teams from a broad spectrum of industries are vying for the coveted ASQ Gold, Silver and Bronze awards which showcase companies that shine in creating innovative solutions and organizational cost savings.

 

The live presentations take place May 5-7 at ASQ's annual World Conference on Quality and Improvement at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. Conference attendees can observe team project presentations using quality tools and their creativity to demonstrate valuable business insights. Winners will be recognized during an awards ceremony on Wednesday, May 7, and will serve as benchmarks of organizational excellence in all industries for years to come.

 

Since 1985, more than 830 teams from Canada, China, Costa Rica, Colombia, India, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Singapore and the United States have participated in this outstanding process. Well-known companies such as Alcoa, Baxter Healthcare, Bayer, Boeing, CSX, Fidelity and Genentech have showcased proven results with long-term implications, resulting in cost savings of millions of dollars. In 2007, individual team finalist savings resulted in more than $150 million for their organizations.

 

The following finalists will participate in the 2008 International Team Excellence Awards:

·         Alcoa, Newburgh, Ind.

·         Baxter Productos Medicos Ltda., Costa Rica

·         Bayer MaterialScience LLC (2 teams), Pittsburgh

·         Boeing C17 Program (4 teams), Long Beach, Calif.

·         City of Miami Beach, Fla.

·         CSX, Jacksonville, Fla.

·         Delphi Electronics & Safety, Kokomo, Ind.

·         DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee Inc., Maryville, Tenn.

·         Healthways, Nashville, Tenn.

·         Housing & Development Board (3 teams), Singapore

·         Kaiser Permanente (2 teams), Denver

·         MEDRAD Inc., Pittsburgh

·         New Breed Logistics Inc., Swedesboro, N.J.

·         R.L. Polk & Company, Southfield, Mich.

·         Sanden International (2 teams), Wylie, Texas

·         Sterlite Industries India Limited (3 teams), India

·         DOE/Stoller, Grand Junction, Colo.

·         Tobyhanna Army Depot, Tobyhanna, Pa.

·         U.S. Naval Ship Repair Facility and Japan Regional Maintenance Center (2 teams from Japan)

·         Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme, Calif.

 

2008 International Team Excellence Award Process Project Summaries

 

Alcoa, Alcoa Warrick Current Efficiency Team – Newburgh, Ind.

The team's goal was to improve current efficiency which has a major impact on cost. Using quality tools such as control charts, CUSUM charts, SIPOC, correlation analysis, work performance and customer supplier agreements, the team saved several million dollars.

 

Baxter Productos Medicos Ltda, Clintec Automix Ring Team, Cost Rica

A team was formed to establish and solve the root cause for an increase in complaints in the nutrition products. The problem was corrected using multiple tools like brainstorming, Pareto charts, cause and effect diagrams, Gantt charts, concentration diagram, and a contradiction matrix. Estimated cost savings from this project is $1.2 million.

 

Bayer MaterialScience LLC, Optimizing the TL/LTL Decision for BMS, Pittsburgh

Bayer MaterialScience launched the Truckload/Less than Truckload Optimization project to establish a lean, statistically sound basis for choosing the "best value" carriers for our business needs. Applying tools such as FMEA, the project resulted in a visual workplace that simplified decision-making for logistics representatives and reduced linehaul freight costs by more than $500,000 in 2007.

 

Bayer MaterialScience LLC, The Gel Team – Delivering Breakthrough Performance Through Total Collaboration, Pittsburgh

At risk for losing an important customer account over persistent problems with out-of-spec and missed shipments, this team used advanced statistical tools including design of experiments to resolve quality issues and regain control over logistical problems. Renewed customer's confidence resulted in saving a $3 million business.

 

Boeing, Boeing C-17 Program Management Information System (PMIS) Team, Long Beach, Calif.

Conducted as a joint initiative with the USAF customer, the objective of the system was to provide one gateway for external and internal customers to easily access program management-relevant information on the Web using a single sign-on approach. This solution allows integration of services and information from existing enterprise systems through truly open integration technologies, and provides key application services.

 

Boeing, Boeing C-17 RAMS Recovery Team, Long Beach, Calif.

A United States Air Force C-17 transport aircraft experienced an off-runway landing mishap in Afghanistan causing massive structural damage to the fuselage, nose, and right-hand landing gears. Recovery and repair of the aircraft would put to test all the Boeing processes and procedures used by the C-17 Recovery and Modification Services team.

 

Boeing, Boeing C-17 USM Project Team, Long Beach, Calif.

The Universal Splice Machine is a mobile, automated system that uses electromagnets to clamp details as it drills and sets fasteners along one of the major splices in the tail section of Boeing's C-17 aircraft. This new device eliminates the strenuous hand drilling and setting of nearly 4,000 fasteners.

 

Boeing, Boeing C-17 Super GRIP Team, Long Beach, Calif.

Super GRIP project is a single integrated solution to meet our U.S Air Force customer's requirement to accelerate the C-17 aircraft fleet upgrade to today's Block 17 production configuration. Normally retrofits are performed on the aircraft sequentially, i.e., Block 13 to Block 14, Block 14 to Block 15, etc.

 

City of Miami Beach, Clean Team, Miami Beach, Fla.

Clean Team's aim is to make the City of Miami Beach cleaner by creating the Public Area Cleanliness Index and Assessment program as part of the city's strategic planning process. This program provides a method for the City of Miami Beach to improve the cleanliness of its public areas. As a result, action plans have been developed and implemented including additional resources to increase night coverage, reorganize cleaning crews, enforce codes in the alleys, and create a handbill ordinance.

 

CSX, Train & Engine Expenses and Accuracy in Pay Project Team, Jacksonville, Fla.

Using established CSX methods of Six Sigma and the DMAIC discipline, the project accomplished two major goals: efficiency through reduction in operating expenses and effectiveness in paying our value-added employees consistent with our contract provisions. The team reduced expenses by $1.4 million and a specific category of claims by 40 percent.

 

Delphi Electronics & Safety, Product Robustness Improvement Team, Kokomo, Ind.

This team was focusing on determining the cause of product/manufacturing abnormalities. Performance variation jeopardized the supply chain and placed Delphi on the customer's critical list, which threatened future business. Six Sigma/Shainin techniques revealed significant inputs, irreversible corrective actions, and increased process robustness. Savings were 15 percent of corporate goal.

 

DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee Inc. Tomorrow's Vision Team, Maryville, Tenn.

This team's objective was to reduce the utility bill which was over budget 12 of the last 16 months with 90 percent due to electricity cost. Through collaboration of stakeholders and numerous quality tools, including Pareto charts, the team's activity resulted in a 20 percent reduction of kilowatt-hour usage, more than $100,000 in savings per year, and an 11 percent reduction in CO2 emissions.

 

Healthways, Improving Member Contact Rate Team, Nashville, Tenn.

This project used specific Lean/Six Sigma tools and methodologies to improve clinician productivity and overall member contact levels in a healthcare telephonic delivery model. This resulted in $3.3 million in cost avoidance and improved utilization and clinical outcomes.

 

Housing & Development Board, Accessway V2 Team, Singapore

To help reduce the time in assessing and determining the gradient of barrier-free accessibility ramps during site audit, the team used tools including Lotus Blossom, affinity diagrams, Assumption Breaking and Serendipity Techniques to produce an innovative gradient measuring tool. The project helped reduce manpower by 1,256 hours.

 

Housing & Development Board, O.U.R./Outstanding Archers Team, Singapore

The team's project was to reduce supervisors' time in preparing for daily huddles which are conducted for all frontline staff to equip them to deliver excellent service. Tools used include SWOT analysis, assumption breaking technique, Ishikawa diagram, and tree diagram. Projected time savings of 146 man-months per annum and projected cost savings of $470,340 per annum were achieved.

 

Housing & Development Board, Quantum Team, Singapore

Because of the lack of a standard device to conduct the water tightness test, the team's solution enhances the quality of the water tightness test for HDB buildings for on-site inspections. Tools used included brainstorming, decision matrix, flowchart, cause and effect diagram and relations diagram. Cost-savings was $424,000 per annum.

 

Kaiser Permanente, Medicaid Enrollment Project Team, Denver

The Medicaid Enrollment Project Team used Lean Six Sigma methodology to evaluate and improve the Medicaid enrollment process. The improvements put in place as part of this project are a key component in the revenue for 2007 being on track to double vs. 2006.

 

Kaiser Permanente, Outstanding Balance Collection Team, Denver

This Lean Six Sigma project was the result of a revenue cycle initiative to increase the amount of money collected by the patient registration areas of Kaiser Permanente. Lean Six Sigma methodology and tools were applied to produce an optimum process with substantial increases in revenue.

 

MEDRAD Inc., Device History Record (DHR) Error Reduction Team, Pittsburgh

The team's purpose was to reduce device history errors from 30 percent to less than 5 percent. Pareto charts, flowcharts, brainstorming, affinity diagrams, gap analyses, tree diagrams, trace matrices, statistical process control and trend reports were used. Achievements include an 80 percent reduction of errors, reduced scrap, and more efficient processes.

 

New Breed Logistics Inc., New Breed Team, Swedesboro, N.J.

The team developed a solution to meet the challenges of current and future customer demands which were exceeding projected volumes over 24 months and better conforming of orders, activity, lines, pieces, and packaging plans to the initial statement of work. Tools used: Time studies by method, VSM, takt time, pick chart, brainstorming, fishbone diagram, 7-S, and run chart of the volume trend. Results: customer satisfaction.

 

R. L. Polk & Company, Polk Quality Management Team, Southfield, Mich.

The team designed and implemented a new issue resolution process with the goals of reducing customer issues through the use of root cause analysis tools, and improving customer satisfaction by establishing customer contact points within the process. Results: A 27 percent decrease in customer issues and a measurable increase in customer satisfaction.

 

Sanden International, Air Gap Reject Reduction, Wylie, Texas

To reduce air gap rejects and downtime associated by more than 50 percent, the team used quality tools including brainstorming, affinity diagram, histogram, capability studies, gauge R&R studies, design of experiments (DOE), correlation matrix, and preventive maintenance. Result: Reduced air gap rejects from 5,900 PPM to 3,349 PPM (43 percent reduction) with savings of $6,000/year.

 

Sanden International, Casing Kaizen Team, Wylie, Texas

The purpose of the Kaizen team was to help reduce the overall TR parts manufacturing reject rate. Quality tools used were graphs, Pareto charts, cause and effect diagrams, statistical analysis, and check sheets. The team was able to reduce the reject percentage by 88 percent and save $43,000 per year.

 

Sterlite Industries India Limited, Abhudaya Team, India

The team's objective was to reduce the bottleneck in the selenium plant capacity and increase the productivity to 120 percent. Results: Consumption capacity increased to 120 percent of design capacity and selenium production increased by 20 percent. The total savings were $0.8 million.

 

Sterlite Industries India Limited , Pragati Team, India

The team's objective was to improve recovery process time for P205, one of the key elements in making phosphoric acid which has major uses in the fertilizer industries. Using various quality tools including process flow diagram and material balance, scatter diagram and Pareto Analysis, the team saw recovery time improvements, increased customer satisfaction, reduction in line consumption, increase in plant utilization, and hygiene improvement in the work area. Project savings: $480,000 (projected for a year) and $240,000 (actual for February-July 2007).

 

Sterlite Industries India Limited, Conquest Team, India

To improve cathode quality to maximize revenues and minimize inventory carrying cost the team used fishbone, brainstorming, why-why analysis and hypothesis testing. Results: a savings of $1,763,353 per year.

 

DOE/Stoller, DOE/Stoller Legacy Management Team, Grand Junction, Colo.

DOE Legacy Management and Stoller used self-assessment, facilitated sessions and ongoing continuous improvement to achieve high-performance organization status. Goals were achieved by identification of actions based on selected improvements achieved by teams. Results included an HPO award to Legacy Management from the Office of Management and Budget and Stoller's acquisition of an unprecedented new three-year contract.

 

Tobyhanna Army Depot, AN/TPQ-36 Firefinder Antenna Transceiver Group Team, Tobyhanna, Pa.

Project purpose was to reduce repair cycle time and increase the production rate of the AN/TPQ-36 Firefinder Antenna Transceiver Group. The team used VSA, rapid improvement events, visual management, standard work and 6-S to reduce repair cycle time by 26 percent and increase production rate by 1,400 percent to meet wartime demand.

 

U.S. Naval Ship Repair Facility and Japan Regional Maintenance Center, Rainbow Seven Team, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan

This team from the calibration lab was successful in achieving a 10 percent increase in productivity by implementing lean principles. Cell production system and calibration lead time was reduced from 53 days to 14 days. This great success led to meeting their first customer's demand and satisfaction.

 

U.S. Naval Ship Repair Facility and Japan Regional Maintenance Center, The Innovators Team, Sasebo, Nagasaki, Japan

This lean 5-S implementation team was successful in conducting a series of Lean Rapid Improvements in their material storage area. Through this activity, they were able to achieve their ultimate goal, which was to prepare the production shop for a smooth business process transition.

 

Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division, Rolling Airframe Missile Alteration Installation Team, Port Hueneme, Calif.

The team led Alteration Installation Teams (AITs) to install CAPSTONE upgrades onboard aircraft carriers and amphibious class ships. The AIT team has collaborated with industrial partners to reduce installation time, cost effectiveness and safety. One of the team's major successes was to reduce the installation time from nine months to 16 weeks.