NLC felt so good about their team members' efforts in using these new lean concepts that they wanted to do something to show their appreciation. They also wanted to maintain company morale at a high point.  So they used the extra money in savings from the scrap and Ebay auctions for the team members' Christmas party. Needless to say, their momentum continues.

Testimonial

"Not only does the MEP Program provide a good basic hands-on program to streamline manufacturing, but it allows the opportunity to resolve the roadblocks that hold back production processes. I recommend it for any company that desires to be better than they were last year."

Testimonial Name: Debra Hampton
Testimonial Title: Director of Operations

Products
Manufacturer of visible wavelength lasers. They also produce replacement tubes, refurbished heads, and power supplies for existing equipment.  NLC includes among its customers some of the largest and most prominent users of ion lasers.

Opportunity

NLC's Director of Operations, Debra Hampton, was looking for an opportunity to make an impact in the production arena.  She specifically wanted to join outside organizations to network and learn more about manufacturing. In addition, one of her requirements was to find affordable assistance.  During her search she came across the MEP Utah on the Internet and called to inquire what services were offered.  From there a very productive relationship began. As evidenced by the results achieved on the floor, Debra realized the impact she was seeking, due to the hard work and efforts of all of NLC's team members.

Solution

NLC took the initiative and attended the MEP's public lean manufacturing session.  They felt that the session was very valuable and requested further assistance.  From there, the MEP started sending several field engineers to visit NLC on-site, helping them implement one of the Lean building blocks--5S.  The 5S refers to Sort, Shine, Set in Order, Standardize, and Sustain.  The project took about three weeks from start to finish. Some of the more effective parts of the implementation included: removing materials from the work areas that were not used on a daily basis, adding visual controls, kanbans, and reorganizing work areas. One component of visual controls included creating departmental signs.  The team members were given the initiative to label their own areas, and this concept worked extremely well as the team members were making their own improvements according to their wants/needs.  In addition, NLC recruited several team members and began the job of implementing "Sort" in the attic and scrap storage areas.  The scrap materials that they were able to discard were then either sold to a recycling firm or auctioned off on Ebay.

Employees
33