In today's fiercely competitive economic climate, many organizations are adopting a Lean philosophy -- focusing only on those activities that add value, while eliminating processes that don't.

 

Among those organizations completely dedicated to the Lean philosophy is Deluxe Corporation, a growth engine for small business and financial institutions. "We train both employees on the production floor and all levels of leadership on basic Lean concepts and tools," explains Amy Faymoville, manager of In-House Services in Arden Hills, MN. "Employees take ownership in suggesting and implementing process improvements."

 

 

The company utilizes a variety of Lean methodology tools:

* 5S - stands for sort, straighten, shine, standardize and sustain. By maintaining a simplified, streamlined work environment, waste is eliminated on all organizational levels.

* 8 Wastes - often known as Tim Woods is an acronym for:
T - Transport - moving people, products & information
I - Inventory - storing parts, pieces, documentation ahead of requirements
M - Motion - bending, turning, reaching, lifting
 
W - Waiting for parts, information, instructions, equipment
O - Over production - making more than is IMMEDIATELY required
O - Over processing - tighter tolerances/higher grade materials than necessary
D - Defects - rework, scrap, incorrect documentation
S - Skills - under utilizing capabilities, delegating tasks with inadequate training.

 

* A3 Thinking - a method used to solve a problem. An A3 report is a tool that gets its name because it fits a "story/problem" on an A3 size of paper (11 x 17). The report embodies the PCDA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) cycle. The report includes categories such as: Scope, Background, Current Condition, Cause Analysis, Target Condition, Implementation Plan and Follow-up.

 

As part of the DLES (Deluxe Lean Enterprise System), Deluxe provides on-going learning opportunities for employees via training modules and internal Lean Community of Practice webinars, which focus on reviewing lean principles. Deluxe Corporation even has an internal Lean program which certifies employees at 4 levels: bronze, silver, gold and platinum. "Lean is part of the Deluxe culture," shares Faymoville. "It isn't just practiced within the manufacturing sites, but throughout the organization including In-House Services, Marketing, Sales, Supply Management, IT and Finance."

 

114 Lean Process Improvements

Forty-three percent of the 14-person print/mail team has achieved bronze certification and one member is currently working on silver certification. The in-plant's efforts have been nothing short of phenomenal. "In just the past 2 years, our team has implemented 114 lean process improvements." Some examples include:

 

Color Coded Carts

 

5S: (A place for everything & everything in its place.) Throughout the day, color-coded carts are returned to various cart corrals so employees aren't searching all over the production floor for carts. A final end of day procedure puts all color coded carts in the appropriate location. Each functional area has their own colored carts assigned to them.

 

Supplies for Temporary Staff

Since this group can have between 1 to 25 temporary workers on site on a daily basis, it is important to make sure that everybody has the supplies/tools needed. "In an effort to reduce the daily set-up time for our full-time staff, we created a standard process that all of our temporary workers follow." Each station is provided with a standard set of supplies that are labeled/numbered. "We have set the expectation that all full-time employees and temporary workers return the supplies to the appropriate supply box, eliminating the time searching for supplies." Faymoville said, "We all hold each other accountable in returning items to their proper location. Trust me, you don't want to be the one caught with the tape dispenser or pen at your desk that says D2 (Workstation D, Bin #2)!" Regular audits are performed to make sure that the supply boxes are kept current.

 

Reduced Transportation --20% increase in orders per hour 

The In-House Services team conducted a Kaizen event that resulted in an overall 20% increase in orders per hour (OPH). They tracked the workflow/footpath and measured the number of feet employees walked to pick frequently pulled SKU's that were in a "seasonal" picking zone. Moving one product line and shelving resulted in a 55 foot reduction. Over the course of one day and hundreds of items being picked, simply relocating the product and shelves were key in positively improving orders per hour!

 

Another transportation waste reduction was in their Print Center. "During the 5S process, we sorted and divided paper between what was used most frequently on each device, instead of one main paper storage area." As a result, they were able to reduce their travel from 36 feet down to 6 feet. This improvement also provided a safer work environment by using lower paper racks and eliminating overhead lifting. It also improved their "line of sight" in the secure Print Center.

 

While holding Kaizen events and utilizing A3 Thinking are important tools on any Lean Journey, Lean is all about the small continuous improvements that add up to an efficient workplace.

This Lean-focused in-plant print/mail team produces over 1.3 million black/white impressions and 1.3 million color impressions. They manage nearly 93,000 fulfillment orders and over 500,000 pieces of mail annually. In addition to traditional printed pieces, they also offer variable data, wide-format, foam board display/mounting, nameplates, customer samples, training manuals, CD duplication, bindery, kitting, fulfillment, parts fulfillment, as well as hand and machine assembly.

 

 "Assisting with the entire value stream is important. Not only do we provide digital printing, but we can help with  finishing, mailing and on-going fulfillment," Faymoville shared. "We also do pick and pack for more than just marketing collateral. We do sample fulfillment of promotional items for potential small business customers and a dealer channel."

 

"We assist in achieving our partner's goals in a lean, cost-effective, efficient manner," she explained. "You need to continually tell your story to all levels of leadership and advertise your in-house capabilities. There are always new employees, leaders or departments within the organization that may not be aware of how your team can partner with them."

 

The in-plant team recently presented a Value Proposition story to leadership. "This helped to affirm the value that we bring to the organization. It also showed how we were linked to important revenue generating projects and other corporate initiatives."
One specific way that this team provides value is by aligning to its corporate strategy. They work closely with their Marketing partners when piloting/rolling out new programs.

 

This small, flexible team can provide quick solutions for custom work and scale-up as needed with temporary staff, depending on the success of the program. "We have plans to do more internal advertising in 2013," Faymoville said. "As a new IPMA member, we look forward to networking and learning what other in-plants have done to promote themselves."