Manufacturer gets organized and cuts setup and lead times
Standing in the middle of the production area, you’d never know that Trilary, Inc. ever had an organization problem. Tools are put away on whiteboards. Neatly stacked blue bins hold spare parts. But not long ago, the situation was quite different. “I used to spend 20 or 30 minutes looking for a tool,” says product developer Bruce Spangler. “We had lots of disarray. Materials weren’t organized, and we’d run out of parts and have to stop production.”
Trilary—a Middleton, Wisconsin manufacturer of park benches, ash cans, and bicycle racks—used the most basic of methods to enact the turnaround. They got organized.
Getting organized the easy way
Trilary used a method for organizing the workplace called 5S. It uses five easy-to-follow steps:
1. Sort. Keep only needed tools and supplies in work areas.
2. Set in Order. Arrange them so that they are easy to find and return.
3. Shine. Clean and inspect all equipment.
4. Standardize. Organize all work areas in a similar way.
5. Sustain. Make these steps a habit.
The goal of 5S is to create a “visual workplace” where people don’t waste time hunting for tools and supplies.
5S brings dramatic improvements
With the help of WMEP, Trilary implemented 5S over a five week period. Sorting, simplifying and cleaning the work areas brought about dramatic improvements. In the storage area, Spangler gestures to a row of yellow bins filled with fasteners.
“Before, someone would make up a bin and take it over to the other building,” he says. “Then they’d get a call. ‘Hey, I’m out.’” Production stopped while someone scrambled to fill another bin. Now the bins are kept full, and workers can fetch one whenever they run out of parts.
Spangler stops at a punch press and points to a row of clamps. “These clamps could have been anywhere in the shop,” he says. Now they are arranged on a large whiteboard within easy reach. Implementing 5S also helped them resolve a maintenance problem. He notes that while cleaning the press they fixed a long-standing oil leak. Similar improvements are apparent throughout the shop. Wheels for the rolling machine are neatly stacked on a rack next to the machine. Supplies in the welding area are stowed in metal baskets, keeping the work area safe and uncluttered. Workers also degreased the welding machine and replaced bolts and frayed wires.
Standardizing the work areas has made it easier to sustain the improvements. Spangler says he can now glance at the production area and see missing tools or areas that need cleanup.
The virtues of organization
Thanks to 5S, Trilary has become more productive. Setup times have been cut by up to half an hour, and lead times by three to six weeks. And it didn’t take a lot of time or money.
“For companies that have limited operating expenses, 5S gives them a high return on investment and immediate payback,” says WMEP manufacturing specialist Brian Weeks.
Trilary employees are noticing the difference. “Things flow a lot easier now,” says plant manager Tom Watson. “I can always find my tools. I love it.”