Situation: Due to clutter and disorganization, Kraton maintenance personnel spent a significant amount of time looking for tools and supplies in the Mechanical and Industrial maintenance areas. Tooling was being duplicated and extra supplies were being ordered simply because they couldn’t be found — costing the company time and money.
Project: Kraton, which had worked with TechSolve in the past, recognized the potential of the 6S tool for maximizing floor space efficiencies and reinforcing a departmental safety focus. They asked TechSolve to facilitate a 6S training event to improve the cleanliness, organization and performance of the Mechanical and Industrial maintenance areas.
Implementation began with several managers and technicians receiving classroom training on 5S principles. The Mechanical and Industrial maintenance areas were then assessed on six dimensions: Sort, Set-in-Order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain and Safety. A team of representatives implemented 6S in the Mechanical and Industrial areas of the maintenance department. Non-essential items were removed from the production areas, and tools and supplies were organized efficiently and logically. The team also developed a strategy to ensure the system is sustained.
Results:
- Improved the 6S audit score for the Mechanical area from an 8 out of 15 (32%) to a 14.5 out of 25 (58%).
- Improved the 6S audit score for the Industrial area from a 9 out of 25 (36%) to a 15 out of 25 (60%).
- Transformed the maintenance areas into a more organized and safe environment that opened up floor space to allow for better work flow.
- Saved approximately an hour day looking for tooling and supplies, resulting in annual savings of $11,200.
TESTIMONIAL: “Nicely scoped, planned and executed. I could not be happier with the results our company has seen thus far.”
– Rob Johnson, Maintenance & Reliability Manager