Gowanda Electronics

Gowanda Electronics, a leading supplier of high-performance magnetic components based in Gowanda, NY, faced some looming problems. Changeover times for a critical winding machine were not only too lengthy, but varied greatly. The order entry process involved excessive, unneeded walking and suffered from frequent delays, creating a custom order lead time that could span weeks. Gowanda Electronics turned to TCIE for Lean Six Sigma assistance to spur operational improvements.

Solutions:

• Educated a cross-functional group of 90 employees in a collection of Lean improvement tools
• Twenty employees worked in teams to apply tools and theories through week-long Kaizen events, which culminated in:
  • Generating improvement ideas for the winding machine changeover process
  • Creating and assigning responsibilities and timeframes to sustain improvements and explore new ideas
  • Eliminating non value-added steps from the order entry process, moving a central printer to a better location, and creating a simpler electronic form