Success Stories : UFP


ABOUT CAMT CLIENT SERVICES UPCOMING EVENTS SUCCESS STORIES CONTACT US NEWSLETTERS	Universal Forest Products - Windsor, CO - UFP Commited to Continuous Improvement "With the help of CAMT, UFP Windsor is becoming a showcase for Continuous Improvement best practices." -- Brian Niess, General Manager The Windsor, Colorado division of Universal Forest Products was established 24 years ago to provide wood and lumber products for "do-it-yourself" retail centers, manufactured housing, industrial, and site- built construction industries in Colorado. With the assistance of CAMT, UFP has become a true continuous improvement facility with all 130 employees working towards eliminating non-value added activities in their work. UFP Windsor had been and continues to be a consistent top ten performer in the 100+ division corporation. Even with their success, UFP management recognized that the markets they served were becoming increasingly difficult to function profitably in, and solutions to increase efficiency were essential. UFP Corporate headquarters encouraged UFP Windsor to explore the continuous improvement ideas of Lean principles, and they contacted CAMT, Colorado's MEP center, for help. All employees of Universal Forest Products participated in CAMT Lean training: they used the 5S methodology to organize work areas, mapped the value stream of product lines, focused on decreasing set-up and change-over times, and held two week- long kaizen events to identify and implement rapid improvements. Implementing Lean has helped UFP gain a competitive edge in the market --UFP can demonstrate a cleanliness, organization and efficiency often lacking in the lumber industry. Staff analysis, improvements and ownership of plant processes have cemented confidence in the quality of each of their products. UFP has seen a 20 to 30% reduction in costs for machine run-throughs, and is now often running two pieces at a time, resulting in a 20% efficiency increase. Furthermore, increases in efficiency have resulted in an over-time hours reduction of 29%, further impacting the bottom line. UFP is serious about continuous improvement. To ensure Lean gains achieved are sustained and improved upon, a Continuous Improvement Manager has been hired to incorporate Lean principles into daily work at the plant. Each supervisor meets with the Continuous Improvement Manager weekly to work towards achieving the highest level of efficiency possible. Mini-kaizens and "waste walks", a procedure to identify and reduce any waste of product, motion or time occurring during a process, are conducted multiple times a day. Results: Increased sales by $250,000 Retained sales of $750,000 Reduction in overtime hours of 29%

Universal Forest Products - Windsor, CO - UFP Commited to Continuous
Improvement

"With the help of CAMT, UFP Windsor is becoming a showcase for Continuous Improvement best practices." -- Brian Niess, General Manager

The Windsor, Colorado division of Universal Forest Products was established 24 years ago to provide wood and lumber products for "do-it-yourself" retail centers, manufactured housing, industrial, and site- built construction industries in Colorado. With the assistance of CAMT, UFP has become a true continuous improvement facility with all 130 employees working towards eliminating non-value added activities in their work.

UFP Windsor had been and continues to be a consistent top ten performer in the 100+ division corporation. Even with their success, UFP management recognized that the markets they served were becoming increasingly difficult to function profitably in, and solutions to increase efficiency were essential. UFP Corporate headquarters encouraged UFP Windsor to explore the continuous improvement ideas of Lean principles, and they contacted CAMT, Colorado's MEP center, for help.

All employees of Universal Forest Products participated in CAMT Lean training: they used the 5S methodology to organize work areas, mapped the value stream of product lines, focused on decreasing set-up and change-over times, and held two week- long kaizen events to identify and implement rapid improvements. Implementing Lean has helped UFP gain a competitive edge in the market --UFP can demonstrate a cleanliness, organization and efficiency often lacking in the lumber industry. Staff analysis, improvements and ownership of plant processes have cemented confidence in the quality of each of their products. UFP has seen a 20 to 30% reduction in costs for machine run-throughs, and is now often running two pieces at a time, resulting in a 20% efficiency increase. Furthermore, increases in efficiency have resulted in an over-time hours reduction of 29%, further impacting the bottom line.

UFP is serious about continuous improvement. To ensure Lean gains achieved are sustained and improved upon, a Continuous Improvement Manager has been hired to incorporate Lean principles into daily work at the plant. Each supervisor meets with the Continuous Improvement Manager weekly to work towards achieving the highest level of efficiency possible. Mini-kaizens and "waste walks", a procedure to identify and reduce any waste of product, motion or time occurring during a process, are conducted multiple times a day.

Results:
Increased sales by $250,000
Retained sales of $750,000
Reduction in overtime hours of 29%