Success Stories : Springs Fab


ABOUT CAMT CLIENT SERVICES UPCOMING EVENTS SUCCESS STORIES CONTACT US NEWSLETTERS	Springs Fabrication - Colorado Springs, CO Springs Fabrication, Inc. offers many services such as product design, material processing machining, fabrication, liquid painting and assembly to a wide variety of industries. Founded in 1986 and located in Colorado Springs, the company has steadily grown, increasing their client base, acquiring state-of-the-art manufacturing technology, and increasing their number of employees to well over one hundred. Belinda Popovich, Director of Marketing and Larry Westman, Quality Assurance Manager are responsible for Springs Fabrication’s continuous improvement efforts. Belinda explains that the company experienced considerable growth from 2002 to 2006-115.7% rate of growth averaging nearly 30% annual growth over 4 years. The growth, although welcome, presented a challenge to efforts of company-wide coordination and efficiency. In its near 20 years of existence, each of Springs Fabrication’s departments had developed its own processes and idiosyncrasies, often resulting in wasted time and redundancy. Springs Fabrication embarked on an extensive year-long training program led by CAMT in order to “discover inefficiencies and stick to the essentials,” said Belinda. The entire staff participated in training and implementation of lean principles, starting with principles of lean training, and continuing through value stream mapping, 5S, kanban/pull systems and ending in two week-long kaizen events. With each training, it became increasingly clear to Springs Fabrication that unnecessary motion was their biggest adversary. Employees spent time searching for needed materials and paperwork, duplicating efforts due to lack of communication, and moving materials from place to place. Staff used their new lean knowledge to establish new processes, such as creating supermarkets for inventory, staging areas, pull systems and kanbans, as well as shifting their job traveler to an electronic system from which anyone could pull needed information. Immediately after implementing new lean processes, each department from order entry through processing calculated the amount of motion—walking distance—, and the corresponding time, that was eliminated from daily operations. Each department targeted a decrease of 30% motion, and all exceeded that goal, usually astronomically. The scheduling department and project managers reported a decrease of over 90% in their motion. The programming and engineering department reported a decrease of 70%, and the processing department reported a decrease of 60%. Another immediate and significant improvement was a 60% decrease in lead time from order placement to initial production phase. Springs Fabrication is dedicated to sustaining and continuing gains realized through lean methodology. Now Belinda Popovich is going from department to department conducting her own lean training for new and existing employees, ensuring all staff subscribe to the corporate culture of efficiency and improvement. It is important to note, management has been very supportive, encouraging the necessary shift in culture. Belinda says, “CAMT’s lean methodology training put common sense into our work, helping us develop simple and easy processes to get each job done right.” Results: - Decrease lead time by 60% - Decrease motion company-wide by approximately 70%

Springs Fabrication - Colorado Springs, CO

Springs Fabrication, Inc. offers many services such as product design, material processing machining, fabrication, liquid painting and assembly to a wide variety of industries. Founded in 1986 and located in Colorado Springs, the company has steadily grown, increasing their client base, acquiring state-of-the-art manufacturing technology, and increasing their number of employees to well over one hundred.

Belinda Popovich, Director of Marketing and Larry Westman, Quality Assurance Manager are responsible for Springs Fabrication’s continuous improvement efforts. Belinda explains that the company experienced considerable growth from 2002 to 2006-115.7% rate of growth averaging nearly 30% annual growth over 4 years. The growth, although welcome, presented a challenge to efforts of company-wide coordination and efficiency. In its near 20 years of existence, each of Springs Fabrication’s departments had developed its own processes and idiosyncrasies, often resulting in wasted time and redundancy.

Springs Fabrication embarked on an extensive year-long training program led by CAMT in order to “discover inefficiencies and stick to the essentials,” said Belinda. The entire staff participated in training and implementation of lean principles, starting with principles of lean training, and continuing through value stream mapping, 5S, kanban/pull systems and ending in two week-long kaizen events.

With each training, it became increasingly clear to Springs Fabrication that unnecessary motion was their biggest adversary. Employees spent time searching for needed materials and paperwork, duplicating efforts due to lack of communication, and moving materials from place to place. Staff used their new lean knowledge to establish new processes, such as creating supermarkets for inventory, staging areas, pull systems and kanbans, as well as shifting their job traveler to an electronic system from which anyone could pull needed information.

Immediately after implementing new lean processes, each department from order entry through processing calculated the amount of motion—walking distance—, and the corresponding time, that was eliminated from daily operations. Each department targeted a decrease of 30% motion, and all exceeded that goal, usually astronomically. The scheduling department and project managers reported a decrease of over 90% in their motion. The programming and engineering department reported a decrease of 70%, and the processing department reported a decrease of 60%. Another immediate and significant improvement was a 60% decrease in lead time from order placement to initial production phase. Springs Fabrication is dedicated to sustaining and continuing gains realized through lean methodology. Now Belinda Popovich is going from department to department conducting her own lean training for new and existing employees, ensuring all staff subscribe to the corporate culture of efficiency and improvement. It is important to note, management has been very supportive, encouraging the necessary shift in culture.

Belinda says, “CAMT’s lean methodology training put common sense into our work, helping us develop simple and easy processes to get each job done right.”

Results:
- Decrease lead time by 60%
- Decrease motion company-wide by approximately 70%