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CRGI is actively engaged in applying the principles
and techniques of Lean
Manufacturing, also known as the Toyota
Production System (TPS), within both
its Automotive
and Industrial
divisions. The company’s rationale for pursuing
Lean is to eliminate non-value adding waste, thereby
delivering greater customer value by obtaining improvements
in the key measures of Quality, Cost and Delivery.
The first phase of CRGI’s
Lean initiative focused on establishing stability
in our core processes. A pilot approach to was used,
whereby the following goals were set:
- Lead-time reduction
- Inventory reduction
- Productivity improvement
- Quality improvement
- Floor space saving
Specific projects included:
- Building employee awareness and understanding
of Lean principles
- Performing current and future state value stream
mapping of the key product flows
- Implementing 5S in all shop floor areas
- Identifying key process metrics
- Performing demand analysis on selected products
and, where appropriate, implementing pull systems
with kanban control to better regulate the manufacturing
flow
Currently, CRGI has entered a second phase
of work where the Lean effort is being extended
across the company. This work involves the following
activities:
- Enabling team-based problem solving and learning
- Conducting practical kaizen training for shop
floor employees, emphasizing reducing the 3 M's
- muda, mura and muri (waste, unevenness and strain)
- Undertaking further implementation of flow and
pull, leading to lower costs, increased capacity,
improved quality, less inventory, shorter lead-times,
and less ergonomic and safety burden
In addition to the above, the management team continues
its Hoshin planning activities to create a greater
flow of information, ideas and strategies so that
the company can better align itself with the needs
of its customers and stakeholders.
CRGI is committed to delivering value. By implementing
Lean Manufacturing principles and techniques, we
believe the company will be ideally positioned to
meet the needs of all its customers both now and
in the future.
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