Update on Excellence

Visual Workplace 5-S Concepts at Borg-Warner Inc. (Air/Fluid Systems), Dixon, IL

Finding a place for everything, working through chaos to better results.
Ken Trupke

About six years ago, customers dissatisfied with poor on-time delivery (60 percent) and poor quality (2000 ppm) were pulling, or about to pull, substantial amounts of business away f rom Borg - Wa rner Inc. Air/Fluid Systems (BWI), Dixon, IL. Inventory filled nearly every available space, yet material was constantly being expedited to the manufacturing areas. Customers could not get their orders on time from the manufacturer of various solenoids, roll-over valves, secondary seal modules, and other products. The plant had the traditional operating philosophy of batch process with periodic inspections, and testing to verify quality at the end of the production process. Management recognized that business as usual would, at best, not provide the kind of growth they desired and at worst, might put them out of business. They realized they needed to do something dramatically different to improve the situation. They also realized that their eff o rts must create buy-in among employees and not be perceived as the program of the month. They needed to improve and then sustain the improvement efforts, not just push once and then stop. Finally, they knew any efforts would demand substantial time, energy, and money, so they must generate enthusiasm and success early and often.
Simplify the Improvement Process

About Borg-Warner
Located about 100 miles west of Chicago and 50 miles southwest of Rockford, IL, Borg-Warner Incorporated Air/Fluid Systems is a tier-one supplier to the automotive market. Major customers include Ford Motor Company, DaimlerChrysler, and Volkswagen. The plant serves 45 customers encompassing 165 shipping locations worldwide, generating over $50 million in annual sales. The plant utilizes several different main processes to produce its major products. Coil winding and plastic encapsulation are key to producing proportional solenoids, canister purge solenoids, and three-way vacuum solenoids. Plastic injection molding is used to produce roll-over valves and secondary seal modules. Cast iron machining is critical to produced exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valves, air control valves, and air pump check valves. Some of the product assemblies are fully automated; others are assembled manually, often using fixtures and/or automated assembly steps. About 75 percent of the product content is purchased.

Dan Etheridge during a recent AME workshop. The existing BWI Advanced Quality Planning (AQP) team stepped up to facilitate the initiative. The team included staff members from manufacturing engineering, industrial engineering, and quality. Because each person on the team had a full-time job already, no one had the luxury to commit full-time to the project. Long days of after-hours meetings and six- and seven-day work weeks became the norm for the team as they proceeded to dramatically improve the cleanliness and organization of everything inside the facility.
What Is 5-S?

unnecessary items Straighten putting necessary items in order for easy access S c ru b cleaning everything: tools, equipment, and work areas. Following that, the focus is on keeping everything in its place: S u s t a i n / S t a n d a rd i z e making separating, straightening, and scru b b i n g routine Systematize continually improving 5S performance levels; spreading the concepts and practices throughout the organization.
Separate

As BWI began preparing for its QS-9000 certification in 1995, they were looking for a framework to simplify the improvement process. They selected the Japanese concept of 5-S because, Once you get housekeeping in place, all other perf o rmance measures follow, explained Continuous Improvement Coordinator
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A place for everything and everything in its place is a phrase visitors hear from management down to operators at BWI. The phrase summarizes the BWI operational philosophy and provides a framework for their approach to 5-S. The first part of the method is finding a place for everything: S e p a r a t e sorting and eliminating

BWI had some fun and made some big gains in their first pass at the first step. After initially training everyone in the organization on the 5-S basics, BWI shut down production for one day. Each employee was given four red tags which they were required to use to identify unnecessary items. It was a bit chaotic, but the results were dramatic.

Update on Excellence

Lynn Koenen, an industrial engineer, showed a before video of the plant and the team shared several anecdotes. Koenen explained that of the seven full semi-trailer loads of unnecessary items from their first pass, they made only two mistakes! Although the mistakes cost BWI about $40,000 to replace, Koenen confirmed that the empowerment and enthusiasm generated at all levels of the organization made it a small price to pay. The BWI team agreed that as chaotic as it was on the first red tag day, shutting down the entire plant at one time was the best approach. Today, at any time, any employee can red tag an item anywhere in the workplace. The red tag causes anyone with an interest in the item or area to discuss its status and generate a disposition.
Straighten

instructions often include space for employee sign-off that cleaning or maintenance work has been performed. The posted instructions and the check sheet confirmation are two more visual elements of the BWI 5-S system. One unique aspect of the BWI PM system is that operators check their own machines daily. One of the overall goals of the BWI 5-S system, according to Manufacturing Engineering and Quality Manager Paul Turner, is to get total employee involvement and ownership with management and engineering in roles of suggesting and supporting.
Sustain/Standardize

After sorting, BWI employees set out to provide an orderly environment for what they were keeping. They made use of numerous tools such as color-coded containers, color-coded floor squares, overhead identification signs, and shadow boards to identify the proper contents and/or location of tools, materials, and equipment. Equipment alarms such as horns and lights were installed or moved to more useful locations. Kanban production systems were implemented internally and with many suppliers. Production control throughput boards showing production goals and actual production and scrap were placed at workstations. Operation instructions and visual aids were developed and posted at the workstations or on the equipment. Together, these tools and methods contribute to a visual workplace. The production team can easily see what needs to be done (production goals, kanban cards), how to do it (instructions, visual aids), what is needed to do it (tools, equipment, materials), and that it was done (actual production and ppm recorded on throughput boards).
Scrub

Every team member agreed that discipline is key. Like an Olympic athlete, were training every day, Koenen told the group. BWI makes use of a 15-minute shift overlap period to provide time for ergonomic exercises and communication, but also substantially to practice 5-S. The goal is to create a habit of order, as Koenen put it, where its easy to immediately distinguish what is normal and what is not and where waste is easily recognizable to anyone. Standard pro c e d u res are easily understood and visually clear and any deviation from procedure is readily apparent. Variation is the enemy. Our goal is to provide consistency so our operators can use their skills and abilities to excel. That is hindered by variation, Turner asserted during the presentation. Peer pressure is important as employees strive to keep their areas in top condition and continually improve. BWI has a board where photos of unacceptable conditions are posted. Those responsible for the area or equipment must make corrections and then post a photo showing the situation after next to the before photo.
Systematize

Cleaning instructions and/or preventive maintenance (PM) schedules are at each workstation or posted on the equipment itself to communicate how the area is to be cared for. The

The BWI team emphasized that the 5-S philosophy is not limited to the production floor. Administrative and engineering offices also are targets for eliminating waste and clutter.
What Theyve Done

rior Supplier Award, Chrysler Gold Pentastar Award, ISO 14000, and QS-9000 registration. However, goals and objectives are targeted only if it makes business sense, according to Turner. S t a n d a rdized documentation support s employee cross-training and flexibility. It also helps to prevent people from doing their own thing. Establishing the habits of discipline is a prerequisite to continuous improvement, but also the toughest challenge BWI faced, according to Fuel Factory Manager Derrick Goodlin. The orderliness of the visual, 5-S workplace also reduces hazards and raises safety a w a reness. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recognized BWI with Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star status which allows BWO to audit themselves for safety in lieu of formal OSHA inspections. B W I s visual safety accomplishments have been featured in an article in Occupational Hazards magazine. (Additional information about their VPP activities is featured in a the a rticle, They Shoot for Star Safety Perf o rmance, in this issue of Target.) In contrast to the time prior to 5-S, BWI is now 100 percent on time to their customers (although just slightly under that as measured by their own, more stringent, internal definition). Their external ppm is less than two, and 5-S and the visual approach contribute significantly to this performance level, according to Air Factory Manager Steve Kuhn. As he puts it: How can you have quality if everything isnt in its place? Visitors routinely recognize impressive cleanliness, organization, and housekeeping here. In at least one case, BWI was awarded a sizable purchase order as a direct result of positive customer impressions during a site visit. BWIs plans call for tripling sales over the next three-five years. Through continuous improvement and 5-S discipline, they intend to achieve the increased volume without adding to their facility.
Ken Trupke is the general manager at Kalfact Plastics Company, Rockford, MI.
2001 AME For information on reprints, contact AME at: 380 West Palatine Road, Wheeling, IL 60090-5863 847/520-3282 www.ame.org

BWI has been recognized with numerous certifications and awards, including Ford Supe-

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