Doug Sharpe
President of Elasto Proxy
Lean manufacturing is a set of production practices that seeks to eliminate waste and deliver quality products on-time, at the lowest production costs, and according to customer needs. According to lean thinking, waste refers to any activity that does not add value. Examples include overproduction, idle time, unnecessary movement, product defects, and failing to utilize people to their fullest abilities. By minimizing waste and maximizing customer value, any organization can improve its bottom line.
Why Learn About Lean?
As a custom fabricator of high-value, low-volume rubber and plastic components, Elasto Proxy is eager to learn all it can about lean. We’re not lean experts, of course, but we’re investing our time and talents to educate our employees about lean thinking. This year, two of our team leaders will learn about lean manufacturing to boost Elasto Proxy’s efficiency and strengthen our business model. What Alain Leblanc and Elaine Bergeron gain from CSMO Caoutchouc will help both our company and our customers.
How CSMO Caoutchouc Helps
Here in Quebéc, where Elasto Proxy is headquartered, CSMO Caoutchouc is dedicated to developing a world-class workforce in the province’s rubber industry. Like other Elasto Proxy employees, Alain and Elaine have taken CSMO Caoutchouc coursework before. “General Training on the Processing” of rubber provides an excellent introduction to our industry, and features modules such as vulcanization, injection molding, and extrusion methods. For companies that need advanced training, CSMO Caoutchouc also provides in-depth and specialized instruction.
Supervisor Training in Lean Manufacturing
The course that Alain and Elaine will now take, “Supervisor Training in Lean Manufacturing,” spans eight sessions and ends in June. Each session lasts for eight hours, and provides students with an opportunity to interact with instructors who are informative, engaging, and ready to provide real-world examples of lean manufacturing. Although 6 of the 8 sessions will be held in hotel conference rooms, there are two on-site visits. Elasto Proxy will host one of these sessions, and we look forward to this opportunity.
Molding Lean Managers
Elaine has never learned about lean before, and Alain studied it briefly while at CEGEP, our system of post-secondary education in Quebec. Thanks to CSMO Caoutchouc, however, both will participate in informative, interactive sessions that include leadership training, continuous improvement, and lean strategies for management. Through coaching, role-playing, and problem solving, Elaine and Alain will learn about more than just machine-based efficiency.
How to Talk Lean
Lean manufacturing involves communication, both between first-level supervisors and company managers, and between team leaders and their employees. To eliminate waste and maximize customer value, all members of an organization must be willing to suggest improvements – and managers must be willing to listen. Internal communication can be easy to overlook, but is vitally important.
For over 20 years, Elasto Proxy has promised to fully understand the needs of our partners and deliver on them. As Elaine and Alan now learn about lean manufacturing, we look forward to listening to their ideas so that Elasto Proxy can build a better company and strengthen its commitment to customers.
