George Gemeinhardt is a manufacturing professional with many years of experience. Over the years, he has integrated many new concepts into his operation to help improve efficiency and increase his profit line. For example, the Lean Six Sigma concept is a popular and powerful method that has become an industry-standard in manufacturing but has also spread to other fields as well.
The Impact of Lean Six Sigma
The Lean method debuted in the late 1940s and was created by Toyota as a way of improving its operational efficiency. It focused on three ideas: providing products that suit a customer base’s needs, improving workflow waste, and improving an organization’s operation. These basic ideas helped Toyota, and many other Japanese manufacturing terms become leaders in their field.
Since its debut, the team has integrated new concepts into Lean to transform it into Lean Six Sigma. This idea was created in the 1980s and integrated modern Japanese manufacturing concepts with more American and European ideas. It expanded Lean to make it an even more effective and fine-tuned operational method than it was on its debut.
Created by Motorola in the 1980s, this concept was designed to reduce process defects and minimize variability in manufacturing. It focuses on quantifiable and measurable financial results, management leadership and support, data-based decisions, analyzing statistical data, and avoiding making assumptions about manufacturing. It achieves this goal by defining, measuring, analyzing, improving, and controlling the DMAIC strategy.
Over the years, George Gemeinhardt has fine-tuned this method and continually improved manufacturing success. It has transformed the industry by providing a uniform methodology that all businesses can understand. Lean Six Sigma has also eliminated waste by a) making businesses aware of their waste in the first place and b) creating waste management methods based on a company’s operation.
For example, companies can now create specific criteria to measure their product quality from a customer’s perspective. Toyota and other car manufacturers used this idea to focus on comfort- and safety-based items that made consumers feel more satisfied with their purchase. They then focused on decreasing waste by integrating stronger but lower-cost materials like aluminum into their cars. They further sought unique AI-based production methods that helped increase speed and minimize the risk of manufacturing error
Just as importantly, the emphasis on how Lean Six Sigma looks to improve a company’s operation consistently. This method states that businesses shouldn’t rest on their laurels but always get better. For instance, manufacturing companies now seek newer and more effective production line tools that increase production speed and avoid unnecessary waste.
Manufacturers like George Gemeinhardt meet these goals by integrating unique Lean analytical tools into their operation, such as Valve Steam mapping, Just-In-Time production Pan-Do-Check Act, and much more. These tools can be adjusted to meet each manufacturing team’s needs, such as adding specialized waste-management algorithms to each. In this way, manufacturing teams can increase efficiency and avoid serious waste problems.
