Eberl Iron Works, Inc.
The management team of Eberl Iron Works, Inc. of Buffalo, NY, knew that updating business practices would benefit the metal fabrication and industrial framing company. Avenues to improvement were easy to identify, such as clearing floor space in the constrained production facility and improving product documentation and web presence. Eberl began a partnership with TCIE in 2006 that continues today, ranging from Lean efficiency improvements and CAD drafting support to soft skills training.
- Trained 30 employees in Lean concepts, including 5S, Value Stream Mapping and Pull/Kanban tools
- Improved e-business capabilities and leverage with online search engines through the assistance of a UB computer science graduate student
- Established CAD standards for product lines with the expertise of a UB mechanical and aeronautical engineering student
- Educated key employees in supervisory skills
- Improved throughput by 15% in the first year following Lean training
- Streamlined material handling and freed space to accommodate new equipment installations
- Netted a 30-40% search engine ranking increase and 300% increase in web hits
- Improved CAD drawings for products that support proposals and the online catalogue, boosting credibility among customers and vendors
- Developed a manual for certified trainers who educate new production staff employees
Project ROI
How do we measure the impact of projects? It’s a mix of tangible, quantifiable savings with the more elusive “soft savings” – such as cost avoidance and improved customer satisfaction.