Glauber Equipment Corporation
In 2007, Glauber Equipment Corporation approached TCIE for an assessment of its quality system against requirements of the ISO 9001:2008 standard. Results confirmed that the industrial distributor of pumps and air compressors needed an efficiency makeover if it was to exist in the marketplace. With TCIE’s assistance, development of a formalized business management system and implementation of Lean initiatives helped Glauber not only persevere through the economic recession that began in 2008, but emerge as a stronger, more profitable competitor.
- Guided employees in creating a quality policy that complies with ISO standard requirements and related documents, and trained them in implementing and internally auditing the new system
- Provided instruction to both managers and general workforce employees in the effective use of metrics to evaluate performance
- Provided a Lean overview program to the entire workforce
- Instructed employees from across the company in Value Stream Mapping, 5S and Kaizen to quickly improve processes
- Reduced overall costs substantially; for example, profitability rose in one year despite sales dropping by 20%
- Developed and implemented an ISO 9001-compliant business management system
- Improved productivity of the Service Department by leveraging and making better use of the ERP system through training and analyzing processes
- Improved functionality of the Packaged Systems Department through: 1) better sourcing; 2) improved management of shop supplies; 3) rearrangement of inventory; and 4) reduced rework as a result of more thorough designs and better communication
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.