The following results are selected from companies that Dr. Davies has worked with the last 20 years to illustrate the hard results that can be achieved with a Kaizen approach. Results depend upon the goals of improvement as well as the approaches utilized.

In Kaizen the current state of the processes are carefully considered within the context of the primary goals for improvement to maximize results for both short and long term business improvement. Our clients are usually served by a small consultant team that works to build the internal resources concurrently with the improvement activity. This ensures that the organization is able to sustain both the improvement practices and tools and their gains, and have the skills to continuously evolve new methods. All the clients below have developed a strong internal consultant base as part of their improvement strategy. Our consultant teams are carefully put together by Dr. Davies, and may include international experts as well as those from North America. Companies are identified by their industries here.

Bio-Medical Manufacturer (2006-2007)

• Reduced Total Cycletime for Major Product Line Document History from 47 days to 20 days
• Reduced the Cycle Time for the Out of Specification Process (OOS) from 27 to 12 days.
• Reduced the process for Non-Conforming Materials closure from 41 days to 13 days (median).

Automotive Supplier (1994-2005) Canada, Europe

• Implemented a Kaizen Suggestion Program (Kaizen Teian)
• Implemented 3700 ideas, at a cost savings of $CN600.00 average per idea or $CN 2,220,000.00 cost savings for half the year only. (2003)
• Implemented 10,300 individual improvements annually averaging 6 per employee. 100% Participation rate (2001)
• Implemented 35,000 individual ideas from 1996-2001
• Production Results
• Increased parts/hr by 65% (hinge pairs, 1995-6)
• Improved BOM process for a savings of$7315/per BOM.
• Reduced cost of rework in Defect Management group for savings of $90,621.20
• Reduced PPM’s vendors by 54% and internal PPM’s by 80%
• Improved productivity by 37.85%, estimated labor savings $117,005 (1995 checker lines).
• Reduced voided invoices in shipping; impact $9,702.00 (1996)
• Reduced Changeover on Press, estimating a potential savings annually of $154,578.47 year.
• Reduced defects through error reduction and standardization on Hinge line for estimated annual savings of $510,983.85 (1996)
• Leadership: Full implementation of Policy Deployment at the leadership level
• Implemented Kaizen coordinator and internal consultant development in all major technologies (TPM, JIT , 5S, Professional workflow improvement, etc)

Stationery Battery Manufacturer (Southeast US)

• Application of 5S/Visual management in 16 areas saved a range of 50-1000 square feet per area, and created a safer workflow, higher productivity, reduced downtime, and improved quality.
• Additional Benefit: Dramatic positive response to visual workplace organization (5S) improvement from customers and associates, increasing sales and employee morale.
• Assembly: Saved 800 sq. ft., reduced cycle time from 7 to 1.5 minutes, reduced material shortages.
• Small Parts Casting: Identified and scrapped 21,000 lbs. Obsolete material (meted and used for later parts), saved 700 sq. feet, reduced steps by 50%.
• Cure Oven: saved 5 process steps, 32 sq.ft. Improved safety and quality.
• Extensive Internal Consultant Development in Kaizen Basics, 5S, visual management, Total Productive Maintenance, and Office kaizen.

Battery Manufacturer Northeast US (1999-2002)

• Reduced Changeover on all 4 major lines to under 10 minutes
• Instituted visual management (5S) to improve productivity in distribution center
• Internal Kaizen Consultant Development in Changeover Reduction and Kaizen Basics.

Automotive Parts Manufacturer /Wire Harnesses (1992-1993)

• Reduced seat leak rejects from a range of 3-9% to 1%, resulting in an annual savings of $84, 000.00 over a 3-month duration.
• Reduced defects on the solenoid line resulting in an annual cost savings of $46,716.00.

Roller Bearing Manufacturer (1990-1992)

• Reduced plant wide quality problems by 50%, achieving targets through continuous improvement projects.
• Reduced bearing machine process quality defects by 30%, cup finishing defects and rework by 50%, and 3 other specific defects by 19%, 35%, and 78% respectively. These results were published in Ryuji Fukuda’s latest book “Building Organizational Fitness”.
• Industry Week recognized this plant in 1992 as one of America’s Best.
• Internal consultants were trained and developed , including managers, supervisors and operators.
• This plant was designated a “Center for Excellence” in the Cedac™ process and achieved these results:
• Developed a Kanban program for 5 Lines
• Reduced Cup Finish Inventory from 66,000 to 5,600.
• Reduced Press Changeover from 3 hrs. 53 minutes to less than 1 hr.
• Reduced Line changeover from 1.5 Hours to 35 minutes
• Reduced Line Grinders from 1 hr. 43 minutes to 30 minutes
• Increased miniroll wrapping from 13,000 pcs. /shift to 25,000 pcs/shift.
• Reduced scrap and rework on Line 6 by 30%
• Increased uptime on Line 4 from 74-82% and on South Press from 60-79%

Back to Top

Braking Systems Manufacturer

• Reduced monthly consumption in Maintenance from 520K kilo-watts/hr to 364 kilo-watts/hr, a savings of and27,846.00 in 3 months.
• Reduced line side utility time by 21.3%, an annual savings of $23,802.00

Braking Systems Manufacturer (1991-)

• Reduced changeover time from an average 55 hrs/week to less than 30/hrs week, a monthly savings of $7617.50, annual savings $91, 404.00
• Reduced monthly scrap on rough bore finish from $921.56 to $195.20.
• Increased cycle time Master cylinder station by 150 units/day, cost impact of $42,816.00 year.
• Implemented I piece flow JIT in auto Backing Plate (WIP from 3000 to 5, Changeover from 480 to 10 minutes, space reduction from 756 sq. ft. to 529 sq.ft. throughput from 1100 to 1500).

Automotive Manufacturer

• Increased inventory accuracy from 81% to 92% in 3 months.

Electric Controls Manufacturer (1987-1991) Shingo Prize Winner

• Implemented policy deployment, Cedac, SMED (changeover reduction), Poka Yoke (error proofing)
• Reduced Lead-time from 8-12 weeks to 1-2 weeks
• Reduced Work in Process by 80%
• Reduced Finish Goods Inventory from $1.2 Million to $300,000.
• Reduced Stores Inventory by 50%
• Increased On time delivery from 65% to 95%

Aircraft Engine Manufacturer (1989-92)

• Reduced leak test rejects at welding process from 40-hrs/repair time to 4-hours/repair time.
• Reduced computer paper consumption in Engineering 80% for an annual savings of $250, 000.
• Reduced film consumption in research lab from $645/day to less than $120/day.
• Blade Fabrication: Reduced reject rate from 17% to 1.7%. Reduced scrap from 25% to 7%. Eliminated $280,000 worth of test pieces. Reduced late delivery from 2000 to 0/month, a savings of 3.5 million in inventory.
• Office: reduced pneumatic tube flow from 80/day to 20/day, and increased clerical productivity by 35%.
• Reduced paper turnaround time from 17 to 2 days internally (acctg).

Back to Top