Lean Manufacturing Proves Effective for Oseco
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma (October 31, 2006) - Oklahoma might seem an unlikely place to find Japanese business philosophy at work, but that is precisely what leading pressure relief expert, Oklahoma Safety Equipment Co., Inc. (Oseco) has been busy incorporating into daily operations. Oseco has streamlined operations by implementing Lean Manufacturing, a management philosophy that focuses on the reduction of waste, improving quality, and the development of strong business relationships.
The Lean Manufacturing technique has evolved as industry moved from craft production to mass production and finally to lean production practiced in Japan where use originated with car manufacturers such as Toyota.
The process keys in on the reduction of the seven wastes: overproduction, waiting time, transportation, processing, inventory, motion and scrap. Through Lean Manufacturing, Oseco has been able to eliminate waste, improving quality and reducing costs.
According to Sharon White, Marketing Manager for the company, the benefits of Lean Manufacturing training are already evident. “We have been able to reduce order entry and manufacturing times and have increased production capacity without increasing headcount,” White said.
Using Lean Manufacturing concepts, Oseco is pull processing, meaning the company produces goods based on consumer demand rather than having more inventory than there is a demand for. Oseco is also demonstrating flexibility by developing new products and building business relationships in the industry.
To implement Lean Manufacturing at Oseco, employees have participated in off-site training at the Tulsa Technology Center, as well as preliminary training at the Oseco facility. Improvements to Oseco’s manufacturing of rupture disks, rupture panels, and other pressure relief products mean better quality for customers.
