Expert Details
Lean Manufacturing and Operations
ID: 739365
Connecticut, USA
Expert offers skills in motivation, leadership, manufacturing methods, and operational improvements in multi-plant environments. He began working with productivity improvement concepts as a plant manager in the early 1980’s and leveraged that “Learn-by-doing” philosophy as a Project Manager in the deployment of Theory of Constraints with General Motors.
Expert's formal Lean training was undertaken with former Toyota executives with the Kaizen Institute of America, which his applied in a key role in the design and deployment of Lean at Black & Decker Corporation. As a Project Manager with the Spectrum Management Group, he worked with client companies to implement Lean philosophy in a variety of processes, including Electronic PCBA and Assembly, Forging, Investment casting, Metal fabrication, Injection molding, Wire drawing, Machining and Repair. As a Lean Sensei, he led a team for the $8.0 billion Celestica Corporation to win the first-ever Shingo Award in the Electronics Manufacturing Services industry in 2005. Expert went on to work for CONNSTEP in 2007, a Connecticut based consulting firm that works with small to medium-sized companies within Connecticut to stimulate manufacturing growth. He continued to apply his Lean experiences in the role of General Manager/Manager-Lean Innovation with Seconn Fabrication, a sheet metal fabrication job-shop that serves a wide range of industries. Expert provided Lean leadership to suppliers of Covidien as a Senior Supplier Development Engineer, a $10 billion manufacturer of surgical devices.
Expert has played key roles in Lean Manufacturing implementation, Lean Office processes, Theory of Constraints thinking, Operational Assessment, Supply Chain Development, Manufacturing and Project Management, Business Development, and New Product Design and Development. He has extensive experience in the design, deployment, and implementation of such productivity programs as Office Lean, 5S, Visual Management, Set-up reduction, Kaizen, Cellular Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Supply Chain Development, Demand Flow and Total Productive Maintenance.
Expert's teaching credentials include Adjunct Professor in the Connecticut Community College system, where he co-developed and taught a Lean Enterprise curriculum. He has also taught various Lean manufacturing courses at Central Connecticut University, CCAT, CONNSTEP. Expert has written numerous articles about Lean deployment and has authored a guidebook to implementing basic Lean production systems. He holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Susquehanna University, is a certified Shingo Award Examiner is on the editorial board of Inside Dental Technology magazine, and has lectured extensively on the various aspects of implementing Lean concepts in both Manufacturing and the Office environments.
Expert's core skills include:
Facilitation
Lean in the Office Environment
Theory of Constraints (Bottleneck management)
Supply Chain Management
Continuous Improvement (Kaizen, SMED, Cellular Mfg., Total Productive Maintenance, etc.)
Kanban system design and deployment
Toyota Production System
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: 1975 | Degree: BS | Subject: Marketing and Business Admin | Institution: Susquehanna University |
Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 2005 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: Owner | Department: |
Responsibilities:Expert's eponymous process improvement firm provides realistic support for business improvement efforts. Expert offers over 40 years' hands-on international experience in a variety of industries including Dental Labs, Medical Devices, Clinical research, Electronics, Aerospace, Automotive, and Consumer Goods.Among numerous fields, Expert has worked on Dental Lab process flow in Dentures and Crown/Bridge. Additional applications include remake elimination, bottleneck reduction, employee compensation, and training for Supervisor Skills. Expert has extensive experience in the implementation of such productivity programs as Value Stream Mapping, Mistake Proofing, Kaizen, Cellular Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Supply Chain Development, Demand Flow and Total Productive Maintenance. A major strong suit is executive coaching. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2010 to 2011 | Employer: Covidien | Title: Senior Supplier Development Engineer | Department: |
Responsibilities:Company is a $10 billion design, developer and manufacturer of medical devices. Expert's responsibilities included the evaluation of key suppliers for value improvement ideas, Lean skills development, and deployment of the Supplier Development services.Key objectives included support of a team goal of $10 million cost savings. Expert's activities included: • Crisis management of projects to resolve supplier performance issues • PPAP steering committee to interface with Lean deployment at suppliers • Kaizen event at suppliers to reduce the Product Development Process by 50% • Project management of two product design changes to improve supplier productivity • Management of the Supplier Value Improvement Task Force to drive 5% savings at suppliers • Program management to eliminate supplier quality issues & restore On-time Delivery to the 99% level. • Developed a Prioritization Model to prioritize 365 suppliers for improvement efforts in 2011. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2008 to 2009 | Employer: (Undisclosed) Fabrication | Title: General Manager & Manager | Department: Lean Innovation |
Responsibilities:This company is a $10 million sheet metal fabrication job-shop that serves a wide range of industries.Expert's responsibilities included overall business operations and Lean strategy design/deployment. Key objectives included 10% revenue growth, reducing operating costs by 10%, and improving productivity by 20%, where critical activities included: • Establishment of a Return Material Authorization review process, resulting in a 54% reduction in defects found by the customer • Segmentation and alignment of the business into two process flows • Organizational changes to build Team Leader skill sets & ownership on the shop floor • Cost savings & productivity of $125,000 from revamping wasteful procedures in the office • Lean culture improvements from workforce evaluation, training, and participation • Eight Kaizen events (TPM, Cells, 6S) to reduce cycle time on high-volume parts by 66 – 80% • Part of the team to deploy and receive ISO registration. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2007 to 2008 | Employer: [Consulting Firm] | Title: Lean Manufacturing Specialist | Department: |
Responsibilities:Consulting firm working with small to medium-sized companies to stimulate manufacturing growth.Expert's responsibilities included providing Subject Matter Expertise to this firm in Standard Work, Facilitation Skills, and Change Management. Critical contributions included Business Development, as well as Lean Deployment and program design for client companies in both the office and the Shop floor. Key objectives included delivery of $100,000 of services to clients to 90% client satisfaction; and the firm's promotional activities in support of business development. Projects include: • Reduction of New tooling Lead time by 52% • Reduction of Set-up time on cable machine by 64% • Reduction of Accounts Payable process time by 57%; • Quote and Order-entry process reduction by 50%; C • Co-development/delivery of a Lean curriculum for State of Connecticut Community College system • Joint projects with other state supported business improvement companies. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2000 to 2007 | Employer: [Corporation] | Title: Director, Global Celestica Lean Enterprise | Department: |
Responsibilities:Expert was responsible for all phases of Lean programs in an $8 billion Electronics contract manufacturer. Goals: to design, develop, and implement at 10 EMS and Repair plants in North and South America.Expert's activities included site-by-site improvement, planning/execution, budget management of full-time professional staff, and program coordination with corporate global initiatives. His key objectives include the delivery of cost savings per site equal to 1% of revenue, site self-sufficiency in Lean practices, support of mergers/acquisition activities, integration of new sites, and product transfers to other sites. • Promoted to Director within 6 months reporting to VP Global Operations • Provide Lean deployment leadership and mentoring • Design and deliver customized Lean training to both Celestica and supplier sites • Conduct site assessments for baselining improvement strategies • Develop deployment plans and align with site needs/goals • Coordinate and develop Lean Transformation program based on Toyota Production System at sites • Promote Office Lean processes • Design and deployment of Six Sigma program • First Pass Yield improvements of 30-60%, WIP reduction of 45-80%, Cycle time reductions of 35-90%, OEE improvements of 20-32%, and on-time delivery improvements of 25-60% to meet a $26 million per year of savings group objective • Results include 2005 Shingo Award Winner as Lean Sensei • Received Americas Regional Excellence Award and President’s Award for Performance. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1995 to 2000 | Employer: Spectrum Management Group | Title: Project Manager | Department: |
Responsibilities:Expert was responsible for various hands-on business improvement actions, including new market development, introduction and implementation of Lean Manufacturing Concepts at various companies. His project management actions include client strategic planning, training of personnel in Lean Concepts, application of strategic improvement tools and methodologies, workforce evaluation, and post-project audit.• Improved cash flow by $2.0 million by forging a link from customer demand to the supply base • Developed and implemented a plant-wide Lean strategy with an aerospace client to provide a 20% Assemble-to-Plan improvement • Restructured a machining process to reduce cycle time by 25% • Conducted various training courses on Lean Manufacturing skills to increase employee involvement • Assisted client management with the transition from a functional organization to product team focus • Reduced manufacturing cycle time from 25 days to 15 days by using Theory of Constraints methods |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1987 to 1995 | Employer: Black & Decker Corporation | Title: Supply Chain Manager + Numerous Roles | Department: |
Responsibilities:Expert served Black & Decker Corporation as:Supply Chain Manager; Manager, Business Improvement; and Supervisor of Operational Audits. During this period, his major contributions included: Responsibility for the performance of six team members of a Fortune 500 Consumer Products company to manage supply chain processes including Forecasting, Procurement, and the Deployment of $18 million of inventory. Also responsible for new product introduction and the development of the worldwide supply base. • Successfully managed transition from a functional organization to focus business teams during Q1 • Improved service level from 89% to 96% through improved forecasting and inventory planning • Reduced supplier lead-time by 50% on the top two suppliers • Obtained commitment for 5% cost reductions yearly • Developed and managed a division-wide strategy on excess inventory prevention to eliminate $8.0 million excess • Member of the division President's operating committee and Global Product Development group. Responsibility for the improvement of a Fortune 500 Consumer Products company domestic and international business performance through analysis and implementation of appropriate methodologies such as Just-in-Time, Design for Manufacture, Kaizen, Total Quality Process, Supply Chain Development, Theory of Constraints, and Cellular Manufacturing. • Designed and facilitated the consolidation of two separate plants to save $2.0 million in operating expense • Installed a quality assurance program utilizing line-stop concepts to reduce parts-per-million defects from 5,000 to 385 ppm • Reorganized the shop floor and management structure of a packaging facility using a product focus resulting in improved on-time delivery from 65% to 98% • Supervised a Corrective Action Team of people from the European Marketing and Manufacturing organizations to eliminate 50% of the non-value added time in the packaging design process • Designed and presented a number of specialized training courses focusing on Employee Involvement, Set-up Reduction, Administrative JIT, and Focused Factories for client companies and their suppliers. Responsibility for the management of an audit team to conduct the evaluation of domestic and international business performance through use of Benchmarking, application of appropriate methodologies such as Design for Manufacture, Kaizen, Total Quality Process, Theory of Constraints, and Cellular Manufacturing. • Reviewed strategic plans for appropriate capital expenditures reducing payback from 1.5 years to 6 months • Identified and implemented a Kanban system to reduce inventory by 48% • Reduced operating expenses associated with overtime costs by 21% through revised planning methods • Avoided $750,000 cost for new a software system by conducting needs analysis on existing systems • Trained new financial auditors in operational audit methods. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1983 to 1987 | Employer: Creative Output, INC. (Eli Goldratt) | Title: Project Manager | Department: |
Responsibilities:Responsible for a number of divisions of Fortune 500 Automotive companies to provide on-site counseling. Specific contributions included management education and deployment of JIT concepts, Theory of Constraints, implementation of OPT software, and manufacturing process analysis.Among other responsibilities, Expert assisted with the development of client strategic plans. |
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International Experience
| Years | Country / Region | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Years: to Present | Country / Region: | Summary: |
Career Accomplishments
| Associations / Societies |
|---|
| IDT magazine Editorial Board Association for Manufacturing Excellence AME) 2005 Electronics Supply & Manufacturing Editorial Advisory Board |
| Licenses / Certifications |
|---|
| Shingo Award Examiner 15 years |
| Professional Appointments |
|---|
| Adjunct Professor for the Connecticut Community College system Service provider (Teaching, Consulting) to Central Connecticut State University-ITBD |
| Publications and Patents Summary |
|---|
| Expert has spoken and published on dental technology, modern machining, lean production, and engineering. His public speaking settings have included dental laboratory conferences, as well as conferences regarding lean methodologies and supply chain, and other industry events. |
Language Skills
| Language | Proficiency |
|---|---|
| Spanish | Fluent |
Fields of Expertise
lean project management, supply chain, supply chain optimization, supply chain management, business improvement, business operations, operations, operations management, lean manufacturing, lean, dental technology, dental laboratory, project management, new product design, new product development, new product development management, new product development solutions, management, general management, productivity