Sharing Lean Experience
Visitors representing BAE Systems and the Royal Air Force recently travelled to Shannon Aerospace from the UK for a one day visit with the SAL Lean Team. The main purpose of the visit was to share experiences and knowledge related to Lean implementation in order to share Lean techniques and learnings. The visitors were particularly interested to see the MRO’s Pulse Line in action. Following a site tour, the group discussed challenges facing their respective organisations together with SAL’s Matt Shelton and Tom Caffrey. The companies will continue to keep in touch and to share lessons in continuous improvement as they continue their Lean journeys.
Pictured (standing L-R) are: Matt Shelton, Lean Team Member, SAL; Kevin Marsden Head of Aircraft Maintenance, BAE Systems; Brian Gill, Business Improvement & Engineering Director, BAE Systems; Tom Caffrey, Head of Quality, Training, Safety & Lean, SAL; Jonathan Rowbotham, Continuous Improvement Team Supervisor; (seated (L-R): Claire McCaffrey, Project Engineer Business Improvement, BAE Systems & Tony Osterberg, Continuous Improvement Facilitator, Royal Air Force.
January/February 2010
Shannon Aerospace - Awards Event
Shannon Aerospace recently celebrated the accomplishments of a number of members of staff, by holding a special ‘Awards Event’. Firmly committed to staff training and development, the event was held to celebrate the successful completion of key training courses held at the Shannon facility over the course of 2009.
Included in the presentation programme were awards for Practical Problem Solving (PPS) Practitioners who recently completed their Toyota 8-Step PPS Practitioner Training, which was delivered by the University of Kentucky; Managers who had successfully completed the Lean Foundation Course, including project implementation; and Trainees who had successfully completed their level 5 FETAC Lean Course, which was delivered in association with the Irish Centre for Business Excellence.
Crucially, each of these courses will work to support the company’s Lean business model and will directly influence Shannon Aerospace’s ability to achieve core business targets and goals. In particular, Practical Problem Solving is fundamental to the company’s Lean Vision and having eleven Practitioners now in place means that a proven, methodical approach to solving problems can be passed on to each and every employee. Members of the Executive Team at Shannon also participated in this training, which was facilitated by Tony Chamblin and Crit Fischer who have over 40 years combined experience of using this problem solving technique at Toyota.
Speaking at the event, Martin Kaiser, Chief Executive, Shannon Aerospace, commented; “2009 was a busy year from the point of view of developing the skills of many of our employees, and it is exciting to be at an event which recognises these achievements. We know that this investment of time and energy will have a long-term, positive effect, as the skills acquired will become embedded in our processes and our approach to doing business. 2010 will be an equally busy year from a training and development point of view and I look forward to contributing to many such events in the future.” He continued; “I would like to particularly thank the University of Kentucky for their continued encouragement & support and our own in-house Lean Team, who co-ordinated this event.”
Presenting the awards along with Martin Kaiser were respected Lean expert Ken Kreafle, General Manager of Production Engineering at Toyota Motors & currently in Residence at the University of Kentucky and Dermot O’Neill from the Irish Centre for Business Excellence. Over forty Shannon Aerospace employees received awards on the day.
Pictured at the event are Ken Kreafle of the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Company with Martin Kaiser, Chief Executive, Shannon Aerospace
Shannon Aerospace
See the Problem – Solve the Problem
Eleven members of staff are currently participating in Practical Problem Solving Practitioner training. Based on the Toyota Problem Solving Process, this is the first time these skills have been taught outside of the Toyota organisation. During the most recent training session, participants worked both individually and within teams in order to examine a number of problems currently being experienced at Shannon Aerospace using the ‘Toyota 8-step Problem Solving Process’. Participants learned the process involved and put it to immediate, practical use by solving and eliminating each of the problems under scrutiny.The Executive Team at Shannon Aerospace has also been participating in the training, which is being run in conjunction with the Irish Centre for Business Excellence and facilitated by Tony Chamblin and Crit Fisher of the Lean Systems Group within the University of Kentucky. These gentlemen have over 40 years combined experience of using this problem solving technique over the course of their careers at Toyota.
The investment of such a significant amount of time and effort on the part of the Executive Team is crucial to the success of the project as they, along with each of the eleven practitioners, will facilitate and support the deployment of the problem solving techniques throughout the company. Proven to give a competitive advantage, the company-wide use of this problem solving approach will substantially contribute to the delivery of our ‘True Lean Vision’, which is ‘Everyone in Shannon Aerospace continuously improving the work that they do’. Applicable to every type of problem experienced at all levels, this practical training is further advancing Shannon Aerospace’s Lean journey. The training, which totals fifteen days in all, commenced in August and will be completed by December.
