Back in July of this year, we mentioned our new partnership with BeehiveFund, a nonprofit management consulting organization that helps manufacturing companies achieve cultural, operational, and financial improvements while increasing morale and productivity. 

Since then, we’ve been working with BeehiveFund’s team of engineering consultants to implement lean manufacturing principles and practices in our shop. This ongoing project will span an entire year, but we’re excited to share our first progress update with you today. 

The Kaizen Method and the 5S System

BeehiveFund is coaching our team through a lean production method known as kaizen, or rapid improvement processes. The guiding philosophy of kaizen is to promote continuous improvement with the ultimate goal of eliminating waste and increasing productivity. 

Rather than instructing companies to implement major changes right away, kaizen prioritizes making smaller, gradual changes that can be sustained long-term. 

A major component of kaizen is the 5S system, which aims to “clean up” a company to help facilitate better organization and order. The pillars of the 5S system include: 

  • Seiri (Sort)
  • Seiton (Set in order)
  • Seiso (Shine) 
  • Seiketsu (Standardize) 
  • Shitsuke (Sustain) 

So far, our team has started to dive into the first three pillars: sort, set in order, and shine. 

Sort, Set in Order, and Shine: Progress Updates from Ameritex

At Ameritex, the 5S system began with us thoroughly cleaning and sorting everything in our custom fabrication shop—and we mean everything! 

We shut down operations on the shop floor for a full day to pull all tools, equipment, and consumables to the middle of the floor for a thorough cleaning and labeling session. 

Combining our resources to get everything in our shop in clean, working order and into its rightful place helps ensure that each Ameritex employee can efficiently perform any task required for a job. 

It’s all part of our commitment to customers to provide exceptional service and deliver orders in record time. 

We’re thrilled with the progress we’ve made with BeehiveFund so far. Stay tuned for next steps in our lean manufacturing journey and our efforts to make Ameritex a metal worker’s paradise. In the meantime, if you need metal fabrication services, go ahead and request a quote!