On Wednesday May 25^th EMC Members from London/Oxford and Midwestern Ontario come together to share best practices and benchmark at JMP Engineering in London.

Both SIG sessions were very successful and time well spent for those in attendance. Over 60 EMC Members came out and actively participated in the discussions.

The first session had EMC Member Company Nothers share their best practices regarding Visual Factory/Visual Management.

Nothers presentation included a brief overview of lean tools such as 5S and more clearly define the methodologies of Visual Management and how they implement this lean tool. 

5S organizes the workplace and defines WHERE things go.

Visual workplace goes one step further and defines Who, What, Where, When and How!

Both methods can yield great benefits, but one without the other falls short of achieving maximum waste reduction.

Nothers also shared the very cost effective tools and training they have used to make their facility a Visual Workplace.

Visual Workplace results include;

• Increased quality
• Increased machine efficiency
• Increased throughput
• Reduced scrap
• Reduced setup time
• Reduced inventory
• Standardized work
• Sustainable workplace organization
• Reduced Employee Injuries

Another EMC Member company JMP Engineering in London lead the second discussion sharing some of their best practices around Employee Engagement.

JMP Engineering touched on;

• Driving employee engagement in your Continuous Improvement activities.
• Identifying and managing employee's strengths and weaknesses.  
• How JMP Engineering successfully engages their employees.

Through employee engagement JMP fosters a culture of collaboration. JMP team members;

• Share ideas and best practices
• Think and work across boundaries
• Partner toward common goals

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about either of these SIG session please contact;

Jason Bates

jbates@emccanada.org