Events

February 25, 2020

OpExChange members recently visited Woodward’s Greenville plant, hosted by Dee Kalata, Operations Director, and Joe Conway, Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt. Woodward shared how they are expanding into remanufacturing fuel system components using Systematic Layout Planning (SLP), along with a walkthrough of their “True North” vision, daily management system, and leader standard work. The team demonstrated how visual management, operator involvement, and disciplined problem-solving support both new business development and existing operations. The visit concluded with a peer benchmarking discussion, reinforcing the value of OpExChange collaboration and shared manufacturing expertise.

February 6, 2020

PCI Group delivers mission-critical communications from its Fort Mill, SC and Dallas, TX facilities, processing more than one million secure documents daily for highly regulated industries. Following rapid growth in 2015, PCI recognized the need to rethink how production, quality, and training were managed at scale. By implementing standard work as a foundation of their lean journey, PCI reduced variation, improved training and onboarding, and strengthened employee engagement through operator-driven documentation and visual standards. These efforts enabled PCI to sustain growth, improve quality and service levels, and even launch a new facility in just three months—demonstrating the powerful business impact of disciplined standard work and servant leadership.

January 16, 2020

OpExChange members toured Komatsu America’s Newberry facility last week to see firsthand their industry-leading safety culture and energy improvements. The team shared their six-tiered safety program, including a near-miss reporting system, Safety Dojo, risk assessments, and “Point & Call” practices, resulting in zero lost-time accidents in the past five years and a 67% reduction in recordables. Members also learned how Komatsu reduced their carbon footprint by 55% through data-driven energy management. The visit highlighted Komatsu’s engaged management, lean principles in action, and strong community involvement, offering valuable peer-to-peer insights for attendees.

December 12, 2019

DISH Network hosted a plant visit in Spartanburg showcasing Industry 4.0 projects developed largely in-house by their engineering and operations teams. Highlights included vision systems with OCR for automated cosmetic inspection, collaborative robots improving productivity and reducing material costs, and a redesigned returns process that cut floor space by 30% with a sub–two-year payback. The visit also demonstrated how lean principles, IoT sensors, and workforce training are tightly integrated to drive continuous improvement.