Next Professional Development Meeting: July 10th

 

Implementing Lean -- The Human Factor

 

Rich Graff is the Vice President of Manufacturing and Operations for Johnson Electric, in Vandalia, Ohio.  Johnson Electric *  is a Hong-Kong based, global manufacturer of electrical products such as Solenoids, Motors, and Micro-switches.  The operation in Vandalia is their worldwide center for Solenoid design & manufacturing. 

Rich has held previous positions as a Managing Director for a small, entrepreneurial motor company, as well as Plant Manager with Emerson Electric.    Rich has MBA and BS degrees from Kent State University.  He has been an active member of APICS since 1986.

Rich has been published in the APICS Journal, has helped develop the APICS Operations Management body of knowledge, and has spoken at several APICS national and regional conferences.  

Program Outline: Implementing Lean – The Human Factor

This presentation is a case study in Lean Manufacturing implementation.  Johnson Electric faced some unique challenges in that the organization had tried, and failed, to implement lean manufacturing in the 1998-2000 time frame. 

The presentation will focus on how the management team dealt with the previous failed attempt at lean implementation, and successfully implemented Lean by focusing on human and organizational behavior factors.  This is a real-world case study, with practical examples, and solutions to real-world problems in lean manufacturing implementation.      

 

* - Johnson Electric is not affiliated with Johnson Controls, a global manufacturer of automotive products