Client

Hamilton

Year

2017

Lean

5S (Workplace Order)
JIT (Just-In-Time)
Quality
Empowered Teams
Visual Management
Continuous Improvement
Management Style
Company Services

Deliverables

Training
Certification
Simulation

Hamilton Company specializes in the development, manufacturing and customization of precision measurement devices, automated liquid handling workstations, and sample management systems. Hamilton Company has been a leading global manufacturer for more than 60 years, with headquarters in Reno, Nevada; Franklin, Massachusetts; Timișoara, Romania; and Bonaduz, Switzerland; and subsidiary offices throughout the world.

Hamilton had been aware of Lean for 10+ years, but decided to start on the path to Lean in 2017. Steady year on year growth had lead Hamilton to outgrow their processes, resulting in increased lead times for their customers.

The journey with Hamilton started with an on-site training session (Lean Six Sigma Green Belt).  Hamilton was particularly impressed with the Kaizen event simulation, which we hold on the fourth day of the program.  The simulation is based on a process the participants are involved with.

After the training, we started assisting Hamilton with Kaizen events.  Based on a Lean roadmap which was created in conjunction with the Executives, we deliver one Kaizen event a month at Hamilton.  The very first Kaizen event resulted in hard savings of $4.08 million over a five year period.  We recently concluded a Kaizen event in the warehouse where the Kaizen team was able to reduce picking time from 45 minutes to 9 minutes.

While the initial focus is Kaizen events, Hamilton wants to inculcate a Lean culture throughout the company and we will be assisting them with that effort in the near future.