Business:
There is a certain feeling associated with an opportunity as
extraordinary as leaving the United States to study international business and
have meetings with upper-level management across seas. It is a feeling similar
to the moments before a first kiss or when you score a game winning goal. I
feel as if this pent up excitement might explode causing the next atomic bomb
to be in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. 
Upon our arrival at the facility, the nicest receptionist
greeted us. For once, in my life, I was early and I now understand why people
show up 10-15 minutes early to everything. I was able to have a great
conversation about living in the Oconomowoc area and she illustrated how she loved
working for Bruno.
Once the whole class had arrived, Bill Belson, the Director
of Engineering drove us to the manufacturing facility. Bill (Yes MOM! I did ask
him if I could refer to him by his first name!), described his product development
organization and his experiences implementing Lean design practices to simplify
designs and meet schedules. Through his interactive manufacturing plant tour,
Bill illustrated how his Lean design practices optimized the facility from a
low twenty-eight minute production time for a single unit to an industry high six
minute procedure. 
That is almost a five times decrease in production time! How could
they have possibly implemented such a radical change? For starters, the employees
in this facility are highly regarded. Bill constantly would smile and say hello
to the workers as we walked by or asked to view his or her work stations. Just
to name some efficiency within the factory, they have overhead cranes to help move
heavy product, they have adjustable work stations called actuators (to accommodate
different employee heights), product movement reduction strategies, and computer displayed
packaging stations to minimize human error.
It was interesting hearing Bill describe his philosophy on
the importance of employees working efficiently. He had implemented a process
that quantified the amount of product travel time from raw materials to
finished goods. In collaboration with the Gemba Sessions or group huddles,
Bruno was able to have a reduced production time.
Gemba translated literally means “the real
place.” To business practitioners of Lean, it means the place where work is
actually being done or value is being created. Thus, a Gemba Session is when
all the employees gather to inform upper-level management on possibilities for
process improvement strategies. Bill said, “Who would know better than a person
working on the line day-in and day-out about ways to create a more efficient
process.” Bill was a strong believer in innovation and process improvement as
he said, “If we don’t change our products, somebody else will.”
That is why they had invested
heavily in restructuring the facility to reduce the product movement and create
a quicker production process. To constantly monitor the successes of this
operations, the ROI (return on investment) is constantly viewed. Another way
the company reduces its costs is by not holding large amounts of inventory.
To minimize the amount of
finished-goods on hand, the logistics team has finished good immediately loaded
on the trips that are accounted as F.O.B. Shipping Point. This means that when
they are loaded onto the truck they are considered the customers’ inventory,
not Bruno’s. In addition, all finished goods products are labeled specifically
for data consolidation if needed.
Bill described that Lean could be
impacted by a process that labels all finished goods on production facts and data points. For example, the torque
pressure on the chairs or the person who handled each specific part of the
process could be called to action for process efficiency. For instance, if an
employee used a low torque and his or her process had a zero return rate, the
company could present that all employees lower the torque rate when assembling
chairs.
After the tour, we were brought
to a conference room. At this point, my stomach was growling at me. I tried
petting it, but I think I might have looked like Buddha because some classmates
were looking at me funny. That is when they brought in the food.
I don’t know about you, but I
haven’t seen a Quizznos in forever and let me tell you, I don’t know why they
are disappearing. The sandwiches were amazing as we listened to Bill McDonough,
Digital Media Professional and Web Designer with a strong IT background, Jay
Kruger, Senior Graphic Designer, and Anne Moore, Marketing Manager, talk about
the re-branding process, SEO (Search Engine Optimization), and the future marketing
plans for the company. It was funny to hear that the consumer used to believe that the old Bruno logo looks like a girl with a slit in her dress. Their new logo is a better representation of the companies philosophies, motives, and mission.
If you are interested in SEO, here
is a link they supplied that will teach you everything you will need to start
Search Engine Optimization processes correctly.
Overall, I would have to say this
was a great tour! I learned a ton from the facility and I want to thank Bill
Belson, Bill McDonough, Jay Kruger, and Anne Moore for their individual and
group contributions to allow us to view the Bruno manufacturing facility. It
was great to see the process improvements, daily operations, and valuable
information about the Bruno Facility and Company. I cannot wait to see what the
businesses in Sweden have to offer now! If you don’t hear from me again for a
while, it means I am enjoying Sweden too much, and the chances of me wanting to
return home would be none...
Leisure:
We just drove to Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Still haven't flown yet and in my leisure time I am writing this awesome blog and doing papers for J.J. Shields class. Minus the tour, it is not too exciting over here yet, but stay posted for the excited to ensure once I land on the Swedish Shore.
Daily Reflection:
Innovation and process improvement are crucial components to running a successful business. Without a combination of those two principles, failure would be imminent. The implementation of new Lean practices is allowing companies to reduce costs and increase product optimization, which is allowing for a greater customer experience. The two greatest lessons I gained from this tour are
- If we don't change our products, somebody else will.
- Nobody knows how to improve a process better than the employee who works in that specific situation everyday.
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