Hardwood Plywood; Achieving Quality with

Organic Products

Ken DurlandLean Manufacturing Manager

Mt Baker Products

Mt Baker history 10th Anniversary

Bought out of bankruptcy

Plywood Learning experience

" Beginning reform is beginning revolution. " --Duke of Wellington

Donnie Allen

Donnie Allen

Be willing to make decisions. That's the most important quality in a good leader. Don't fall victim to what I call the Ready- Aim-Aim-Aim Syndrome. You must be willing to fire.

-T. Boone Pickens

Differences of Lumber and Hardwood Plywood

Grading vs. Inspection

Manufacturing Assembly

Manufactured Defects

Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival. --W. Edwards Deming

How Do We Compete? We make the finest hardwood plywood

Niche Markets

High Quality, High Mix - Low Volume McDonald’s vs. Wendy’s

•It is not enough to do your best; you must know what to do, and THEN do your best --W. Edwards Deming

Quality Tools

JIT Japanese Manufacturing Techniques Upside Down Pyramid Kaizen

“We are being ruined by our best efforts”

- W. Edwards Deming

Rule #1 Quality Sells

Everyone Knows “Quality Sells” The trick is doing what it takes

Build in Quality vs. Inspect in Quality

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win. --Mahatma Gandhi

Lean Manufacturing Minimum Input = Maximum Output

Find and eliminate the waste Seven Deadly Wastes:

• Overproduction • Inventory• Defects• Waiting Time• Transportation• Processing• Motion

“Companies will become lean for two reasons; either they are making money and

see the opportunity, or they are losing money.”

- Unknown

No Overproduction Greatest waste of money and resources

Uses materials that may be needed for other orders

Involves extra handling, storage, and space

Hides other problems Defects

" Beginning reform is beginning revolution. " --Duke of Wellington

Reduce Inventory Closely connected to overproduction

Obsolete panels

Long loading times

Quality problems

Scheduling problems

" Planning is as natural to the process of success as its absence is to the process of failure. "

-Robin Sieger

Eliminating Defects Most effective with low inventory

Defects are seen at the next workstation Action taken immediately and problem

eliminated

Find the root cause Don’t put on a band-aid

“Without data, it’s just another opinion.”

- Moshen Modarres Fathee, Boeing Corporation

Shop Rate September 1999 - 8.8%

Shop Rate September 2003 - 2.32%

Did We Succeed?

Almost all quality improvement comes via simplification of design, manufacturing,

layout, processes, and procedures. -Tom Peters