Conrad Stanen innovates with large-scale Lean transition
Over the past five years, Conrad Stanen has experienced impressive growth. The workforce has been expanded from 20 to 75 employees and the production area has been increased to 750 m². In addition, a sales and service office has been opened in Germany. This growth made process optimization crucial. To maintain the same drive and exceptional quality, we have taken steps to reduce waste and shorten lead times.
The Lean transition at Conrad is taking place in two phases. Phase 1 included measuring and recording current processes. Discover more details in the case 'Measuring is knowing at Conrad Stanen'. This phase provided insight into areas for improvement and showed that targeted internal training was necessary. Conrad is currently in phase 2: implementation. This phase focuses on two main aspects: the information process and standardization in the construction process. Gert-Jan Karman, General Manager of Conrad, shares his experiences and insights about this Lean transition and the associated improvements.
The information process
We have started by mapping the current situation, together with everyone involved in the sales process. We immediately identified the wastes and challenges and what the root cause was. We then created a new, more effective process together, including concrete actions to ensure a smooth transition from the current to the new process. This plan was subsequently presented to the management of Conrad Stanen and approved.
“We are currently implementing all the actions defined in the future process, as well as defining the responsibilities for each position. This forces us to communicate effectively and involve more and more employees in the implementation step-by-step plan, such as integrating the sales process into the organization,” says Gert-Jan Karman.
The standardization in the construction process
We recently completed the engine construction and casing at Conrad. “This is the workplace where our engines are built. Together with CI-Company, we have redesigned the workplace by means of: the 5S methodology, with a focus on eliminating waste by looking at what is necessary and what is not. We then analyzed the production process, evaluated the construction methods and strived for a standardized working method for an efficient construction process in steps.”
“The first results of the Lean transition are promising”
“The workplace and the engine casing process have been redesigned, which has resulted in an efficient and clear construction process. By optimizing the working method, one person can now build an engine casing within the specified time, with documented work instructions for continuity and quality. Information now also flows better through the organization, allowing sales orders to be processed more efficiently. We have drawn up an overview in which all responsibilities are recorded per position. From project coordinators to executive functions on the work floor. This shows when which information should be available and what the consequences are if that information is missing,” Gert-Jan explains.
“Learning to collaborate in a new way – that is the phase we are in now”
The cultural change among employees remains the biggest challenge for Conrad. “We want everyone to understand why we are making changes together, by sharing ways of thinking and interests. The input from CI-Company and the Conrad team helped to make adjustments and implement structural improvements, although it was challenging at first to get everything operational.”
The general opinion within Conrad about the Lean transition is very positive. We now see that employees are better able to work in a structured way and have clarity about their tasks and materials, which simplifies the work and increases efficiency. This process has also created a culture of continuous improvement, with people from different departments eager to apply similar methods in their own workplaces. This has peaks and valleys and relapses to “old behavior” are always lurking. We must remain alert to this together.”
Why does the 5S and CI working method suit Conrad?
“The working method of 5S and CI-Company fits perfectly with our ambition to continue to grow. No growth means stagnation,” says the owner of Conrad. “We want to build more machines, and eliminating waste has given us quality, capacity and efficiency. With the scarcity of skilled personnel, it is important to optimally utilize the potential of our current team, so that we can do more work with the current amount of people we have. We also train employees internally and externally to grow within the available positions.”
“Dennis (co-owner of 5S and CI-Company) took on this project himself, because he saw the problems within Conrad. His steadfastness and the way he continues to emphasize what needs to be done, even though it is sometimes tiring, are commendable. CI-Company remains supportive, persistent and makes decisive comments to get people moving. That is exactly what we need to move forward.”
“We enter the future with confidence and optimism”
To properly guide everything and maintain it in the long term, a standardized flow consultation has been set up. In this consultation, all disciplines coordinate the flow, from sales to delivery. In this way we ensure thorough capacity planning, which allows Conrad to look ahead better and better.
“Although the 5S-app is not yet operational, we have already made significant improvements. We hope to fully implement this app in the last quarter of this year, including the new construction and furnishing of the entire organization. We have extended the agreements with Dennis for the second half of the year, so that we can continue as we are now. We have appointed a Process Engineer who will be responsible for all internal processes. We didn't have this before. He will partly take over tasks from Dennis. We also want to have more control. To have more control, processes must be manageable. By measuring more often and monitoring KPIs weekly or monthly, we can make targeted adjustments.”
“Customer value is crucial”
“Lean is sometimes seen negatively, as if it is intended to fire people. But if your company is growing and it threatens to overwhelm you, Lean processes are essential. They help you identify waste and improve processes, which increases customer value. When you realize how much waste there is, you also understand how much better things can be. With 5S and CI-Company we try to make everything manageable and clear, so that you can manage in a targeted manner and your employees remain satisfied. You can look into your own kitchen, but you don't see everything. It is crucial to know whether we are doing well together as an organization and you must dare to look in the mirror. That is exactly what 5S and CI-Company does for us,” says Gert-Jan Karman, General Manager of Conrad Stanen.
Conrad Stanen, thank you for your trust! Are you curious about the next steps in this Lean journey? Then keep a close eye on our website or LinkedIn page.
What does Conrad Stanen do?
Conrad Stanen BV is an innovative, internationally oriented organization from the Netherlands with more than 100 years of experience in the design and production of customer-specific vertical drilling installations and components. Because Conrad is constantly on the move, there is always something to improve.