No Barrier Too Big for the Team

We were running a reliability and center lining Kaizen for a vinyl siding plant in Maryland. These events often unlock 5% gains in yield and productivity and drastically reduce safety risks by 90% or more.

It was cold, so cold you could see your breath on the shop floor. Still, the team stayed focused. We spent the first two days teaching principles and establishing a center line for the process, leveling equipment, and planning the rest of the week.

Then, on day three, disaster struck. A critical water line broke, shutting down the fire suppression system. The plant was evacuated. We couldn’t even grab our tools. The event was abruptly canceled.

I left wondering: What would happen to the half-done work? Would the changes help or hurt? Would the team lose momentum?

One week later, the plant was operational again. Two months after the shutdown, we were back. Not only to finish the first line but to tackle a second. We had mostly the same team, plus a few new faces. We did a quick refresher on reliability principles and techniques and then went to Gemba. I was amazed. During the downtime, the team had already improved results using what they’d learned. They were fired up and ready to go.

We deployed most of the team to the new line, which had many of the same reliability issues. A smaller group returned to the first line to finish what we started. Over the next few days, we aligned, leveled, and pinned every critical element on both lines.

By day three, both lines were running better than anyone could remember. We locked in improvements and implemented the Wheel of Sustainability to ensure long-term results.

The approach has now been replicated throughout the plant and across their entire network of four additional sites. Better yet, they’ve built a workforce that believes in improvement and is hungry for more.

Even when the plan falls apart, a committed team can rise to the challenge. Reliability work is about precision and attention to detail. Culture is about perseverance and the drive to get things done.