Human Active Technology (HAT) is a global company that designs and develops ergonomic, human-centered products to create healthier and more productive experiences between people and technology. Its brands and divisions – HAT Collective, HAT Collective Healthcare, HAT Design Works and HAT e-Commerce – serve a broad range of customers across multiple markets, including corporate and home office, healthcare, hospitality, retail, and point-of-sale. Its diverse portfolio of products, used by leading organizations worldwide, ranges from intuitive height-adjustable tables and workstations to ergonomic mobile medical carts and innovative monitor arms. Headquartered in Easton, Pa., HAT employs more than 270 people and maintains manufacturing and logistical operations in Easton, Santa Clara, California, Louisville, Ky., and Rudkrobing, Denmark.
MRC teaches Kata Methodology & Leadership Development.
Line and Team Leads taught scientific thinking and critical inter-personal behaviors to sustain a continuous improvement culture.
“MRC did a fantastic job working with our team to not only deliver training but help them apply it right away to resolve challenges we were currently facing in our manufacturing processes.”
… Chad Hammerly, VP Global Operations
MRC has a long-standing relationship with Human Active Technology and has performed more than thirty engagements with them over the years that include Lean training and certifications, Six Sigma, Kata, Manufacturing Leadership Development, Quality, and Blueprint Reading. When they needed help to develop the capability of their Line and Team Leads to drive production and improvement efforts, they called MRC and scheduled leadership training, as well.
Solution
Gene Kaschak, Vice President of Continuous Improvement at MRC, customized a structured, data-driven approach in specific project areas to instill the Improvement Kata and Coaching Kata patterns, derived from Toyota’s culture, for a practical hands-on approach to develop team members’ ability to think scientifically as the foundation to a culture of daily continuous improvement. This training included 10-hour training for one group of ten participants, plus up to two 1-hour individual project coaching sessions per participant.
Wendy Beltzner, Director of Leadership Development at MRC paired the appropriate Supervisor Leadership training to the Improvement Kata and Coaching Kata to help create well-rounded team members, skilled in both scientific thinking and the critical interpersonal behaviors that can influence and sustain process changes. Wendy customized fourteen training topics, delivered across seven 4-hour sessions for a group of sixteen supervisors on subjects such as communication, active listening, conflict management, time management, team building, emotional intelligence, performance evaluation, and coaching. These skills enhance communication, build stronger teams, and reduce individual stress.
Results
• Process Improvement – The team reorganized our incoming quality inspection area. The project streamlined the process and helped everyone find the parts they needed faster. A more efficient inspection process has contributed to 97% on-time delivery to U.S. customers.
• Employee Engagement – Since completing this process, our Bethlehem warehouse team has launched and completed two projects in their operations helping with efficiencies. Last month they shipped a record number out of the warehouse, breaking the previous record by several hundred thousand dollars.
• Efficiency, Safety, and Communication Improvements – The team launched and completed seven different projects that have helped to improve safety, efficiency, and communication with the manufacturing environment.
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To learn more about Human Active Technology, visit their website at https://www.team-hat.com/