connstep advantage, vol 2, issue 2

Also

16 What I’ve LearnedChris DiPentima, Pegasus Manufacturing

18 All in the FamilyEmbracing continuous improvement and implementing Lean throughout the enterprise, Modern Woodcrafts is making plans for a third generation.

26 Waste WatchersArmed with new tools and a new approach to defi ning waste, Putnam Precision Molding has not only reduced their energy use, but has developed a team of waste detectives. w

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advantage

A Woman’s Place...... is in a factory.

These women embrace their feminine advantage and are outspoken advocates

for the next generation of female leaders.

Manufacturers that move ahead and stay ahead choose

CONNSTEP to guide their continuous improvement and

growth strategies.

Through close collaboration with our industry experts,

CONNSTEP accelerates top line growth, operational

effi ciencies and long-term sustainability.

Ready to experience a new level of success with your

company? Bring us your business goals and we’ll work

together to make them happen.

CONNSTEP. Your total business improvement resource.

Operational Excellence

Business Growth

1.800.266.6672 | www.connstep.org

>>> CONTENTS

connstep.org 3

advantageVol. 2, Issue 2

4WOMANufacturingOur critical challenge is on-going - how do we attract young people to pursue manufacturing careers? How do we capture their interest and prove that manufacturing is a fi eld in which they can earn a respectable wage, have a sense of pride in what they do, and showcase the clean, pleasant manufacturing environments?

14 16

18 22

14On Your Mark, Get

Ready, Get Set...

CHANGE!Why is it just so darn hard to change?

4

6

30

6The Buzz Newsworthy trends, topics, statistics and an

opportunity to ask the experts.

30Balancing ActThere are few easy fi xes, certainly no

correct answers, and no point at which

we’ll offi cially cross some threshold to being

“sustainable”.

18All in the FamilyEmbracing continuous improvement and

implementing Lean throughout the enterprise,

Modern Woodcrafts is making plans for a third

generation.

16What I’ve Learned...Chris DiPentima talks candidly on why we need to

start educating kids as young as middle school on

the good career opportunities in manufacturing,

how manufacturing and law are similar and how

Lean is a growth strategy at Pegasus.

22A Woman’s PlaceThese manufacturers view being a woman as an

asset, not a barrier, to being a successful leader in

the male dominated industry.

27Waste WatchersArmed with new tools and a new approach to

defi ning waste, Putnam Precision Molding has not

only reduced their energy use, but has developed

a team of waste detectives.

WOMANufacturingI think we can all agree, that in 2012, there are still many obstacles facing U.S. manufacturing. Some, the same contributing factors that led to its decline over the past decades, still remain; and some of these hurdles - outside of the obvious global competition - include barriers to entry, new product development, taxes and regulation, and as equally important, the lack of an available skilled workforce.

Our critical challenge is on-going - how do we attract young people to pursue manufacturing careers? How do we capture their interest and prove that manufacturing is a fi eld in which they can earn a respectable wage, have a sense of pride in what they do, and showcase the clean, pleasant manufacturing environments?

It’s been apparent for many years now, on both national and local levels, that there is a need to develop a STEM educated workforce. Despite this, formulating a strategy on how to draw students into STEM education, particularly the manufacturing specifi c programs of technology and engineering, is the biggest challenge. And add to this the even greater task of how to make STEM programs an appealing option for women. Men continue to outnumber women participating in these programs and less than 7% of mechanical engineering degrees are earned by women.

Over the last 65 years, we’ve changed our perception of what a woman’s role is in the workforce, however, the acceptance of women in manufacturing - in the engineering and technology skills base - has moved at a pace less than desired. It’s understandable when you consider the experiences of “Rosie the Riveter,” the cultural icon built on behalf of American women working in manufacturing during WWII.

During our breakfast at the New Britain Industrial Museum for the “Women in Manufacturing” feature, I learned that Kris Lorch’s mother was a Rosie - a contributor to the war effort. But our discussion did not focus on the fact that her mother received inequitable pay for performing the same job as man... that was a given. We discussed how that, when the war was over, these women returned to their original roles as “housewives” or, in rare occasions, were moved into lower-paying clerical positions. This left me thinking about the deep-seated beliefs, begun at the end of the war, that manufacturing was not appropriate work for women when they were “no longer a necessity.”

So, it is on us to move forward, learn from the sins of the past, and actively encourage our students, with a stronger focus on girls and young women, to pursue STEM education. I am absolutely convinced that through the support of parents, teachers, guidance counselors and mentors, that we can improve the number of women earning degrees in engineering and technology related fi elds.

When you read about the young women from Mercy High School who participated in the FIRST program this past spring, you’ll hear fi rst-hand how important it is to stop the heresy that “girls aren’t good at science.” TechTigers team member Vicky Scott fi nds that whole notion

“ridiculous.”

Thanks to all those who tirelessly contribute to the FIRST competition. A strong program, it represents just one solution to the problem of inviting our youth into the manufacturing workforce through maximizing creativity, innovation and competitiveness.

May your reading be satisfying...

Bonnie Del Conte is the president & CEO of CONNSTEP.

She can be reached at [email protected].

Bonnie

advantage

4 advantage Vol. 2, No. 2

Advantage Magazine is a publication of CONNSTEP, Inc.

For the small to medium size business that wants to remain competitive and grow in local and global markets, CONNSTEP provides technical and business solutions proven to have both immediate and sustainable long-term impact.

Unlike other professional consultants that focus only on a single component of your business, CONNSTEP’s multidisciplinary team uses a deliberate holistic approach, providing innovative results-driven top line growth solutions that impact the entire organization.

Since 1994, nine out of ten CONNSTEP clients have reported increased profi tability. In 2011 alone, data provided by an independent survey credited CONNSTEP with impacts of more than $160 million dollars, including new and retained sales, and the creation and retention of nearly 1,600 jobs. Our experience and network of local, state and federal resources, make us not only unique but unequaled in our fi eld and in our state.

PublisherBonnie Del Conte, President & CEOCONNSTEP

EditorRebecca Mead, Manager, Marketing & CommunicationsCONNSTEP

Contributing WritersPam Butterfi eld, Business Success Tools, LLC

Bill Caplan, CONNSTEP

Ken Cook, Peer to Peer Advisors

Caren R. Dickman, CRD & Associates

Pat Hayden, UniMetal Surface Finishing, LLC

Mark Paggioli, CONNSTEP

Michael Perrelli, CONNSTEP

Susie Zimmermann, Channel Z Marketing

Contacts

To subscribe: [email protected]

To change an address: [email protected]

For reprints, PDF’s: [email protected]

For permission to copy: [email protected]

To pitch a story: [email protected]

CONNSTEP, Inc., all rights reserved. Reproduction

encouraged after obtaining permission from CONNSTEP.

CONNSTEP Advantage Magazine is printed three times

a year by CONNSTEP, Inc., 1090 Elm Street, Suite 202,

Rocky Hill, CT 06067. 800.266.6672

POSTMASTERSend address changes to:

CONNSTEP, Inc.

1090 Elm Street, Suite 202

Rocky Hill, CT 06067

>>> Contributors

connstep.org 5

Pam W. Butterfi eld is the principal of Business Success Tools LLC, working

with business owners, CEOs and organizational leaders to identify and eliminate barriers that impede business growth and performance.

Prior to founding her company, Pam was a senior principal in an international consulting fi rm. She was responsible for analyzing emerging trends in the fi nancial and technology sectors and developed profi table training and consulting operations to take strategic advantage of changes in these sectors. She assembled high functioning teams to develop innovative products and services and deliver them to market.

1

1

Ken Cook is the Founder and Managing Director of Peer to Peer Advisors.

His background includes over twenty years consulting with high growth and middle market companies, focusing on marketing, sales and growth strategies. Ken’s consulting includes fi ve years as a Senior Contract Consultant for Inc. Magazine.

He’s written three books, his latest being The Wisdom of Our Peers. His fourth book, The Wisdom of Relationships, is due out this fall. Ken also writes monthly columns for The Hartford Business Journal and The Worcester Business Journal, and has written columns for The Boston Business Journal and The American Marketing Association.

Bill Caplan provides consulting services to a variety of organizations

with a concentration in Lean Business Processes. He facilitates the design, development and implementation of Lean methodologies on an enterprise-wide basis. Bill is also a program leader for Continuous Improvement Champion Certifi cation.

Bill has more than 25 years of management experience with a focus on the applications of Lean Thinking principles. Past projects include providing facilitation and leadership for the successful implementation of point solution improvement projects as well as the development and implementation of improvements at the value stream and enterprise levels.

Caren R. Dickman has over twenty-fi ve years experience in marketing,

business and grant development, for trade associations, higher education institutions and nonprofi t organizations.

Currently the Communications and Grant Development Specialist at HRA, Inc., she was previously the Director of Marketing and Membership at EANE where she spearheaded the Strategic Marketing team project to re-brand the association, create a new logo, and standardize all communications. While at EANE and at CBIA she worked closely with numerous manufacturing companies throughout Connecticut on a variety of projects.

Patrick Hayden is the Senior Vice President of UniMetal Surface Finishing,

LLC, one of the largest commercial metal fi nishers in the Northeast.

Prior to UniMetal, Pat was the Vice President of Operations for Donham Craft and has sat on a number of local and state boards including the Smaller Manufacturers Association of Connecticut (SMA), Manufacturing Alliance of Connecticut (MAC), Connecticut Association of Metal Finishers (CAMF), and a board appointed seat on the National Association of Metal Finishers (NAMF).

Mark Paggioli works with CONNSTEP clients to build top line growth, focusing

on innovation, enhancing existing revenue streams, and resolving existing problems to remove barriers on the path to growth.

Joining CONNSTEP in the spring of 2012, Mark brings over ten years of experience and a wealth of knowledge with him, including strategic development, new product development, and plans and demand generation through both online and offl ine media.

Michael Perrelli is the Marketing Specialist at CONNSTEP where he is

responsible for developing the content, markets and promotions for CONNSTEP training, networking and outreach programs. Additionally, Michael works on organizational market development, website maintenance and trade show efforts.

Before joining CONNSTEP at the end of 2010, Michael worked for the Alcone Marketing Group, a promotional agency based in Darien and for SourceMedical in Wallingford, where he controlled multiple direct marketing and trade show efforts for the leader in ambulatory surgery center management software.

Susie Zimmermann has more than 20 years of experience developing

and managing marketing and communications for corporations, non-profi t organizations, and government agencies. In her current work with clients from both the commercial and non-profi t sectors, she provides strategic consulting on branding, product launches, messaging, positioning, employee communications and comprehensive marketing programs.

Prior to launching her own consulting business, Susie managed marketing and communications programs for the Department of Commerce’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership, AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps.

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Mastering Lean LeadershipTo commit to Lean, leaders must believe in Lean. To believe, they must fi rst

understand Lean. Lean is not about what you do, it is about how you think.

Lean is a way of life, a management system, a long-term strategy. Lean is

about growth, not the accustomed cost-cutting.

The gist: Mastering Lean Leadership helps leaders understand Lean,

believe in Lean and commit to Lean so they can create, lead and sustain

a Lean business model. The battle is no longer the employee’s resistance

to change, as much as it is the executive leadership’s resistance to

understanding what it takes to create a Lean business model, to create a Lean

culture.

Approach: In a small group setting, Mastering Lean Leadership is a series

of six half-day professionally facilitated, interactive roundtables for the top

leader and his/her reports to engage in meaningful dialogue about their

specifi c business transformation to a Lean management culture.

The next Mastering Lean Leadership program begins September 17th and

runs to December 3rd. Visit http://bit.ly/leanleader for complete program

information.

>>> calendar

Continuous Improvement Champion Certifi cation

The gist: CICC is a ten-session course providing intensive exposure to the

principles and practices needed to develop and sustain the Lean Enterprise.

Approach: You will receive immediate reinforcement of the classroom

learning by applying your training to a real-life project within your

organization. Together with on-site mentoring and knowledge assessments,

this approach dramatically reduces the time frame from training to bottom-

line results.

Who attends? Those tasked with implementing and sustaining a culture of

continuous improvement within their organizations.

The next CICC program begins October 2nd and runs to January 8th. Visit

http://bit.ly/CICCprogram for complete program information.

Connecticut Manufacturing Coalition RoundtablesOctober through May

The gist: The roundtables off er a confi dential forum where manufacturers

share and learn about common challenges as well as best practice solutions

to achieve sustainable continuous improvement and profi table growth.

You’ll gain an invaluable network of trusted peers, business development

opportunities, best practice presentations, as well as, industry related

resources.

Who attends? Manufacturing professionals interested in benchmarking,

networking and learning from their peers.

http://bit.ly/cmcroundtables


The term ‘Lean & Green’ has become popular recently. Does Lean address environmental and energy wastes as well?

When I walk through a manufacturing plant, I typically notice that equipment is not making needed product, there are piles of excess inventory, there is poor work fl ow, and sometimes a reworking station with someone expeditiously working to repair defective material. I also notice that the building is well lit, the HVAC is working great and I can hear the hum of idling motors in the background.

The scene I just described is what Lean practitioners call identifi ed waste or non-value added activities. The good news is that all of these wastes can be addressed by applying Lean thinking methodologies to your business or manufacturing processes. By using the tools and methodologies of Lean and a scientifi c approach to effective problem solving, you can achieve improved results for your production or capacity problems.

Lean is about becoming more customer focused, value based and resource effi cient. The expected impacts are multi-faceted. A typical focused kaizen event (a team-based, multi- day event) using Lean methodologies will yield 15-20% additional throughput with the same resources, 25% less lead time, and will also have a positive impact on inventory.

Another benefi t of applying Lean thinking is that the additional throughput has a

direct impact on the energy consumed. Applying Lean thinking methodologies will lead to energy effi ciencies through energy avoidance, it will also improve your energy usage effi ciencies, and help with energy conservation. On average, we’ve seen a 15-20% throughput increase translate into a 5% reduction in energy usage or energy avoidance. The effi cient use of business processes is equal to energy savings, making more with the same amount of energy consumed.

Because Lean thinking is a business system, with a core philosophy of excellence, product or process waste is also an area of interest. The goal here is to ensure that the process yields less material scrap on start up and less rework during run times. As a result you’ll see less material going to the re-claimers or landfi lls.

The goal of Lean is to strive for perfection by continually eliminating the wastes in your processes. Remember waste is waste regardless of its form. Wasted energy or scrap is no different than excess inventory or overproduction.

If you’re interested in increasing throughput, capacity, quality and saving energy, then it’s time to get started on your Lean journey.

You have questions, Bill Caplan, fi nds the answers. An expert in Lean and continuous improvement, Bill answers your questions using his experience and the knowledge of industry’s top thought leaders.

Bill Caplan is a Lean Consultant with CONNSTEP. For over 12 years, Bill has been providing consulting services to a variety of businesses with a concentration in Lean Business Processes.

Reach Bill at [email protected].

>> > Ask the Expertssound off

Q: Have you built environmental and energy initiatives into your organization’s strategies? What barriers do you anticipate?

A: We have had CONNSTEP at Aerodyne Alloys to

conduct the Green Collar champion training session.

During this training program, we gained valuable

information regarding some of our everyday organizational

practices and procedures and have re engineered many of

them. Although the process is ongoing, we continue to

make great strides month in and month out.

Training our staff on these green principles provided

them with the needed foundation to ensure the proper

implementation and sustainability of our Green initiatives.

- Greg Chase, President, Aerodyne Alloys LLC

A: Bigelow Tea is very much invested in building

environmental and energy efforts into our organizational

strategy. In our mission statement, the Bigelow family

affi rms their commitment to being a “good corporate

citizen” and protecting the environment. Whether it is

through the great work of our “green” teams or individual

green goals for each employee, our environmental

and energy efforts are part of our daily culture. From

the installation of 900 solar panels to the utilization of

motion sensors or other energy effi cient equipment,

this philosophy has yielded more than a benefi t to the

environment, but it has also provided an economic benefi t

as well.

As with any worthwhile venture, there are always

obstacles to work through. As the economy has seen a

downturn, incentive money seems to have been affected.

Understandably, when it comes to incentive money,

most of the efforts are directed towards electrical usage

reduction. There needs to be a similar concentration on

other areas that affect the environment, such as water

conservation and waste reduction.

- Jim Gildea, Plant Manager, R.C. Bigelow

connstep.org 7

BUZZthe >> > Business Barometer

Numerous tax incentives are available in support

of businesses and their ‘green’ investment, but

many of these savings are left on the table - 37%

of respondents in a recent survey indicated they are

unaware that these incentives exist.

Ernst & Young’s recent report, Working together:

Linking sustainability and tax to reduce the cost

of implementing sustainable initiatives, unearths

the root cause of the problem. According to the

report, the lack of integration between sustainability

programs with tax and fi nance departments has led

to the neglect of such opportunities.

Through their experience, Ernst & Young believes

that a holistic approach, with management buy-in

and communication among all relevant departments

and external resources, is best able to identify

tax incentives and other opportunities that can

increase the ROI of a sustainability strategy. The

report shows that only 16% of companies that have

a sustainability strategy said their tax or fi nance

departments are actively involved in the initiatives.

Have you included your tax or fi nance departments

(or tax professionals) in your green initiatives? If not,

ask them to help uncover the tax benefi ts that are

there for the taking. Why not take advantage of

them while they are still there?

Are you aware of the incentives below? There is a

good chance that you aren’t.

The complete report by Ernst & Young LLP can be

viewed at ey.com/climatechange.

Green-er Pockets through Green-er Practices

Local tax credits & other incentives for environmental sustainability initiatives

Other federal grants for environmental sustainability initiatives

State tax credits & other incentives for R&D or manufacturing of environmentally friendly products

State tax credits & other incentives for other environmental sustainability initiatives

State tax credits & other incentives for energy-effi cient buildings & upgrades

Federal tax incentives for research & development of environmentally friendly products (IRC Section 41)

Federal tax incentives for renewable energy

Federal tax deductions for energy-effi cient buildings (IRC Section 179D)

Utility incentives for environmental sustainability initiatives

State tax credits & other incentives for renewable energy

Federal tax incentives for manufacturing of environmentally friendly products (IRC section 48C)

0% 100%80%60%40%20%

56%

50%

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45%

43%

41%

33%

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16%

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53%

55%

57%

59%

67%

70%

72%

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Unaware Aware


PASSWORD

DOs &

OH NO YOU

DIDN’Ts

We need passwords for everything in these technology-riddled days. The easier you make them to remember, the easier they are to get hacked. Here are 7 helpful tips on how to make secure passwords.

1. Use Different PasswordsDon’t use the same password for everything. A hack into an easy account like Facebook will almost defi nitely lead to a higher risk hack.

TIP: If you are like me and have hundreds of passwords, come up with a formula that incorporates the website name. For example, you can take the last four digits of your phone number and the website name koobecaf7724, twit7724ter, or even e1b2a3y4.

2. Avoid Personal InfoDon’t use info like pet names, birthdays, kids’ names, or your last name, that can be looked up on Facebook. Secure passwords are something only you would guess.

TIP: Use the letters of your favorite song, poem, etc. to make an acronym out of it. “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” would be SPLHCB. Add some numbers to this and it would be foolproof.

3. Default PasswordsSome websites will give you a default password on your fi rst login. Change that immediately or someone can get in and lock you out!

TIP: Use your favorite TV show, the fi rst car you bought, or your favorite book as a password idea. However, if you are obviously the biggest Aerosmith fan in the world, it may be best not to use “Dream On.”

4. Longer is BetterEach letter you add makes it exponentially harder to hack. Push your words together to make it more secure and add more characters if required.

TIP: If you use Apple 7, make it Apple7Apple7. Want to make it even harder? Throw that password in reverse. ElppaElppa is much harder to fi gure out.

5. Avoid Popular WordsThe most common words used in passwords are: God, love, lust, money, private, QWERTY, secret, sex, snoopy, and password. These are words that most hackers will try and often get right on the fi rst or second attempt.

TIP: Try using symbols and letters in your passwords. Some sites require a number....My$is@th3Bank

6. Use a Password GeneratorAdvanced Password GeneratorThis app will generate a creative password for you. Select criteria (Character count, numbers, caps) and it will whip one up for you and tell you how strong it is.

7. Keep Your Passwords ProtectedKeeper Password & Data Vault

This app allows you to store all different kinds of passwords in one secure place. It’s literally a digital safe. You can set up different folders for all of your passwords. Other features include an Auto-Logout and a Self-Destruct feature if too many attempts are made to access your information.

Bonnie Sharon, better known as Cellular Chloe, is the Gadgetista of Wireless Zone®. She is an advocate for the end user and spends her time pushing the envelope on all devices so she can honestly report her fi ndings. She likes to help you get to that “a ha moment” so you and your gadgets can live happily ever after! You can fi nd her at www.CellularChloe.com.

connstep.org 9

BUZZthe

If you’re like most businesses today,

you are looking for ways to grow and

sustain your business. In fact, according

to a recent poll of small and medium size

businesses (SMB Business Perspectives:

2011 Results and 2012 Projections) the

number one challenge in 2011 was

customer/client growth. The survey went

on to say that nearly half of SMBs don’t

plan to diversify or narrow the scope of

their business, suggesting business as usual

in 2012. What’s more, 60 percent plan to

focus on customer/client growth in 2012.

Fortunately, they also mentioned a focus

on “improving” in the area of customer

growth.

The top two areas that SMBs will “invest”

in are Marketing and Sales. That’s great

news, I say this because the survey now

implies they are getting serious about

results. They know they need to improve

and by using the word invest – it means

they are expecting a return on the

investment (ROI).

Leads, and specifi cally lead generation,

is critical to business, but in order to

grow, the business must have an effective

process for lead generation. This is a

must – a true, end to end process. Why

is this so important? Because budgets are

limited and because the time frame to convert

a lead in Business to Business sales is typically

12 months or longer. And if you don’t have

a process to stay on top of the leads you

are generating, you are wasting your limited

resources and under performing.

So what are the requirements for an effective

lead generation process? For the sake of this

article, I’m going to break it down into fi ve

basic steps.

1. Identify target customers and appropriate

contacts for your offering. This can

be based on an existing best or ideal

customer profi le, a similar market with

similar needs, or new regions to name

just a few.

2. Development of your message. This

should be in the form of a value

proposition and ideally, an economic

value proposition that is clear and

compelling. It sounds easy but it is not

and to complicate matters, a value

proposition is typically different for

those with different roles within a given

organization.

3. Determine how you’ll distribute the

message. How will you reach your target?

There are variables here that need to

be considered, including your budget.

Do you already have access to contacts,

what is the best way to reach the desired

contacts and will your value proposition

translate to that marketing medium?

4. Develop or confi rm you have a means

to capture the leads and follow up on

them in a timely manner. Capturing

a lead means that you have all of the

required information to follow up with

the person that inquired as well as the

ability to determine the source of the

lead. They should go into a database or,

at the very least, excel. Ideally, you have

enough information so that your follow

up is a continuation of the dialogue that

was started through the lead generating

activity. And follow up means contacting

and qualifying every lead in a timely

manner – today that often means 48

hours or less.

5. Measure. You must measure your lead

generation efforts. You need to know

what efforts produce the best results for

your business, this includes being able

to determine what message, medium,

market and contacts are delivering results

for your time and money.

Improving Marketing and Sales results happens

with a lead generation process, which will

create growth. The most important ingredient is

a willingness to do things differently.

In order for SMBs to achieve the improvement

they desire, they must measure existing results

and continue to seek ways to better those

results. And to consider dollars spent as an

investment in marketing and sales, a business

needs to tie performance expectation to that

investment.

Lead generation is a process and should

resemble a plan-do-check-act process or other

continuous improvement effort. When that

is the approach, how can results not get better?

Lead Generation: An Investment in Your Growth

Mark Paggioli


Daniel Kahneman is a Nobel Prize winner in Economics out of Princeton University, and he is a keen observer of the human mind and how it makes decisions. In Thinking, Fast and Slow Kahneman lays out much of a lifetime of work he and his late partner Amos Tversky undertook to understand how and why humans make the decisions they make.

This is not a business book; if you go into a Barnes & Noble store and look for it, you will fi nd it in the Biology and Chemistry section. However, this is one of the best business books I have ever read. Throughout you will fi nd insights and “a ha” moments regarding yourself, your organization, and your customers.

The global “a ha” is the understanding you gain regarding how people’s decision making process unfolds, and recognizing the myriad of infl uences that impact those decisions. My most humbling insight is how I, and everyone else, make so many wrong decisions, yet how comfortable we all are with the illusion of being right.

Kahneman begins his non-fi ction work with fi ction, specifi cally the labeling of System 1 and System 2, the two parts of the brain that Kahneman calls “useful fi ctions” because they help explain the quirks of the human mind. As explained in the Introduction, “System 1 runs automatically and System 2 is normally in a comfortable low-effort mode, in which only a fraction of its capacity is engaged.”

System 1 uses association, intuition and metaphor to produce a quick take on reality. The often used acronym for System 1 operating is WYSIATI (what you see is all there is). Nothing more; nothing less. Most times this is suffi cient.

When presented with complexity, incongruity or a need to focus System 2 engages. System 2 makes sense of the nonsensical, and helps us form our more complex beliefs and reasoned choices.

There are two sections of the book – Heuristics and Biases, and Overconfi dence, that offer up fascinating examples of how the mind and decision making is infl uenced by intuition, memory, context and the need to be right.

One example is The Halo Effect coupled with luck, and their impact on what we believe to be true. An example Kahneman cites is Built to Last by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras, where they analyzed 18 pairs of companies and profi led the best practices of the more successful companies in the pairs. As Kahneman states:

• “Because luck plays a large role, the quality of leadership and management practices cannot be inferred reliably from observations of success.”

• “On average, the gap in corporate profi tability and stock returns between the outstanding fi rms and the less successful fi rms studied in Built to Last shrank to almost nothing in the period following the study.”

• “The average profi tability of the companies identifi ed in the famous In Search of Excellence dropped sharply as well within a short time.”

I could go on with many more examples that fascinate and challenge your thinking. Let me just say that every functional area of a business and the leadership in each of those areas will benefi t from reading this book. My suggestion, take the time to read this rich and insightful piece of work.

- Ken Cook, Peer to Peer Advisors

The Wisdom of Our Peers is one of those books that surprises in both its simplicity and richness. Cook runs a company called Peer to Peer Advisors, where he matches leaders of companies into groups, and these groups meet and function as board of advisors for each other. In the spirit of full disclosure, I have been a member of one of these groups for four years.

The book is a compilation of fi ve years of notes from those meetings. As you can imagine, the spectrum of topics covered in the book is as varied as the number of issues, opportunities and challenges that can arise over fi ve years running a small business.

Cook positions the book as “a book of stories.” In one way it is. Each chapter is a synopsis of a real life issue and the personal story of one owner and how he or she dealt with that issue. Each chapter also summarizes the input and advice the advisory group offered on the issue.

Besides telling stories, the book is a wonderful reference tool that should be on the bookshelf or better yet at hand on the credenza of every small business owner. The table of contents is six pages long and outlines discussion items under all of the important areas business leaders deal with – leadership, people, strategy and growth, marketing and sales, operations and fi nance.

Some of the solutions are what you would expect; common sense answers based on experiences of the people that have been there and dealt fi rst hand with the problems.

There are also quite a few insights you can gain from the experiences other leaders shared. Discussions on Lean practices, key performance indicators, and motivating employees are just some examples of areas that offer unique insights. Over four years of participating, there are very few meetings where I have not gained some value that has made a difference for me and my company.

I recommend you pick up this book. You will fi nd yourself referring to it time and time again.

- Pat Hayden, UniMetal, Inc.

Biz Lit

connstep.org 11

BUZZthe

This past March, CONNSTEP President, Bonnie Del

Conte had the privilege to serve as a judge for the 2012

Northeast Utilities Connecticut Regional FIRST Competition.

For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology

(FIRST) was founded in 1989 with a mission, “to inspire

young people to be science and technology leaders, by

engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that

build science, engineering and technology skills, inspire

innovation, and foster well-rounded life capabilities including

self-confi dence, communication, and leadership.”

The FIRST competition is also sponsored by United

Technologies Corporation, Connecticut Business & Industry

Association (CBIA), Connecticut Technology Council and the

Connecticut Science Center, among many.

One of two all-girl teams out of about sixty teams statewide,

Mercy High School’s TechTigers, a team of 22 young women

with representatives from all four classes, won the Rookie

Inspiration Award in 2011. Although, they did not win

an award at the Hartford Regional Competition this year,

they continue to increase their skills and promote robotics

through their outreach program providing demonstrations to

younger children throughout the summer.

They’re Grrrrreat!

Don’t mess with these ladies -

the Mercy High School TechTigers

are fi erce, fi red up and a force to be

reckoned with - proving that the

technology and engineering fi elds aren’t

boys clubs any longer.


2012 marks the second year that the

TechTigers competed with thanks to the

help of generous sponsors including Carrier,

Loctite, JC Penney, Bentley, and 4H through

the UCONN Cooperative Extension. We

caught up with a few of the girls to see

how their experience on the robotics team

infl uenced their future education goals.

Sophomore, Melanie Dworak, joined to see

if she could understand the concepts, make

new discoveries, and fi nd out if it interested

her, is now planning on pursuing a career as

an engineer, “I’ve always enjoyed building

things, learning how it all works, and being

able to implement my knowledge is probably

one of the most enjoyable things in my life. I

can’t imagine going on to do anything else.”

Rachel Dziatko, a junior at Mercy, will not be

an engineer; instead she is looking to pursue

a career as a physician. Rachel joined the

TechTigers for the opportunity to learn more

about modern technology since, “The world

is becoming more technologically advanced

every day and much of the success of medicine

is dependent on technology…I think it is very

important for me to learn about technology

and understand how it works.”

We also asked the girls about their favorite

aspects of the competition. For several,

it happened to be one of the FIRST core

values, “Coopertition”, the philosophy that

teams can and should help and

cooperate with each other even as

they compete. According to senior

Vicky Scott, “Everyone is helpful

and it’s a wonderful time. It’s a safe

environment for people to grow in the

fi elds of science, math, friendship, and

teamwork.”

The girls also shared their opinions

on how to better encourage young

women to pursue education and

careers in technology and mathematics.

Recent graduate Celine Coleman,

who will be pursuing a major in

biochemistry this fall believes,

“Robotics does a great job in

encouraging

young girls to

possibly pursue careers

in engineering, computer

science, or even software

development.”

Melanie Dworak

added that, “there is

a difference between

using these skills in a

classroom and using

them in real life, closing

that gap is instrumental

in encouraging girls to

pursue higher education,

and hopefully, careers

in technology and

mathematics.”

According to incoming

senior, Vicky Scott,

“Girls are stereotyped as unintelligent or

inadequate when it comes to the subjects of

math and technology. I fi nd this ridiculous!

During WWII, many women were working

in manufacturing factories doing the

“men’s” jobs…with a little encouragement,

girls can do anything.”

It’s clear that these girls are inspired to

be tomorrow’s science and technology

leaders, which is a good thing... a recent

report issued by the President’s Council

of Advisors on Science and Technology

concluded that if the United States is to

maintain its historic pre-eminence in the STEM

fi elds—science, technology, engineering, and

mathematics—and gain the social, economic,

and national-security benefi ts that come with

such pre-eminence, then we must produce

approximately one million more workers in

those fi elds over the next decade than we are

on track now to turn out.

At current rates, American colleges and

universities will graduate about three million

STEM majors over the next decade, so an

additional one million graduates would

require a 33% increase in enrollment. With

the continued help of programs like FIRST and

promotion of robotics and STEM subjects at the

secondary school level, hopefully we will reach

this goal by engaging the next generation - of

both male and female students -to pursue

STEM fi elds at the college level.

Dr. Woodie Flowers FIRST Executive Advisory Board Chairman; Pappalardo Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, speaks with the TechTigers at the 2012 FIRST Competition.

Mercy TechTigers Celine Coleman and Vicky Scott at the 2012 FIRST Competition.

connstep.org 13

If only it was that easy. Becoming “change-

ready” is so critical to the success and survival

of any organization today. It’s essential when

it comes to leading change that affects your

organization’s culture. But why is it so diffi cult

and time consuming?

You know that Lean practices are the way

to go. After all, your major competitor

implemented Lean manufacturing seven

years ago and their effi ciencies have become

legendary in the industry.

You and a handful of trusted employees

are working very hard to “direct” people in

your workforce to do things differently. You

explain why it is important. You send people

for training. You might cajole. Despite what

you do to lead the charge, you are faced with

fear, possibly silence, blank stares, mutterings,

foot-dragging and potential subtle sabotage,

leaving you feeling like you are trying to herd

cats.

You can have the best plan on paper

for implementing changes within your

organization but your plans will fail miserably if

you can’t get the people in your organization to

cope with the changes and actually get them to

move forward and take actions in new and/or

different directions.

If your company or organization has undergone

signifi cant changes in recent years, or you, as

a leader, are facing diffi culties implementing

changes within your organization, please read

on.

This article is meant to explain some of

the things that must happen within your

organization, to help you and your workforce

transition more quickly and effi ciently. We will

look at culture and why culture is important;

climate and why your organization’s climate is

so important; and, provide a recommendation

and starting point for beginning the process

of creating a change-ready culture and

organization.

What is culture and what causes it to change?We use the word “culture,” but what does

that word really mean in an organizational

setting? Every organization has “a culture” and

On Your Mark, Get Ready, Get Set...CHANGE!

Why is change so hard?

Pam Butterfi eld


the words that I hear people use to describe

their company’s culture are often words such

as “good or bad”, “healthy or unhealthy”,

“strong or toxic”, “dynamic or stagnant.” An

organization’s culture is an accumulation of all

the overt and covert rules, values, and principles

that guide people to act and behave. Culture

is strongly infl uenced by your organization’s

history, customs, policies, rules and practices.

And, when changes in the way people do their

work, or when a change in top leadership

occurs, or when your organization participates

in mergers and/or acquisitions, the existing

culture is bound to be challenged to change.

A word about company valuesMany organizations have written value

statements framed and posted on their walls.

The statements usually say something about,

“how highly customers and employees are

valued, regarded and treated.” If you really

want to know what an organization truly

values, look beyond these written statements.

The true values that are supported within your

company are refl ected more accurately by

how people act and behave on a daily basis.

Do people honor commitments and follow

through on what they promise? Behaviors start

at the very top, with your top level executives,

and move on down through the organization.

True values are not necessarily articulated and

published. They are often unconscious so they

cannot be written down. “It’s just the way

we do things here” is often a more accurate

refl ection of an organization’s “actual culture.”

When a company is not able to follow through,

move through barriers, and learn to successfully

implement new ways of doing things,

employees become cynical and learn to wait

out “the next fl avor of the month,” knowing it

will go nowhere.

Key Point – When top leadership is not

fully engaged in leading a signifi cant change

initiative, the existing culture is bound to be

challenged to change and the initiative will

either fail or become a reality very slowly and

painfully.

Strategic Lean requires successful culture changeWhen you have an organization that is proud

of its strong, long-standing culture and that

culture is about to be changed in some way or

another, there are two important questions

to ask regarding the culture and what should

change:

1. Which aspects of the organization’s

culture aid the organization in meeting

today’s goals?

2. Which aspects do not?

Any attempt to change the culture must be

tied to improving your organization’s outcomes

or the change will fail.

Bottom-line benefi ts of a healthy, changing cultureCompanies that are unable to change, in

today’s world, cease to exist. An adaptive

culture, one that is able to change, has a

greater likelihood of achieving higher fi nancial

performance and organizational viability. If

your company somehow discourages change,

it is very possible your company will cease to

exist.

Today, any condition or situation outside

an organization that can infl uence the

performance of that organization is considered

a potential threat or opportunity. Changing

marketplaces, world fi nancial/economic

conditions, political and governmental

circumstances, ecological conditions, social

trends, and technological innovations must

be identifi ed and handled. Depending upon

the alteration in one or more variables in the

external environment, it might require entirely

new behaviors on the part of the organization’s

members. The collective new behaviors mean a

change in culture.

Climate and your organization - What is climate?Have you ever walked into a place of

business and spent a few minutes observing

the interactions and exchanges between

employees? In doing so, have you gotten a

strong impression that either this would be a

great place to work or that you wouldn’t want

to work there for fi ve minutes?

This is the idea behind an organization’s

climate. The climate can be “friendly, warm

and sunny” like the weather or it can be “cold

and dangerous” like a bad ice storm. The

next time you are sitting in a waiting room,

standing in a company’s lobby, or standing

in line, notice the interactions and exchanges

between people. And, notice what kind of

impressions you form as you observe the

interactions around you.

An organization’s climate is an accumulation

of all of the human interactions that take place

each and every day. If you want a warm, sunny

climate, your entire management team from

the very top to all entry level supervisory levels,

must model the behaviors that produce a

warm, sunny and productive climate.

RecommendationIn a well-established organization, one whose

culture is entrenched in tradition (“this

is how we do things, we’ve always done

things this way”), it is practical to draw a

distinction between culture and climate. My

recommendation is not to try to directly change

the culture; to do so is simply too disruptive.

Instead, begin by changing managerial

behaviors and practices. This will change the

climate. Arm your managers with essential

supervisory skills and team facilitation

capabilities. When you strengthen how the

management ranks behave and communicate

and you hold them accountable for applying

those newly learned behaviors consistently and

persistently, over time, the wind will pick up

and the climate will begin to shift. Any climate

changes will eventually impact the culture,

leading to changed customs, policies, rules and

practices, both overt and covert.

Final note from the Author - The

approach described in this article is one of

several approaches we use when helping an

organization deal with change. Changing

climate in order to affect culture change

works well with organizations that have some

time to make necessary changes. It allows an

organization with a strong culture and proud

history to build on the aspects of its history

and legacy without throwing “everything that

was, away.” It allows leadership to do what

they have to do and continue a company’s

proud history by writing a new chapter instead

of throwing the company’s history book in the

trash.

Note - The concepts of organizational culture-climate come from the Burke-Litwin Model of Organizational Change.

connstep.org 15

>>> Chris DiPentima, President, Pegasus Manufacturing, Inc.

Middletown, Connecticut, 40 years old

What I’ve Learned


I was a trial attorney for six years before

joining the family business. My father coaxed

me in by saying, “think about the opportunity

you’d get to craft strategy, operations and

watch the business grow.” I realized it could be a nice idea to design my “art,” rather than be a cog in the wheel at the fi rm.

I started gradually with a company we

acquired from California, but soon got more

involved with all aspects of the company, from

operations to HR, legal and fi nancial. The learning curve was huge. I always liked

math and science and am very analytical, but I

still had a lot to learn.

The fi rst few months in a new business is all

about learning the terminology—the language

and dialect of the business. Once you understand the lexicon, things open up.

I’m more transparent with data and metrics

than my father, who started Pegasus, was, and

like sharing this information with the entire

organization so everyone understands our

hurdles and we can address them together.

It was by analyzing data that we realized in 1996 that most of our customers were only generating 20% of revenue—and

to serve them we were juggling multiple quality

systems, addressing a wide range of customer

requirements and lacking sales direction. Ours

was a reactive approach, because many felt

we were a job shop with no control over our

destiny since we didn’t control product design.

So we shifted away from those “one hit

wonder” clients to be more vertically integrated

with the small number of customers generating

the bulk of our business. That shift has enabled

us to make signifi cant process improvements

and understand where to invest. As a result, we

really grew in two years, from 56 employees

and $9 million annually to 90 employees and

$15 million annually today.

Our job shop is like a law fi rm. We sell hours—

the more effi cient we are, the more we can

do and the more we can bill. But managing

the business is very different. In the law, I

worked with a small team and we managed

all sides of the business—the fi nancial, the

technical, and customer service. Pegasus’

different departments and divisions meant that

I needed to learn to relinquish control, listen and learn from my co-workers, and delegate more.

Like most managers, my biggest weakness is

time management. I like to roll up my sleeves

and help out to get the job done, wherever

help is needed but I also need to learn to take better control of my day and focus more strategically—to look at the forest and beyond rather than the trees. It’s always a balancing act to ensure that

the day-to-day tactical is accomplished, while

also understanding and preparing for what’s on

the horizon three to fi ve years out.

I have dabbled a bit in politics, serving on the

land use board in Durham and getting involved

in various campaigns and industry groups.

I want to ensure manufacturing has a voice at any and all tables. This is critical for Connecticut and for the U.S.—not just for Pegasus but also to grow our

amazing industry so we can weather any future

downturns.

The key to growing manufacturing is

increasing productivity and increasing the

workforce pipeline. We have to embrace

Lean and continuous improvement, and

we must start educating students in middle school about the real and exciting opportunities in today’s manufacturing. We are at a critical time,

needing to replace retiring skilled workers and

hire even more people to grow and meet the

demand for our work.

Lean is the foundation of our growth strategy and the only way we will double our business by 2014. Lean

doesn’t eliminate jobs. Becoming more effi cient

doesn’t mean that we lay off workers. In fact,

it’s just the opposite. When we become Lean

and more effi cient, our capacity increases,

and customers have been immediately fi lling

any additional capacity we create. I need to replace every retiring worker with two new employees to keep up with demand. That’s great opportunity.

We have to educate teachers and guidance

counselors about the great opportunities in

manufacturing. It’s not the dark, dirty and

cyclical business people think it is. Instead, we

offer great fi nancial potential, terrifi c challenges

and diverse positions. No other industry has such diversity in one business and the chance for employees to move around and learn new aspects of a business in one place.

That’s still what’s so exciting for me. I wear

different hats each day and always have more

to learn, from operations to strategy to fi nancial

to customer service to technical skills. I don’t think I could ever get bored here.

Life is a continuous education. Maybe

that’s why I’m always tinkering with change.

And why we have created a culture of

continuous learning at Pegasus with minimum

annual training requirements, continuous Lean

education and more.

As much as I love change, though, I’ve learned

through training and experience, that my own

need for speed to get things done—even if I

have to do them myself—isn’t always what’s

best for my company. Instead, the only way Pegasus will realize its true potential is if we have a learning organization where everyone has ownership of the processes and overall company performance—a team of people constantly

planning and tinkering with change, analyzing

the results and then making adjustments as

needed. This has forced me to become more

patient rather than trying to solve everything on

my own, and we’re building a culture of problem

solving that’s a part of everything we do.

I’m always reading—and alternate between a

non-fi ction book that will build my skills and

knowledge and a getaway fi ction book.

I thank my Dad all the time for the opportunity he gave me, and for convincing me to try it. I also admire how

he stepped back when he retired and truly

turned the business over. That’s not always the

case in family businesses, but it’s critical to have

seamless direction and clarity.

I’m very transparent and some might say too direct and honest. While I may

some day try my hand at politics, I’m not sure it’s

for me. Even though I was a trial attorney, I really

don’t like spending time negotiating and prefer

to get right to the bottom line. As a result, I may

be too direct and outspoken for some people.

connstep.org 17

>> for more examples of Lean Manufacturing transformations, improving the performance, quality and profi tability of Connecticut companies, visit www.connstep.org.

All i

the Fam


Embracing the common sense principles of Lean came naturally to Gerald Pelletier,

founder of Modern Woodcrafts, Inc. His daughter, current President Lisa Pelletier-Fekete, notes

“Dad kept his business very Lean – it was in his nature.”

Gerald’s four core company values are the essence of continuous improvement. Treat each

customer as if they are your only customer. Always look for ways to improve process and

product. Focus on quality and hire the best team of employees.

That was 1959. Today, these four core values continue to drive this second generation family

run business. Modern Woodcrafts, LLC is a full service custom manufacturer of high end

architectural interiors for the retail, institutional, corporate and hospitality markets. Each job is

engineered and manufactured to order.

Gerald Pelletier launched Modern Woodcrafts in his garage in 1959. Six months later, after

cutting a large hole in the wall to get a job out, he decided it was time to move. This was the

fi rst of many moves, each one driven by the need for more production space. By 1970 he

bought the current building – a 65,000 square foot warehousing and production facility in

Plainville.

The company’s fi rst 50 years were all about growth – increasing sales, production capacity and

profi t. It purchased the CT plant then bought another 95,000 square foot plant in Maine. It also

invested in equipment capacity – buying an AutoCAD System to replace traditional drawing,

installing the fi rst of three CNC machining centers and later making a $1 million investment in

equipment and software. Poised for continued growth, it entered the 21st century using modern

equipment in full-scale production and inventory facilities.

But entrance into the 21st century brought on a “silver tsunami” with many top executives

and shop fl oor workers retiring, leaving behind waves of transition in their wake. In 2008 Lisa

Pelletier-Fekete was promoted to President. Simultaneously, Joe Legere was promoted to Vice

Embracing continuous improvement and implementing Lean throughout the enterprise, Modern Woodcrafts is making plans for a third generation.

by Caren DickmanPhotographs by Jennifer Fiereck

in

mily

connstep.org 19

During the kaizen “…we

collectively stumbled upon

a way to create one piece

fl ow that could be adapted

to our organization. We

took products and divided

them into eight categories.

Each category contains

products that have consistent

manufacturing processes and

similar capacity loading for

each work cell.” The team

created a matrix and derived

the optimal work order size

for consistent fl ow of every

product category through the

shop. Prior to this kaizen, Joe

says cycle time “...varied wildly

from job to job and work order

to work order.”

Standardizing cycle time created a consistent

fl ow rate, decreasing cycle time from 54.6

hours to 46 hours. They also decreased lead

time from 15 to 10.6 days; jobs in process

changed from 19 to nine and they identifi ed

work fl ow controls.

The success of this fi rst kaizen proved the

value of CONNSTEP’s approach to Enterprise

Wide Lean (EWL). CONNSTEP’s John McCarroll

says “Without a holistic approach, continuous

improvement becomes the program of the year.

It makes more sense to zero in on the Lean

solutions that best support the company’s vision

and business strategies.”

John began EWL by coaching the steering

committee through the process of developing

their vision statement. Lisa claims “John’s

integrity and perseverance helped us stay on

track, despite the many opportunities to take

the easy route and just quit. CONNSTEP was

instrumental in guiding us through this.”

At the same time, CONNSTEP introduced all

employees to Lean principles with introductory

training. As with most companies, employees

were resistant to change at fi rst. It was hard for

some of the long-time shop fl oor workers to

understand why things that worked so well for

50 years and made them top in their fi eld now

had to change for the company to survive.

Even some of the newer employees, like Scott

Thibodeau, were initially skeptical. “I had

some previous exposure to Lean principles,

but was, frankly, a non-believer until I joined

the Modern Woodcrafts team. Here I’ve seen

results both on the shop fl oor and in the offi ce

that have dramatically increased fl ow and

organization. My father taught me the tools for

my success in the woodworking industry and

CONNSTEP taught me the Lean principles to

achieve greater success through fl ow, 5S and

continuous improvement.”

Modern Woodcrafts used their second NU

PRIME kaizen, Production Flow-II, to create

consistent fl ow in the shop. CONNSTEP led this

project which uses a universal ship date to drive

all operations. The team established a fi rst in,

fi rst out system driven by ship date, in which all

resources are focused on one job at a time and

getting it out the door.

By digging deeper into their production fl ow

processes, the team achieved even stronger

results. Lead time decreased further, from 10.6

days to fi ve days. By re-designing the shop fl oor

into modular work areas the company freed

up 5,000 square feet that they used to house

equipment from the Maine plant. Cycle hours

per release dropped from 262 hours to 208

hours. In addition, they identifi ed an average

21% improvement in machine effi ciency.

Had we not engaged in our Lean journey, we very

well might be like so many other businesses in our

industry that did not make it through this recession.Joe Legere

President of Operations. The next year Modern

Woodcrafts made a second major $2 million

investment in equipment and software.

Business remained strong, but the company

was carrying too much overhead, too much

capacity and too much duplicate equipment.

Joe turned his attention to operational

ineffi ciencies to improve workfl ow and

production.

Modern Woodcrafts’ 50th anniversary in 2009

was a bittersweet milestone. The recession

hit hard - they had to close the Maine plant,

laying off 43% of the workforce and selling

or consolidating equipment. They kept the

Connecticut plant because it’s a newer building

better suited for modern day manufacturing

than the Maine plant which was a 1920’s mill

building. Connecticut is also centrally located to

serve a larger regional market in the Northeast.

Lisa used this anniversary to confi rm her

commitment to the company’s future.

Modern Woodcrafts set out on its continuous

improvement journey. “With new management

and enthusiasm, we want to carry on a legacy.”

CONNSTEP’s Continuous Improvement

Champion Certifi cation (CICC) deepened

Joe’s knowledge of Lean principles. He

undertook a high level project on shop fl oor

layout and workfl ow process. With funding

from Northeast Utilities (NU) PRIME, Modern

Woodcrafts implemented its fi rst kaizen,

Production Flow-1.

CONNSTEP led the project, using value stream

mapping to view their process and set the

direction. As a full service custom manufacturer

that engineers and manufactures each job to

order, it was diffi cult to establish a good system

that consistently produced all products because

of the number of variations. The fi rst kaizen

changed this.

CONNSTEP’s John McCarroll speaks with Modern Woodcraft’s Joe Legere (center) and Scott Thibodeau (right).


In the next kaizen, the team worked on Joe’s

CICC kaizen Project – Assembly Flow/5S. They

divided the fl oor into three color coded teams

of fi ve with one being a cell leader. This system

put fi ve people on one job until they got it

done before they moved on to the next job. To

be successful, this also required cross training

so that expertise was available on demand to

complete a job.

Cellular based assembly teams established one

piece fl ow, dramatically improving the work

fl ow. Fewer people produced twice the volume

at less cost. The team reduced WIP by 50% and

reduced space utilization by 30%. They also

reduced production paperwork by 50%.

Prior to this kaizen, work was assigned

by expertise - often leading to production

interruption. Joe calls it “…production by

chaos because it was driven by who could

do what when. Projects were set aside while

they waited for the right person to do them.

Sometimes projects got lost in the shuffl e,

which created chaos and sometimes overtime

to get a project out on time.”

Offi ce backlogs delayed response time because

of inconsistent procedures and how long

something sat on someone’s desk. In the Project

Management Flow kaizen, the team identifi ed

areas where they could develop a universal

system with policies, job descriptions and work

instructions. They established standard work for

the management of all projects from kick-off

to completion. Engineering and purchasing

created a system that is 100% driven by ship

date as is the plant fl oor.

Sales reduced the gap between bid award and

production start time from one week (or more)

to 24 hours. Overall, the team decreased lead

time from 100 to 74 days.

Adding a plant manager was another key

business strategy. Within one month of

his promotion, Scott Thibodeau began

CONNSTEP’s CICC program and work on his

kaizen project. His goal was to perform a 5S

in the Finishing Department to better utilize

space. By modifying cart design he gained 800

square feet. He created visual sample boards

for all active jobs which identify all fi nishes and

current status. Scott also created 5S standards

and audits for the Finish Cell.

Modern Woodcrafts has executed three

signifi cant operational improvements since

they began their Lean journey. Two of these

have very clear fi nancial impacts. Physical

inventory levels have decreased from $500,000

to $100,000. Secondly, manufacturing space

utilization has increased 100% from its previous

level. In 2007, they produced $21 million

in revenues using 130,000 square feet of

manufacturing space in a single shift.

Today, they are confi dent they can produce

$20M in revenues out of 55,000 square feet.

This number could go higher with the addition

of a second shift in certain cells. Joe attributes

this to tighter WIP management, reduced

inventory space and the removal of waste from

the shop fl oor. They took out oversized work

benches, excess scrap and under used machines

and they reorganized the workstations for

maximum use of space.

The third signifi cant operational impact is

diffi cult to put a dollar sign on. However,

decreased lead time has also

contributed to improved

production fl ow and better

space utilization.

The company has invested in

state-of-the-art equipment

but has also invested in

their employees. Every

craftsperson is cross-

trained which has not only

increased their skills but

has given them a hands-on

understanding of the entire

project.

Today, under Lisa’s

leadership, the company

continues to evolve into the

management and production techniques of the

21st century but their commitment to Gerald’s

legacy remains fi rm – as does their commitment

to continuous improvement.

Joe believes that the use of key business

metrics will continue to drive Lean behaviors.

“When you go beyond the fi nancial results,

you tend to give employees the measurements

and feedback they need in real time so they

can make consistent decisions that align with

the vision statement goals and continuous

improvement objectives.”

The next continuous improvement project

will create company-wide transparency for all

employees. Joe plans to use digital distribution

to share information so that everyone will know

what’s happening in real time. In the offi ce

they’ve done this with e-mail alerts. On the

shop fl oor he plans to install fl at screens in each

cell.

Though the company’s revenues have risen

steadily since 2008, economic conditions in

the industry have eroded profi ts. Yet Joe is

confi dent that their commitment to continuous

improvement will make them a better producer

so that when more work is available they will

provide more value to their customers. He adds,

“Had we not engaged in our Lean journey,

we very well might be like so many other

businesses in our industry that did not make it

through this recession.”

Lisa also remains optimistic. “We retired a lot

of experience over the past three years, but

we have a younger, more enthusiastic team

who understands the commitment needed

to achieve our goals of increased profi tability.

Although economically this is a tough situation

for everybody, we have embraced it as a time

to scrutinize our procedures, policies and our

commitment to Lean principles. What doesn’t

kill us will make us stronger, and we are

planning to be around for a long time.”

For more information about Modern

Woodcrafts, please visit

www.modernwoodcrafts.com.

-CD

Modern Woodcraft’s President, Lisa Pelletier-Fekete, inspects panels being constructed for a major retail installation.

connstep.org 21

A Woman’s Place…is in a factory.


Forty-some years ago, Kris Lorch learned a quick

lesson in standing her ground as a woman “in a man’s

world.” She was driving a truck for the garment industry

when it was struck by an 18-wheeler. The driver scolded

her, saying she should have been home washing dishes,

and would only speak to her boss about the accident.

Rather than become skeptical and bitter about the

challenges women face in manufacturing, Lorch just

became stronger and surprisingly, more tolerant. “But

only for bosses and jobs that would stand behind me and

not blow me off.” Friendly banter was okay, as long as it

did not get in the way of her hard work and no-nonsense

approach. “I was willing to work as hard as any guy.

Eventually, that work paid off, and I never would use how

the guys treated me as an excuse.” Lorch is president and

CEO of Alloy Engineering in Bridgeport.

Carol Wallace, president and CEO of Cooper Atkins

Corporation, encountered similar gender discrimination

These women embrace their feminine advantage and are outspoken advocates for the next generation of manufacturing leaders.

By Susie ZimmermannPhotographs by Jennifer Fiereck

connstep.org 23

industries, according to the U.S.

Census, is female, women fi ll only

14% of senior executive roles.

Twenty-eight percent of fi rms in

Connecticut are women-owned,

but most of those companies

have zero or very few employees.

Among the Fortune 500 in 2012,

only 18 are led by female CEOs.

Women still have a long way to go

to be equally represented in upper

management positions, but they

have made great strides in the last

decade. More women are taking

over their family businesses when

a father decides to step down, but

not without proving themselves

fi rst in other businesses. “Until

only recently it was assumed that

the men in the family would take

over,” says Bonnie Del Conte, president

of CONNSTEP. “Today, many women are

among the next generation stepping in

to lead manufacturing fi rms.” Others are

moving up in the ranks, competing with

men and capitalizing on opportunities to

develop skills across divisions, build teams

and focus on bottom-line impacts.

What propelled the women who are

in charge of some of Connecticut’s

manufacturing fi rms? Many of them are

daughters of fathers who treated them as

equals to their brothers,

with high expectations

for all. “Dad raised my

brothers and sisters all

exactly the same, with

no distinctions for girls

versus boys,” recalls

Kathy Saint, president

and CEO of Schwerdtle,

Inc. in Bridgeport. “I

never thought about

gender in my work—it

only became apparent

to me as a topic for

discussion when I would

enter a room of other CEOs and be the

only female.”

Allison Schieffelin, president of The

Lighting Quotient in West Haven, learned

from her father to value exemplary

work and not to back off from being

the best. “If everyone earned an A on

a test, he was only really impressed if

mine was the only one in the class.”

Participating in team sports taught her

the value of collaboration, maximizing

early in her career. While heading

purchasing and inventory control at a

100-year old fi rm, she encountered great

resistance working as the only woman in

senior management. “It was like pushing

a rock uphill, but with time and hard work

I made good strides and became well

respected by the group.” Still, at bonus

time, she was given a bonus less than that

of her male colleagues. Only after raising

the question of discrimination did the

boss relent and agree to give her an equal

bonus—by giving her the cash she was

due in the parking lot out of sight of the

rest of the team.

In spite of these early challenges, these

and other women in charge of some of

Connecticut’s manufacturers have kept

their eyes on the prize, working hard and

discovering strategies along the way to

bypass the naysayers and focus on what’s

best for business. In the process, they

have paved the way for more women to

follow, established strategies for success

for all employees moving up the corporate

ladder and defi ned the special skills

women can draw upon to succeed.

Breaking through the Glass Ceiling

According to the Bureau of Labor

Statistics, 28% of the manufacturing

workforce is female. And while 51% of

managerial or professional positions in all

Carol Wallace, President & CEOCooper Atkins Corporation of Middlefi eld

Allison Schieff elin, President, The Lighting Quotient, West HavenBeing the best and

being a team player

aren’t mutually

exclusive. Don’t ever

apologize for being

the best.Allison Schieffelin


legislation that mandated equal

opportunities for women in

collegiate sports, perhaps it’s

no surprise that more women

will have the experience of

competitive sports to propel

them into the corporate world.

In order to succeed and stand

out in a male-dominated

industry, these and other

women probably had to work

harder than their colleagues. “I

had to make fewer mistakes,”

while at the same time “get

along rather than make a fuss

over the little injustices or sexist

comments that came my way,”

remembers Wallace. While she

was willing to take on issues of

pay equity with her boss, she

chose to overlook remarks about her

clothing or hairstyle to maintain friendly

relationships with colleagues—and in the

process keep her focus on doing her very

best work. She found the most success

when she “avoided the resistors, and

instead worked with those below them to

get the job done.”

Paving the Way for the

Next Generation

As CEOs, these women are

committed to strengthening

manufacturing in Connecticut

and helping young girls and

women discover careers in

manufacturing. Schieffelin

has coached at the Hopkins

School in New Haven, teaching

students the value of team

sports and serving as a role

model. Lorch actively volunteers

in the community serving on

dozens of organizational and

professional boards and task

forces, while Saint advocates

with policy makers to improve

the business environment for

manufacturers in the state.

Wallace is the second female chair of

the Connecticut Business and Industry

Association. As outspoken advocates for

women or by quietly modeling success,

they are clearing the way to make it easier

for the next generation to take their

places.

To prepare them, Lorch encourages girls

to study math, science, technology and

engineering—the STEM curriculum that is

gaining momentum in schools nationwide.

“Women are better with STEM than many

men. They are less distracted and can

focus for longer periods of time.” Wallace

agrees, encouraging guidance counselors

to discuss manufacturing as career path

for girls: “It’s critically important they do

this for manufacturing to survive.”

Out of high school, or with an associate’s

degree, young women can start in

an entry-level position and grow into

management. Wallace advises women to

mix technology and engineering studies

in college with classes in organizational

behavior, calling this merging of people

and technology a winning combination.

Saint says another “magic bullet” in

today’s manufacturing combines an

every opportunity, setting goals and

appreciating the importance of each

player’s contribution. Recognizing the

value of both individual and team

achievement, Schieffelin fi rmly believes

that “being the best and being a team

player aren’t mutually exclusive.”

With the 40th anniversary of the Title IX

Women must pull

up their bootstraps

to take over these

businesses in our

state. They have the

brains to do it well!

Kris Lorch

Kathy Saint, President & CEO, Schwerdtle, Inc., Bridgeport

Kris Lorch, President & CEO, Alloy Engineering, Bridgeport

connstep.org 25

engineering degree with an MBA. Skills

of collaboration, says Wallace, give

women “the edge to succeed,” and make

them naturally more nurturing and more

successful at cultivating relationships and

strong teams.

The Feminine Advantage

These talented women credit their gender

as being better at multi-tasking, seeing

multiple sides of an issue, encouraging

dialogue, instilling teamwork, and

ensuring the general care and welfare of

employees to build a dedicated workforce.

Del Conte agrees and observes that

women are more likely than men to

seek out advice and assistance from

their peers. “Women CEOs are not

reluctant to let their guard down,” she

says. “These women focus not on the

competition with other companies but

on doing whatever it takes to make

their own businesses as effi cient and

profi table as possible.”

Many women in Connecticut who are

leading the state’s small and medium-

sized fi rms are succeeding because

of these skills and many others, and

might have even been driven by

the challenges and roadblocks they

faced on their way to the executive

offi ce. Now that they’re there, they

are committed to the success of their

businesses, and none are considering

yet the idea of retirement. “I’m having

too much fun to think about stopping

anytime soon,” declares Saint.

Wallace continues to build her network

to learn from her peers—“I even

Dad raised my

brothers and sisters

all exactly the same,

with no distinctions

for girls versus boys.

I never thought

about gender in

my work—it only

became apparent

to me as a topic for

discussion when I

would enter a room

of other CEOs and

be the only female.

Kathy Saint

learned how to play golf to be included

in those offl ine events that bring CEOs

together”—and yet says that she’d be

most proud to be a role model as a strong

independent woman who still found time

to be a loving wife and stepmother.

Lorch reminds women to focus on the

work and ignore any innuendo or ‘absurd

talk’ they may encounter in the plant.

“Women must pull up their bootstraps to

take over these businesses in our state.

They have the brains to do it well!”

Schieffelin says it more directly, reminding

women of their capabilities and potential:

“Don’t ever apologize for being the best.”

-SZ

Our thanks to Karen Hudkins, Director of the The New Britain Industrial Museum for her generous hospitality in allowing us to host a breakfast and take photos of our featured Women in Manufacturing.

At the New Britain Industrial Museum you will discover the vast array of items pioneered and produced in New Britain by generations of innovative and inventive people drawn to work in, what came to be known as, the Hardware Capital of the World. From hooks and eyes produced by hand in the early 1800’s to Fafnir Bearings produced in clean rooms for the U.S. Space Program to items currently manufactured in New Britain, the museum’s collection celebrates the city’s contribution to manufacturing world-wide.

Because there is inspiration for the future and an appreciation for the past to be gleaned by the accomplishments of those who came before us, our mission is to use the collection as a way to inspire the next generation and increase pride in the community. Th is is done by exhibiting items manufactured in New Britain, sharing the histories of the factories where these items were manufactured and telling the stories of the people who started it all.

Th e museum is open 12-5 p.m. on Wednesdays, 2-5 p.m. M, T, Th , F and by appointment.

Visit us at 185 Main Street, New Britain, CT | www.nbim.org | 860.832.8654


Plastics touch all aspects of our lives on a daily basis - from

consumer product packaging to electronics to transportation to

writing utensils - plastic products are all around us. The way we

use these products determines the raw material used in their

production. Will the fi nal product be a component of something

larger? Will the product be required to hold or house other

products? Will it be exposed to extreme forces or elements? In

today’s marketplace there are thousands of plastic resins available

for manufacture with viability depending on the requirements of

the fi nal application.

Putnam Precision Molding Inc., a custom injection molded parts

manufacturer located in Putnam, Connecticut, specializes in

running high-performance resins for specialized applications.

Compared to commodity or industrial level resins that form

products such as toys, dishes, cups and appliance housings, high

performance resins comprise products that would melt, break,

or wear down if made of the lower level materials. “We run

materials at the top of the plastics pyramid,” says Chris Voorhees,

Armed with new tools and a new approach to defi ning waste, Putnam Precision Molding has not only reduced their energy use, but has developed a team of waste detectives.

Michael Perrelli

>> for more examples of companies leveraging energy and environmental initiatives to achieve sustainable operations, visit www.connstep.org.

Waste

Watchers

connstep.org 27

Operations Manager with Putnam

Precision Molding. “These materials all

have special properties for applications

where metal or other materials wouldn’t

work or would be considered unsuitable.”

As part of Ensinger, a German-based

company with entities across the globe in

various disciplines of plastic production,

Putnam Precision Molding provides a total

solution approach to customer demands.

When a customer approaches Ensinger

with a need, the most logical discipline

is awarded the project. “The same grade

of plastic can be injection molded

or extruded, but each process

produces outcomes with different

physical properties,” says Voorhees

when explaining the unique

worldwide sales organization. “A

fellow extrusion company within

the Ensinger group may realize the

application would be better served

going through an injection molder

and would pass that project along

to us. The entire organization tries

to present customers with the total

solution.”

During their 15-year tenure with

Ensinger, Putnam Precision Molding

has placed great emphasis on creating

additional output with the same resources

through the implementation of Lean

Manufacturing, the installation of

new equipment, and attention to new

processes by which to produce high

quality product. “The drive to constantly

get better at what we are doing is a core

value of our company,” says Voorhees. “If

you are standing still and not improving,

you are going backwards. It is a constant

battle to bring costs down and improve

our processes.”

A Real Eye Opener

Running 26 molding machines, fi ve days a

week, is a costly venture for any injection

molder, but more so for Putnam Precision

Molding due to the high performance

resins. The injection molding process

itself, where plastic resin is fed into a

heated barrel, then mixed, and forced

into a mold where it cools and hardens to

the confi guration of the cavity, is heavily

reliant upon energy.

“Our equipment is different to that of a

commodity or industrial plastic injection

molding facility because the materials

are very corrosive, more diffi cult to melt

and push into the cavities,” explains

Voorhees. “Our equipment needs to be

capable of reaching levels above 1000

degrees Fahrenheit. A machine molding

plastic cups requires a lot less energy than

molding a high performance material.”

For years, Putnam Precision Molding has

utilized Lean principles but never thought

about incorporating an environmental

(aka green) or energy perspective, “We

decided to use CONNSTEP’s Green Collar

approach in combining Lean and Green

methodologies to identify waste and

opportunities. Most people think of Lean

as a way to remove and prevent waste

from occurring but they forget wasting

energy is waste too,” says Voorhees.

“Many members of our staff weren’t

aware of the total cost of running

an operation like this from an energy

standpoint. Because you don’t ‘see’

energy waste, it’s harder to think of it as

waste.”

Housed in a facility constructed in 1967

with methods and materials of that time,

Voorhees knew they must be wasting

energy through the building envelope

as well as through their manufacturing

process, but did not have the resources to

adequately tackle the challenge. Being a

veteran of Lean training, Voorhees knew

the fi rst step must be the training and

education of the workforce, believing

it necessary to raise worker awareness

on the importance of becoming more

environmentally focused and to provide

the skills needed for everyone to

lead workplace-based sustainable

practices.

In a recent survey completed by

Connecticut Business and Industry

Association, 29% of the 390

survey respondents noted that the

single greatest barrier to “going

green” is a lack of knowledge

regarding sustainable practices.

As with Lean, a culture change is

required for everyone to embrace

the new focus and methodology,

“If the people involved in the

initiative aren’t educated, it will

be doomed to fail from the start. The

three-day Green Collar program was a

combination of classroom and on-the-

shop fl oor training that kept people

engaged and excited,” Voorhees explains.

“After we learned the key concepts and

how to identify energy waste on the

fl oor and in the offi ce, our staff was on

self-directed detective hunts searching for

improvements. It became fun for them.”

Voorhees recalls one particular example

that stood out. Using the UltraProbe, a

tool that detects air leaks, the Putnam

Precision Molding team was able to

fi nd $3,600 worth of air leaks in just

90 minutes. All of these leaks were

undetectable by the human ear, “When

we came back from our hunt, we

converted measurements into numbers,

and then into dollars. It opened everyone’s


we are making the right strides in our

sustainability efforts that provide benefi ts

across the entire business and into our

communities. The key is for us to sustain

them.”

The improvements go far beyond

detecting and correcting air leaks. New

desiccant resin drying machines, that

consume one-third of the energy of the

older models, have been added. Natural

light now fi lls the offi ces and machines,

such as exhaust vacuums or heaters,

are no longer left running idle on the

production fl oor causing maintenance

personnel to attend to overheating

motors. “We have connected operations

so they shut off together. We have

removed the steps one might forget by

introducing automation,” Voorhees says.

“In the case

of our offi ce

staff, they

have made

behavioral

changes in

terms of their

light use. Some

are even taking

some of the

principles we

learned and are

implementing

them in their

homes. The

changes are highly visible and easy to

see.”

With Connecticut ranking second among

the top ten states with the highest energy

costs in the nation, companies all across

the state are embracing sustainability

activities to help lower operating costs

and reduce their environmental impact.

Through just the initial training program

and implementation of energy savings

initiatives, Putnam Precision Molding has

realized signifi cant impacts including cost

savings of $10,000, an increase in sales of

$100,000, the addition of six new jobs,

and has been able to retain twelve existing

positions. In addition, the company

has been able to reinvest $27,000 into

equipment upgrades and workforce skills

development.

Putnam Precision Molding isn’t content

with these initial results - the list of

future improvements isn’t a short one for

Voorhees and his team. Items ranging

from window replacements to launching

a recyclable and returnable packaging

program with their customers are on their

to-do list. Voorhees is confi dent in the

change taking place among his staff. “We

have a trained staff that stretches across

the entire facility, from the front door all

the way to the back door. People are now

proactively identifying opportunities for

improvement and want to do something

about it.”

A staff showing the desire to make

these changes, as opposed to one that is

forced to do so, is a sure-fi re sign that the

foundation is in place for Putnam Precision

Molding’s energy and environmental

initiatives to enjoy long-term sustainability.

For more information about Putnam

Precision Molding, visit

www.putnamprecisionmolding.com.

-MP

eyes to the opportunity that was in front

of us,” Voorhees says. “The staff thought

that a little leak here and a little leak

there weren’t of concern, but this training

showed them that combined, this wasn’t

a little problem. This is a huge problem

and a problem that can be fi xed if we

adjust our equipment, our processes, the

way we think, and the way we behave.”

The Future Looks Green

While plastic itself isn’t considered

“green” by some, Putnam Precision

Molding doesn’t see it that way, “Good

injection molders are the best recyclers in

the world. We could be sending massive

amounts of waste and scrap to landfi lls,

but the majority of our materials can

be reused and are reused. We know

When we came back from our hunt, we converted measurements into numbers, and then into dollars. It opened everyone’s eyes to the opportunity that was in front of us.

Chris Vorhees

connstep.org 29


Balancing Act

Beth SchererCurtis Packaging

I thought a lot about the meaning of the word “sustainability” in preparation for this column.

The classic defi nition taught in environmental studies courses across the country came from the

Brundtland Commission. Sustainable development, as the Commission defi ned it, “meets the

needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet

their own needs.” But what does the word mean to the layperson, the person who might not feel

passionately, as I do, about conservation and who has not heard that mantra so many times they

could recite it like the pledge of allegiance?

I decided to fi nd out. I walked around our offi ces and our shop fl oor, assured people that what

I was about to ask was “not a test”, and then asked them “off the top of your head, in one

sentence, what is a sustainable business?” I received a wide range of answers, some having to

do with the environment, some not, but my favorite came from Steve Rainone in our Pre-Press

department. Steve said, “Beth, you can wordsmith something, but it basically comes down to

being responsible; to taking responsibility for our actions.”

It occurred to me that what is now called “sustainable business” could just as easily be called

“responsible business.” We as a company are responsible to our employees, our customers and

our local community. We are responsible to those who we can’t see, but who our operations

affect. That responsibility means taking into account the resources we use (because then others

cannot use them), and the things we produce (both intentionally and unintentionally), the

longevity of our business and the health and happiness of our employees in each and every

decision that we make. We do not do this perfectly, and I have yet to come across a business that

does. It’s a giant balancing act.

So what does “sustainability” mean at Curtis Packaging? It means that we choose to power our

facility using 100% renewable energy and that we’re carbon neutral. It means that we offer

certifi ed forest products from the Forest Stewardship Council and Sustainable Forestry Initiative

and products that contain post consumer recycled fi ber. It means that in the last year we’ve

increased our recycling rate from 56 to 90 percent (a decision that happens to be quite benefi cial

to our bottom line). It means that we recently implemented a new and improved review process

for all employees that will allow for more and better feedback and training. It means that we’re

in the process of developing an environmental management system compliant with ISO 14001.

It means that we strive to regularly communicate with our stakeholders about the decisions we

make and our progress toward our goals.

But most importantly it means that we work every day to continuously improve our performance

in people, planet, and profi ts. Taking more factors into account in our decision making processes

indisputably requires more work. There are few easy fi xes, certainly no correct answers, and no

point at which we’ll offi cially cross some threshold to being “sustainable.” Sometimes decisions

result in an immediate fi nancial payback and sometimes the benefi ts are less quantifi able. In the

end, as Don Droppo, Jr. our president & CEO, is fond of saying “no one will ever fault you for

trying to do the right thing.”

Beth Scherer leads the sustainability program at Curtis

Packaging, the pioneer in sustainable production of luxury

folding cartons. Curtis was the fi rst print and packaging

company in North America to operate using 100%

renewable electricity, be carbon neutral, and be certifi ed by

both the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Sustainable

Forestry Initiative (SFI).

Ms. Scherer is responsible for setting company-wide

environmental goals, implementing sustainability

programs, and all CSR reporting. She holds a Masters

of Environmental Management from the Yale School of

Forestry & Environmental Studies and a BA in Economics

from Colby College.

www.curtispackaging.com

CONNSTEP Continuous Improvement Champion

Certification program launched to provide the

principles and practices needed to develop and

sustain Lean enterprises across Connecticut.

Unique projectsDuring the CICC program, participants implement the Lean tools

through a real-time project at their company site. Unique to

each company’s process, projects lead to measurable ROI results.

A typical CICC project yields ROI of at least five times the program tuition.

graduates to date from 101 Connecticut companies across industries including aerospace and defense, medical device, plastics, chemicals and contract manufacturers.

14 Lean tools are covered during the CICC

course. Together with on-site mentoring, partici-

pants apply the learned principles in a real-time

project within their organizations.

CICC PROGRAM

TOP 5 REASONS to Invest in Continuous Improvement ChampionsCI Champions steer and support the entire continuous improvement strategy toward business and operational objectives. CI Champions ensure Lean initiatives are aligned with the strategic goals of the organization. CI Champions communicate the “WIIFM” to all stakeholders. CI Champions identify enterprise-wide improvement opportunities that support the organization’s goals - they become the change agent. CI Champions learn by doing and educate the masses to help promote Lean thinking. CI Champions ensure sustainability of improvement initiatives.

390

5x

percent of CICC graduatesare Vice Presidents or above

5percent of CICC graduateshold Administrative roleswithin their companies

7percent of CICC graduatesare in Quality positions

10

percent of CICC graduatesare designated as Lean orContinuous Improvement professionals

11percent of CICC graduatesare FEMALE

15percent of CICC graduatesare serving in an Engineeringcapacity

16

by the numbers

YEAR

2005

CICC is for everyone

SIXthe average number of members on a project kaizen team... CICC participants learn how to prioritize improvement opportunities, develop skills to build strong teams and are taught how to lead kaizen, focused on providing immediate, measureable and profitable impacts.

design: gariphic.comNot convinced? Check out the recent project results at http://bit.ly/CICCprogram

Tel 860.529.5120Fax 860.529.5001www.connstep.org

CONNSTEP, Inc.1090 Elm Street, Suite 202

Rocky Hill, CT 06067

For the small to medium size business that wants to remain competitive and grow in local and global markets, CONNSTEP provides technical and business solutions proven to have both immediate and sustainable long-term impact.

Unlike other professional consultants that focus only on a single component of your business, CONNSTEP’s multidisciplinary team uses a deliberate holistic approach, providing innovative results-driven top line growth solutions that impact the entire organization.

Since 1994, nine out of ten CONNSTEP clients have reported increased profi tability. In 2011 alone, data provided by an independent survey credited CONNSTEP with impacts of more than $160 million dollars, including new and retained sales, and the creation and retention of nearly 1,600 jobs. Our experience and network of local, state and federal resources, make us not only unique but unequaled in our fi eld and in our state.

NONPROFIT ORGU.S. POSTAGE PAIDHARTFORD, CTPERMIT NO. 518

connstep advantage, vol 2, issue 2

Documents

waste watchersarmed

new approach

new tools

manufacturing careers

defi ning waste

team of waste detectives

new level of success

industry experts