Talan Process Improvements in 2010-2011

Talan came roaring back from the recession to achieve record results in 2010 and again in 2011 by working harder than ever to create a more efficient process.

(1) Talan incorporated a flatter in-plant decision-making structure. Every employee was empowered and encouraged to take immediate action on all issues affecting safety, quality, and customer satisfaction.

(2) Talan established a “home production line” for each tool. This created more consistent set-ups and better performance predictability. Quality and throughput improved significantly.

(3) Operators have each been given a production line to lead and this has created a superior sense of ownership and improved results. They fill out daily downtime logs to identify all production logs.

(4) Floor leaders monitor the logs, and cross-functional teams analyze them weekly.

(5) Daily production data is openly posted and all employees know how everyone else is performing at any given time.

(6) We communicate with employees regularly about all current issues.

(7) Most importantly, the hiring process has become more rigorous. Extensive testing and multiple interviews ensure that we have a good cultural fit in every case. We are taking more time and care, and it is paying off.

We do not use results as a stand-alone metric. We also are very sensitive to the process, which will ensure even better results long-term.

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