SHL’s continuous improvement efforts lauded in 2022 EQPA award
SHL won the 2022 Excellent Quality Practice Award in the cross-functional collaboration category for an initiative that significantly cut down maintenance process time for injection molding Tool, leading to an increase in injection molding production capacity. The EQPA award is jointly hosted by SGS Taiwan and Association of Quality Managers (AQM) to commemorate projects that demonstrate high quality operations.
Led by engineers Robin Weng, James Jan, and Josephine Huang, the task brought together colleagues from the Tooling and Molding department to figure out a collaborative working mode that would streamline process flows and cut down unwanted waiting time. Through the utilization of the value stream mapping (VSM), the team was able to identify and eliminate process wastes, such as molding Tools idling time, through a strategic adjustment in shift hours and workforce rotation.
As a result, the entire maintenance process for a molding Tool was drastically cut to 60% less than the original time, without cutting any original maintenance protocol. This is a strong indicator of how SHL’s continuous improvement team in collaboration with the cross-functional team can effectively produce a solution for lean manufacturing processes as the company moves forwards with larger customer demands.
CI Associate Director Tracy Pedreso said, “I am so proud of this achievement, it clearly demonstrates that our improvement methodologies are correct and SHL is on the right path in driving lean and efficient manufacturing operation for the continuous growth of the company, while still maintaining the high-quality standards and regulatory compliance that SHL upholds. Simplifying processes is in line with SHL’s vision for a sustainable future as it is a foundation for leaner operations by eliminating non-value-added steps in our processes and streamlining those that create value to our customers and to SHL.”
Established in 2019, SHL’s continuous improvement team is a cross-functional task force that is committed to driving the lean culture mindset and practices across all corporate functions. Their efforts are an integral part of SHL’s sustainability mission in creating a world-class lean manufacturing company and advancing the health sector through innovation and technology.
