MRO Today - The people's choice

Ben Lopez and Elsie Goforth
lean coordinators, Nordson Corporation

Only once in the previous four MRO All-Pro Team competitions were two people from the same company selected to the same team. That occurred in 2000 when Chad Chichester and Dan Warren of Dow Corning were picked for our inaugural squad.

This year, Elsie Goforth and Ben Lopez of Nordson Corporation not only matched that feat, but took it one step further.

Goforth and Lopez, each a lean coordinator at Nordson plants in Georgia, were selected as the MRO Today co-Pros of the Year. They join an impressive list of past Pros of the Year: Butch Brotherton of Carver Pump, Dale Bucy of Texas Instruments, Denise Augustine of Pillsbury and Mat Dawson Jr. of Ford.

Beau Groover, lean implementation manager for a division of this precision dispensing equipment manufacturer, nominated the pair as examples of empowered plant workers making a difference in a large-scale initiative such as lean.

“They are all-stars in every sense,” says Groover. “They are out front working to change our culture and our processes.”

Elsie Goforth shapes the culture in a new plant
Lean means different things to different people. Too often, people get wrapped up in the “technical” terms of lean: pull, one-piece flow, kanban and others. At the root of a lean transformation is a culture change — or, changing the way people think about their jobs. Nordson opened its Swainsboro, Ga., site and started its lean journey within a three-month span in 2000.

At this new plant, shaping the culture required knowledge, persuasion and sheer will power. Nordson’s answer was Elsie Goforth.

Goforth joined Nordson in 1987, and over the years has served as an assembler, planner, inventory control expert and, now, lean coordinator.

Because of her broad knowledge of processes and her unwillingness to accept mediocrity, Groover says she was the ideal candidate for initiating the lean journey at Swainsboro.

“Elsie brought a unique perspective in that she knew the floor and material operations thoroughly,” says Groover. “That knowledge creates a great deal of confidence from all of her team members. She also brings interpersonal skills that allow her to influence and be respected by all.”

Goforth’s business card reads “change agent.” She prefers to think of herself as a “people person” and a “motivator.”

“Whether they are new or veteran employees, people usually don’t like to change,” she says. “They don’t see change as a positive thing. It’s risky. What I do best is communicate with people. I find out what motivates them, and then cater the message based on that. When they not only accept the change but take an active role in it, it’s especially rewarding.”

Goforth developed and organized team concepts and opportunities where none existed before. One example is her creation of a 6-S audit team. A team of six people (the roster rotates on a quarterly basis) performs cleanliness/organization audits for the facility. This helped establish standard work processes and prepared co-workers for everything that followed.

Another project was a teaching method involving flash cards. Goforth developed sets of 14 cards with lean concepts on the front and definitions on the back. She quizzes employees regularly. Those passing her test receive a prize such as a coffee mug or T-shirt. Those not passing the test receive the flash cards to study.

“I was looking for something that was easy and simple and that people could enjoy,” she says. “Part of changing the culture is making people enjoy what they are doing. I want to make them anxious to learn.”

Since stepping into the role, Goforth has provided more than 800 hours of lean training.

On the performance side, Goforth drives positive changes for the factory. Impact to key metrics since the lean transformation began includes:
• Factory floor space requirements decreased 35 percent.
• Production lead time on several key products decreased as much as 35 percent.
• Inventory dollars decreased 10 percent in the past 12 months.

“When you plant the seeds, good things grow,” she says. “It isn’t that hard to sell the benefits anymore. Now, people stop me on the floor each day and ask, ‘When are you going to get me onto a kaizen?’”

Ben Lopez makes change happen at an established plant
Ben Lopez joined Nordson in 1988 and served as a machinist at its plant in Norcross, Ga., which was built in 1986. As the company began its lean journey, he was an early adapter to the process. He attended training classes, read books, subscribed to newsletters and became a student of lean. In fall 2003, Lopez was selected as a full-time member of the plant’s Continuous Improvement team.

In this role, Lopez implements lean at the tactical levels of the operation. Working closely with the production force, he helps implement all sorts of improvements.

“I’ve always been someone who’s driven to make things happen,” Lopez says. “My motto is pretty simple: ‘You don’t buy respect. You earn it.’ I have earned everything that has helped me become who I am and what I do. I am very proud of that.”

But pride only takes you so far. Lopez makes it happen because of his experience and his skills.

“My strength is in being out there on the floor. Having been an assembly person, in the machine shop, knowing where the inventory is at, that is my element,” he says. “I’ve worked with these people for a long time. My job, I guess, is to find a way to fix stuff that has been frustrating them for the longest time. You just have to listen to those guys and then help figure out a solution.”

Lopez tackles the small, personal needs. But, he also thinks big.

Groover says that Lopez is becoming a subject matter expert on lean cells and his efforts to develop timing studies, standard work documents and cell layouts have impacted productivity and organization.

“Ben finds new ways to present inventory that are fast, effective and easy to use,” says Groover. “These tools and processes allow the workforce to respond faster to customer demand. That’s a huge benefit.”

Lopez developed and implemented several cell changes that improve the overall process and reduce required lead time. Some key metrics impacted by these and other efforts include:
• Setup time reduced by as much as 20 percent.
• Inventory dollars decreased approximately 10 percent.
• Productivity in several cells raised 25 percent or more.

“It’s rewarding to see that the work is making an impact,” he says.

This article appeared in the December 2004/January 2005 issue of MRO Today magazine. Copyright, 2004.