Making the most of lean learning

by Paul V. Arnold

A six-month lean learning internship is one of the coolest pieces of Ariens’ lean manufacturing program.

Every six months, four exceptional plant-floor workers leave their work cells and spend a half-year learning all facets of lean.

They participate in six local kaizen events, as well as standard work and setup reduction events.

They learn how to run production control boards.

They travel to another company and participate in a kaizen event.

They read two to three books on lean tools.

They write an article for the company newsletter about lean.

After the six-month period, most of the interns graduate to become cell group leaders.

Two such graduates are Kim Slowinski and Ricky Krueger.

Each speaks highly about the difficult yet rewarding experience.

“It’s very much like being back at school,” says Slowinski.

Adds Krueger, “You read books and answer questions. The lean managers make you work. You can’t just put in your time and say, that’s it.”

Both employees say early exposure to lean pushed them toward applying for an internship.

Slowinski played a role in Ariens’ first kaizen event in 2000.

“We shrunk our targeted production lines almost in half,” she says. “Being a part of that, I wanted to get more involved in learning the steps and processes. I saw I could make a difference.”

Krueger got interested by viewing lean magic around him.

“I saw how lean was changing the company,” he says. “I wanted to take advantage of this. The internship gave me the opportunity.”

Slowinski says the internship expanded her knowledge of the company.

“I worked mostly in assembly. By going through the program, I was exposed to other areas,” she says. “I went to Plant 3 (fabrication) and saw the machine shop and subassembly areas. I went into the service center and receiving. I saw how these parts of the business work and their particular issues. Before, I had no idea.”

Krueger agrees that this gives employees super vision.

“At first, you don’t see everything,” he says. “Once you go through the training, you see things from many different angles.”

This helped when the pair graduated into plant-floor supervision.

“As group leaders, we make sure the lines run smooth,” says Slowinski. “You make sure everyone has parts and everyone is assembling a quality unit. It’s like managing your own mini-business.”

This article appeared in the October/November 2003 issue of MRO Today magazine. Copyright, 2003.

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