Page 43 - MetalForming May 2012

GR Spring & Stamping\Workforce Development
www.metalformingmagazine.com MetalForming/May 2012
not line our people up on a scale of seniority and start at the bottom. We distinguish between our best per- formers, good performers and low performers.”
Cross Training via Mini-Companies
While many organizations seek a cross-functional workforce, GRS&S goes the extra mile. The company operates several cross-functional teams referred to as mini-companies.
“A mini company is a term and activity we learned from a consultant, Kiyoshi Suzaki, in the early 1990s,” explains Dulyea. “He visited GRS&S quarterly for several years, and helped us develop the mini-compa- ny concept and improve our lines of communication. Our goal was to have every production department run as a company; thus strengthen- ing customer-supplier relationships and providing a vital check-and-bal- ance mechanism.”
Each mini-company at GRS&S has specific internal and external cus- tomers, with the goal to ensure that no mini-company passes along a defect to any downstream customer. Another goal: improve the lines of communi- cation—giving each associate a place
to voice concerns and opinions. Each mini-company meets week- ly—with all associates participating —to review key performance indi- cators and conduct problem solving. A minimum of three officers from manufacturing, quality and technical departments lead the mini-compa- nies (see Pressroom Mini-Company at GRS&S sidebar), and each week all mini-company officers meet to share best practices, review the key
“When I joined GRS&S in 1999, we
had fewer than 100 employees and not many formalized rules and procedures, says HR manager Corey Hendges. “As we grew, we focused on training our supervisors to prepare them for leader- ship positions. Almost all of our super- visors come from hourly positions.”
performance indicators and discuss implemented improvements. Each quarter, mini-companies meet with management in what are called bankers meetings. Here they review results relating to the key perform- ance indicators and discuss plans to improve. These meetings also allow for requests for capital expenditures.
Mini-company officers generally are promoted from within their areas. Officer positions allow associates to increase leadership and management skills, which result in increased wages. To help officers grow into their positions, the company offers a vari- ety of internal and external leader- ship courses.
To further communicate best practices within each mini-company, GRS&S holds an annual trade show. Here, mini-companies within each building videotape of some best prac- tices and new technologies, which are then viewed by members of other mini-companies at the trade show to promote idea-sharing.
Associates receive other perks that make GRS&S an attractive place to work. They don’t bother punching in and out, as the company has elimi- nated timeclocks. Associates simply write their hours on personal timesheets that are turned in to super- visors at the end of the week. The com- pany also provides loans whereby associates can purchase new home computers. Money is repaid through interest-free payroll deductions. As many as 25 associates annually take advantage of this program, and the company benefits as well—approxi- mately 90 percent of associates must interact with a computer at one time or another during the work day, so com- puter proficiency adds work knowl- edge.
Company Culture Fosters Improvement
The GRS&S World Class Idea pro- gram, based on the Toyota Suggestion System, taps the knowledge of asso- ciates to drive continuous improve- ment. Company-wide meetings held
Vice President Began as a Co-Op
Dan Armock, vice president—advanced engineering development, is an 18-yr. GRS&S associate who began his tenure performing summer work as an engineer- ing co-op. He joined GRS&S full-time as
a project engineer after college, moved up to pressroom manager, eventually became engineering manager, and then assumed his current position in June of 2011. Benefitting from the company’s tuition-reimbursement program, Armock received a master’s from Western Michigan University— one of the first to graduate with WMU’s advanced busi- ness-engineering combination degree.
“For each of the progressions, my pay scale increased,” Armock says. “When I talk to new associates, I tell them: ‘Show up on time, work hard, try to contribute and be positive, and you can go anywhere in the company.’
“We understand that people may not come in with the perfect skill set,” Armock continues, “but if there is a willingness to learn, the company will help. Visitors to GRS&S are amazed at the culture here.”