December 29, 2009 - The award for World Class Manufacturer of the Year 2009 recognizes the quality work produced each year by a manufacturing staff.
This year, The Manufacturer magazine honored a manufacturer of treatment solutions for cancer and brain disorders, Elekta Inc. The company sought to improve manufacturing by developing an environment in which employees felt empowered to bring new ideas to the table and try new ways of doing things to help improve the manufacturing process.
After implementing Lean processes for manufacturing and product development in 2007, Elekta’s U.K. office focused on increasing efficiency, decreasing waste and adopting a culture of continuous improvement. Since then, it has achieved productivity gains and reduced quality concerns. The company improved its delivery and lead times and quality efficiencies as well.
"Showing key performance indicators (KPI) to staff through the whole company at Elekta U.K. was really working," said Will Stirling, editor, The Manufacturer. "The charts around the factory showing productivity and lost days showed big efficiency gains, which the staff wanted to improve further. I met 15 people in one visit, from the factory floor to board level. It was clear they all understood the KPIs and the corporate targets so there was a unity of purpose. There was full buy-in to the Lean program at board level, and a healthy order book is further evidence that the Crawley site is getting plenty of things right. Elekta U.K. fully deserves this award."
Professor Peter Hines, chairman and professor of supply chain management at the Lean Enterprise Research Centre, Cardiff University, Wales, U.K., said, “I think the greatest strength was the culture of change, enthusiasm and improvement, and Elekta is taking that out into the wider business, not just the shop floor.”
For further information: www. elekta.com
August 09, 2024 
