Plastic Film Mfg.

Expertise

Operational Improvement – CPI

Assignment

Our client, a Chicago-based plastic film processing company, was having difficulty supervising its employees, many of whom came from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. The Company had reduced its supervisory staff in anticipation of implementing self-directed work teams prior to laying the groundwork for an effective implementation.

Actions

MainStream diagnosed the problem and quickly helped the company redesign its implementation plan. MainStream engaged the entire management staff to develop a logical step-wise plan geared for success. The revised plan centered on the results of an assessment which identified the drivers and blockers to implementing Self-Directed Work Teams. An implementation team was formed to develop a plan to maximize the drivers and minimize the blockers. Teaming activities had to be redesigned to accommodate the variety of languages, traditions, and cultures of the participants.

Results

After developing the plan and implementing the new processes within the company, teams of 8 to 10 employees successfully ran the day-to-day operation of the facility. A side benefit that MainStream was able to achieve for the client included cross training so that worker assignments such as production planning, customer support, and deliveries could be handled by all personnel.