Delphi's Saginaw Plant Chosen as one of North America's 10 Best Plants
13 October 1999
Delphi Automotive Systems' Saginaw Plant Chosen as one of North America's 10 Best Plants by INDUSTRYWEEK
SAGINAW, Mich., Oct. 13 -- Delphi Automotive Systems'
Plant 6 in Saginaw, Mich., has been recognized as one of the 10
best manufacturing plants in North America, by INDUSTRYWEEK, a leading
manufacturing management magazine.
This national honor recognizes world-class manufacturing capabilities and
a plant-management mindset of continuous improvement. Delphi's Saginaw plant
and the other nine winners were selected from more than 400 plants nominated
between October 1998 and March 1999.
"These plants are the finest in North America and among the best in the
world," said INDUSTRYWEEK Editor-in-Chief John R. Brandt. "Their success
stories -- tales of teamwork and achievement against long odds -- are
inspirations for managers everywhere. IW is delighted not only to recognize
these facilities, but also to explain how their strategies can help any firm
achieve similar outstanding results."
Plant 6, part of Delphi Saginaw Steering Systems division, manufactures
tilt and non-tilt steering columns.
"This is a great honor for Delphi," said Paul J. Tosch, president of
Delphi Saginaw Steering Systems. "Plant 6 has made great strides in
implementing lean manufacturing by engaging the work force to become more
competitive through eliminating waste and streamlining processes. These
efforts have helped us to become more efficient, respond more quickly to
change and be more flexible, which are important factors for Delphi's future
and critical to our competitiveness globally. I am extremely proud of what
our people at Plant 6 have been able to accomplish."
"I'm glad to see our people receive this recognition for all their hard
work," said Steve Constable, Plant 6 manager. "This shows what's possible
when the union and management work together to focus on competitiveness -- we
are able to compete with anyone in the world."
Plant 6 is the lean vision plant within Delphi Saginaw Steering Systems
division, and is recognized as a leader within Delphi for its implementation
of the Quality Network Manufacturing System (QNMS). QNMS seeks to improve
competitiveness through using the principles of lean manufacturing. The plant
has achieved some very impressive statistics since implementing QNMS, such as
reducing total product cycle time by 75 percent, improving productivity by 19
percent, reducing work-in-process inventory by 40 percent and transforming
more than 81 percent of the plant floor to improve material flow. The plant
is also known for its union-management relations and spirit of teamwork.
"The foundation of Plant 6 is built on teamwork," said Constable. "We
believe it is only through teamwork that we have been able to achieve so
much."
"Our people working out on the production floor deserve a lot of credit
for this award," said Wayne Sasse, UAW Local 699 Plant 6 A-Zone shop
committeeman. John Norton, UAW Local 699 Plant 6 B-Zone shop committeeman
agreed, saying, "I'm so proud of the people who work here at Plant 6. They
have worked hard to implement the Quality Network Manufacturing System
principles and this award is a wonderful testament to their efforts."
Out of the more than 400 plants nominated, 72 were asked to submit a 15-
page questionnaire, which was evaluated by a team of INDUSTRYWEEK editors.
Twenty-five plants were chosen as finalists, and their entries were then
reviewed by a panel of outside experts. The manufacturing experts'
evaluations, combined with the results of follow-up questionnaires, produced
10 winners. Each winner was validated during a plant visit by INDUSTRYWEEK
staff.
Delphi Automotive Systems' RIMIR Operations, located in Matamoros, Mexico,
was one of the top-25 finalists in the INDUSTRYWEEK competition. RIMIR, part
of Delphi's Interior Systems division, manufactures occupant protection
systems. RIMIR has had outstanding achievements in safety (over 8 million
work hours without a lost work day incident) and delivery (100 percent on time
delivery to both OEM and aftermarket customers), as well as impressive
improvements in productivity and lead-time reduction.
The complete list and a profile of Delphi Saginaw Steering System's
Plant 6 can be found at http://www.industryweek.com .
Delphi Automotive Systems , with headquarters in Troy, Mich.,
USA, is a world leader in automotive component and systems technology.
Delphi's three business sectors -- Dynamics & Propulsion; Safety, Thermal &
Electrical Architecture; and Electronics & Mobile Communications -- provide
comprehensive product solutions to complex customer needs. Delphi has
approximately 201,000 employees and operates 168 wholly owned manufacturing
sites, 38 joint ventures, 51 customer centers and sales offices, and 27
technical centers in 37 countries. Regional headquarters are located in
Paris, Tokyo and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Delphi can be found on the Internet at
http://www.delphiauto.com .