Motivation and capabilities to drive sustainable, effective continuous improvement
Focus on an effective lean management system powered by involved, knowledgeable employees; deploy principles and tools for building an enterprise-wide CI culture; hear about lean training and an organizational structure that supports the extension of lean knowledge throughout all operations; lean leadership and a lean tool/skill set.
Discover Crown Equipment’s approach to sustainable continuous improvement (CI) through the use of a lean management system designed for efficiency, effectiveness and flexibility. Learn how Crown systematically deploys principles, systems and tools to create a CI culture across 16 global manufacturing sites. Hear related lessons learned during the company’s 20-year CI journey as well as current and planned future strategies for CI in implementation methods. Understand how its employees at all levels, engaged in systematic CI, are the key to its success. Learn how its eight-hour lean basic course to develop a common language, its method for measuring execution of strategy deployment and its focus on teamwork help employees develop motivation for daily process improvement. Focus on six key elements that create a strong foundation of lean leadership and a lean tool/system skill set. Hear how Crown built its organizational structure to support the extension of lean knowledge within manufacturing sites and throughout the business, including branches, marketing and human resources. Explore coaching/communication, leader standard work and policy deployment.
Crown Equipment Corporation is one of the world’s largest material handling companies. It has a reputation for award-winning product design, advanced engineering/technology and excellent after-sale service. Crown’s business philosophy utilizes vertically-integrated processes to design, manufacture and distribute forward-thinking, innovative solutions that improve customers’ productivity and operating efficiency. The company produces a broad range of forklifts as well as automation and fleet management technologies. www.crown.com
David Tumbusch is the director of manufacturing for Crown Equipment Corporation. He received a bachelor’s degree in electronic engineering from the University of Dayton and an MBA degree from the University of Notre Dame, with post-graduate studies at the University of Michigan. He earned a certificate in total quality management from Indiana Wesleyan University and is a patent recipient. Tumbusch has more than 20 years’ experience in plant and operations management with Cincinnati Milacron, North American Phillips and other companies.
Kim Leopold is the operational excellence manager for Crown Equipment Corporation. She graduated from Kettering University with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and holds an MBA degree in organizational leadership from the University of Findlay, OH. She has held positions in engineering and lean manufacturing at Eaton Corporation and General Dynamics, in addition to her Crown Equipment work. She is responsible for overall leadership and strategy of Crown’s global operational excellence program.
