“Recognizing organizations that are implementing lean manufacturing and management processes is one of the highlights of our conference,” said Paul Kuchuris, AME President. “It allows us to highlight businesses that improving their bottom lines and customer experiences with the best practices they gain through our outreach programs.”
When evaluating Bombardier’s Toronto Site, the AME assessment team was impressed by the use of improvement tools, especially with regards to the organization’s approach to Standardized Problem Solving and an empowerment system called Xcell. Combined, these processes drive continuous improvement and engagement by the workforce down to the shop-floor level. Equally impressive to the team was the level of accountability at Bombardier’s Toronto Site and an understanding that the entire organization must change to meet evolving demands and new visions.
Bombardier’s Toronto Site researches, designs, manufactures and sells commercial and business aircraft. The site also provides field support. The 373-acre facility includes a 7,000 foot runway, 1.2 million square feet of manufacturing space and employs approximately 4,000 people. The Toronto site began a cultural and physical transformation to improve productivity and the customer experience by adopting the Achieving Excellence System in 2008.
The AME Manufacturing Excellence Award recognizes manufacturing plants that have demonstrated excellence in manufacturing and business. The primary focus of the award is to acknowledge continuous improvement, best practices, creativity and innovation. This award supports AME’s mission “to inspire a commitment to enterprise excellence through experiential learning by bringing people together to share, learn and grow.”
The 2013 class of Manufacturing Excellence Award winners also includes:
- STIHL Incorporated of Virginia Beach, Va.
- MillerCoors of Eden, N.C.
- IEC Electronics Corp — Albuquerque, N.M.
About the Association for Manufacturing Excellence
The Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) is the premier not-for-profit organization dedicated to the journey of continuous improvement and enterprise excellence. AME’s membership is composed of a trusted network of volunteers who are committed to leveraging the practitioner-to-practitioner and company-to-company shared-learning experience. Through engaging workshops, seminars and plant tours, and industry-leading conferences, AME members are continually discovering and implementing new continuous improvement strategies and best practices. AME offers its members a multitude of valuable resources to help them stay abreast of current industry developments, and improve the skills, competitiveness, and overall success of their organizations. For more information, visit www.ame.org or email info@ame.org.
