Results

By training 100% of their employees at the Kanab facility, Stampin' Up! obtained "buy in" from all their employees in order to make the needed changes.  As a result, output was increased by 20% in the rubber-molding process.  In the packaging area, productivity was increased by 30%.  And as a result of the Five S System, available floor space was opened by 20%.  Stampin' Up! Kanab was so pleased with the training they received from the MEP that they contacted their distribution center in Salt Lake City to have them undergo the same exercise.

Testimonial

 "Working with MEP has been a delight.  They are a team of professionals and their insight into everyday problems has helped us improve our efficiency.  We look forward to additional training with MEP in the future."

Testimonial Name: Brett Heaton

Testimonial Title: Lean Team Leader

Products

Stampin' Up! is located in Kanab, Utah, and manufactures an exclusive line of decorative stamp sets and accessories for greeting cards, craft projects, scrapbooking, and home decor. Stampin' Up! is a leader in the hobby and craft industry because of its fresh designs, production of high-quality, wood-mounted rubber stamps, and unique packaging based on combining stamps in sets of coordinated images.  

Situation

Stampin' Up! was introduced to Lean principles through one of their vendors.  They started talking about production efficiency and space utilization.  As a result, the Kanab Stampin' Up! facility sent nine of their managers down to Arizona to a competitor's lean training.  In the end, they were not happy with the results of the training. 

Solution

One of the MEP Utah's field engineers stopped by the Kanab facility one day and mentioned that MEP Utah also offered lean training.  The Stampin' Up! Kanab group went forward with the training and were very pleased with the outcome.  First, they focused on lean concepts such as the Five S System (Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain).  This led to reducing waste and increasing available floor space.  Second, they worked on balancing the production line in which "work-in-process" inventories were reduced significantly.  This resulted in faster cycle times, reduced production costs, and increased on-time delivery. Changes were made in the packaging area as well. For example, employees were once in stations and each one did all of the processes. Through Lean, they were able to move to cells where each employee knew all the processes, but only performed specific duties. This increased productivity by 30%.