Six sigma support for seat manufacturer

An Ebbw Vale manufacturing company has employed the services of freshbaked Training as it looked to become a much leaner and cost effective business.

Sears Seating employed the services of freshbaked Training which is part of the wider freshbaked Business Services group to help the business identify and reduce its waste consumption.

Using Six Sigma, a high-level management system, freshbaked Business worked with Sears Seating to improve processes and eliminate waste by applying world-class tools and techniques to all areas of the manufacturing process.

 The manufacturer took the decision to train senior staff in Six Sigma in a bid to further consolidate its position as one of the countries leading suppliers of seating for construction, agriculture and material handling vehicles.The training both improved productivity by eliminating non - value added activities and helped boost employee morale and motivation through the participation in the programme.

Steve Allcock, director of freshbaked Training said: “Not only have the staff at Sears Seating successfully completed a national qualification which will be recognised and be transferrable in future employment but they have made significant improvements to the processes at the factory through the application of the new techniques they have learnt.”

General Manager of Sears Seating, Daryl Davies added: “We have come out the other end of the recession as a much fitter and competitive business. Our workforce is back on fulltime and whilst there is some overtime available we are still treading carefully.”

Established in the 1850s, Sears Seating is part of the wider American-based Sears manufacturing company and was set up by Isaac Sears who developed saddles in the middle 1850s.

Despite having to shed 50 jobs and put the rest of the work force on to short time in the height of the economic downturn, the training has enabled the manufacturer to secure five major contract wins.

Continued Daryl: “The fact that we are now a Six Sigma company has helped us attract new clients. Of the five new clients, three have already place orders. It reassures them that we are continually focussed on our production processes and achieving customer satisfaction.”