ByJohn H. SheridanAt A Glance
- Average shipments of 220,000 tons/month of flat-rolled steel coils.
- USWA-represented production workers engaged in self-directed teams.
- Employee teams helped save $25 million at customer plant sites in two years.
- Cost of quality reduced 43% in two years.
- In-plant rejects slashed 66% in 3 years.
- Cast-slab-conversion cost reduced 22%.
- Slab caster "breakouts" reduced by 65%.
- Cold-roll cycle time reduced 36% in two years.
- Cycle time on hot-rolled sheet reduced 60%.
- With help from suppliers, BOP shop vessel life increased 180% -- setting a "world record" of 11,165 heats.
- Overall productivity up 29% in five years; sales per employee up 56%.
- Injury/illness frequency rate reduced 55% in three years.
- WIP inventory reduced 21%.
- On-time delivery improved from 88% to 95.6%.
- Earned Governor of Pennsylvania's "waste minimization" award.