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California, United States Greg King talks to Write CVs Creator about Lean Manufacturing in 2013.
The Author - Sharon Hibble

Gregory A King
Manufacturing Operations

Greg is an experienced leader in International Manufacturing Operations and Development of Electronic Hardware and Systems with 15 years experience in the development of complex systems. Greg specializes in Lean Manufacturing, Process and Production improvements. Figures out in November 2012 show a much awaiting increase in Manufacturing output. MAPI forecasts that industrial production will increase 4.5 percent in 2012 and 2.3 percent in 2013. Manufacturing production is expected to outperform GDP growth, which MAPI estimates will be 2.0 percent in 2012 and 1.7 percent 2013. The current analysis takes a first look at a longer-term horizon and anticipates 3.3 percent overall manufacturing growth in 2014. US Manufacturing is the 9th largest economy in the World and supports 18 Million jobs in the States with manufactured products representing almost half of all American exports. So its important that companies start looking at their operations going in to 2013 to continue to grow and build on the bottom line profit. Lean Manufacturing using Six Sigma processes is an essential tool however this tool needs to be wielded by an experienced and accomplished Operations Leader who not only has the expertise to implement these changes but can also motivate the team from the bottom up to the top. I asked Greg more about Lean Manufacturing, Lean Manufacturing is an operational plan oriented toward achieving the shortest possible cycle time by eliminating waste. A fundamental principle of a Lean strategy is to get more with doing less with the goal of continually finding and improving methods to eliminating waste constantly driving the process. Lean Manufacturing is not about finding shortcuts. Instead, its about reducing the wastes and still maintain a high level of production efficiency and customer satisfaction. With customer, satisfaction is of paramount importance. Lower costs, higher quality, and shorter lead times are a few of the direct benefits. Greg started out as a Software Technician in Research and Development for EG&G Astrophysics and within the year was promoted to Manager of the department. It was only a few short months later that the company was taken over by Perkin Elmer and Greg having been instantly recognized as a talented

I met Greg after he applied for a job that I had recently advertised and after just one conversation I was intrigued by this man, you know when you get that feeling that there is more to this person than meets the eye and there is something special about them! After two more conversations my initial observations were indeed correct; Gregory A King is one of the most genuine nicest people that you could ever wish to meet. Greg has personal and professional integrity. Both ambitious and entrepreneurial, Greg still manages to keep his feet firmly on the ground with a hands on attitude. He is incredibly respected and well liked amongst management the management teams team as well as as production well as the production floor teams floor and team hasand the ability has the to ability build to relations build relations with ease with that are ease that trusted are trusted and loyal. and loyal.

Greg knows and respects the fact that alone he can't conquer the World; he understands knows the importance the importance of having of a having team, skilled a skilled most team, importantly most for importantly everything to for fall everything in to place to and fallwork in to place in harmony and work thatin he harmony needs to that treat he his needs to treat workforce withhis respect workforce and with respect andGreg humanity. humanity. has achieved Greg has ALL of achieved this and I ALL alsoof believe this and that I also he does believe it that he with ease does because it with itease comes because naturally it comes to him.naturally to him.

Greg is most definitely committed to Policies and Procedures and believes that if a company is well documented then it will run more efficiently. Greg, an Analytical and Strategic Manager believes that firefighting is chaotic and is extremely wasteful there-by costly. Being a firefighter reviles a lack of planning and a failure to execute. Greg has the ability to break problems into parts to see relationships or interdependencies. His analytical abilities means he can plan well and lead projects successfully. He is able to accurately forecast financial results and develop plans to meet goals and objectives. Analytical leaders work with their people to plan and create action plans for their areas of responsibility and work to accomplish these goals. Managers who possess analytical skills systematically accomplish their plans and logically produce predictable results Making Greg an incredibly valuable asset to any company that is lucky enough to work with him. The U.S Manufacturing industry is hit with extra costing compared to other countries which include structural costs, corporate tax liability, employee benefits, tort litigation, regulatory compliance, and energy, so it is vital that the operations of a Plant are run as efficiently as possible. Gregs outstanding achievements within the industry prove that Lean Manufacturing and strong Process and Procedures is a total must for a company to survive.

employee was promoted to the position of Test and Manufacturing Manager which he held for two years until he was again promoted to the position of Director of Operations after the company was taken over by L-3 Security and Detection Systems. Greg comments on his promotion, This is an enormous position in manufacturing, especially in a multi billion-dollar company. Greg was managing a team of 200 high-tech production personnel. His noted achievements were identifying, defining and implementing manufacturing strategies to reduce costs, increase revenues, and improve processes and product to drive profitable growth. Greg achieved and exceeded all performance objectives: generated $60 million in revenue in 2003, increased production 140% over 2002 with a 22% reduction in labor by reduced production line problems and applied Lean Manufacturing methodologies, which organized the shop floor, increased production, and reduced delivery time. In 2003 the company decided to close down their operations in California and relocate the plant to Florida. Greg then went on to a role at Astrophysics which was a start up company as their Vice President of Operations where he Increased productivity to over 300% by reversed declining revenues and profits and lead the company to a prominent position by re-designing product line, adding new features and reducing product cost by one third. Greg also introduced two new products, which increased sales and reduced costs of all units and raw materials through global sourcing strategy and supply chain management. Gregs abilities were not going unnoticed and soon he took up the position of Director of Operation for Premio Inc, a computer manufacturer specializing in complex computer servers. Greg states, One of my tasks was to insert Lean Manufacturing into the operations processes. Greg was responsible for restructuring the overall Operations of this Contract Manufacturing Company, Production, Quality Assurance, and Customer Service groups improved their productivity by implementing Lean methodologies and processes. Greg achieved outstanding results of reducing inventories by 31.5% which increased inventory turns by 50%, which then increased production efficiencies by 60% and improved on-time deliveries by 75%. This was all achieved by strengthening the Fulfillment Center Inventory Control System, revamping the Quality Management system, improving Customer Service/RMA response time by clearly defining Service Level. Agreements as well as reviewing and analyzed customer defect data and developed action plans to reduce defects. Moving up the career ladder and taking on bigger responsibilities, Greg went on to take over the role of US Operations Manager with Rapiscan which was a competitor of L-3 and Astrophysics. Rapiscan had recently won the contract for X-Ray scanning equipment for the 2012 London Olympics. Gregs tasks was to reorganize and restructure Operations of the Company, which included QA, Production, Purchasing, Safety, Shipping / Receiving and Logistics groups by implementing Lean methodologies and processes. This structured the groups

with manufacturing disciplines and strategies. Additionally, using tactical planning and forecasting improved the company overall operating performance and profitability. Within a year of taking up his post Greg had designed and set up new Lean manufacturing plants in California, Mississippi and North Carolina. Greg instituted daily Production meetings with Production, Process Engineering, QA, Purchasing, Materials and Program Managers and initiated monthly meetings with sales and service units to enhance intra-departmental communications, improved monthly sales projections, and increased customer expectations and satisfaction. Along with this Greg developed action plans that increased quality that reduced out of box failures by 80%. Launched cause and effect analysis to find root causes of inventory deviations improving inventory accuracy and establish and maintained inventory handling procedures that increased production efficiencies by 75%. Greg also went on to eliminate unfavorable contracts, renegotiated with new approved suppliers saving 45% under prior costs, and improved quality and delivery performance. Im starting to see a pattern in Gregs method of work and what seems to not only be one of his major strengths but also seems to be a key attribute to turning these companies around and achieving outstanding results. I asked Greg to tell me more about this. Throughout my years in Manufacturing Ive been asked by employees on the floor, and by Board members, What makes me a strong Process and Procedure follower. My answer is, Lean, Total Quality Management and Six Sigma training, combined with the many mistakes Ive made, have played a major role in molding me into a Process and Procedure devotee. However, my Dad first got my attention on the importance of documenting what you do. Continuing improving what you document, and what you do, while measuring and analyzing your progress. My Dad was a Master Machinist. A Master Machinist is a leader of Men and of intricate projects. He was responsible for the productive output of the machine shop and its programs of regular maintenance, staffing, training, and procurement. He reported to the superintendent, these days known as the chief operating officer. He was skilled at reading blueprints and schematics, he had extensive knowledge of micrometers, calipers, lathes, milling machines, grinders, and tool and die making. His authority was almost absolute, and while the superintendent could replace him, it was uncommon to over-rule him in matters related to his expertise. I remember he once found me in our backyard playing with his tools. Tools stretched all over the lawn. He laid into me, as he had never done before. He was mad! After he calmed down, he explained to me just how valuable and essential his tools were to his job. He said for him to be successful at work he needed his tools to be where he expected them to be and that they had to be in good working condition. I cant explain why, but I got itI understood his message.

[Type sidebar content. A sidebar isthe a I have My conversations a personal interest with Greg in have standalone supplement to the main been conducive environment andtowards believe re in taking writing document. It is often aligned on the left or his steps resume to reduce and gaining the carbon valuable right of the page, or located at the top or information, footprint. The they U.S., have EU also and contained Japan are bottom. Use the Text Box Tools tab to change the formatting of the sidebar box. moments by far the of worlds humor biggest and text intellect. producers Over of solid the waste, weeks with I have the found U.S. at myself about Type sidebar content. A sidebar is a looking 14 times forward that of to Japan our and conversations. the EU standalone supplement to the main combined. Nearly 80%of waste document. It is often aligned ontoxic the left or I have learnt that Greg will spend right of the page, or electrical located at the top or as comes from the and bottom. Use the Text Box on Tools tabmy to change much time as he can the electronics industry. During the formatting of the sidebar text box.] production floor "continuously conversations with Greg I asked him improving " the processes and what his thoughts were on Green procedures, gaining the respect of the Manufacturing. Green Staff and the clients in which they the Manufacturing is Lean and Clean, serve. With regards to staffing next logical step in satisfying Greg believes that time spent waste. with the customers and reducing employees is extremely valuable not Having a responsible only to the employeeswaste but also for the management plan and reducing company, so will also spend time energy consumption is profitable, going over their year-end reviews moreover, Its The Right Thing Toso giving clear and obtainable goals Do! thatall employees know where they stand. By carrying out such reviews Companies should embrace Green and spending time getting to know Manufacturing with open arms. It the employees Greg is then able to should be view as a revolutionary ascertain the A and B players process that can catapult American removing the C and below players manufacturing back to the top and replace them with potential A again. and B players. Greg believes that companies must have clear and American manufacturing accurate employee evaluations it professionals that Ive discussedfor the to survive and by doing so it will do Green Manufacturing initiative with the company and the employees are excited and energized; they are justice. bursting with creative ideas and

possible solutions to current wasteful Greg also believes that half the battle conditions. They see participating in of running a successful ship is to have this transformative endeavor; as a motivated employees so will also means that includes Government and spend time improving conditions and business working together to satisfy general moral. It is refreshing to environmental and customers needs, speak to someone who doesnt class while staying competitive in the production staff as second rate and global market place. understands the importance of motivating and progressing them.

One simple but adept example of going green is the energy-efficient light bulb. These bulbs use almost half the energy as a standard light bulb and they produce sufficient light.
Companies must be proactive about monitoring the compliance that their suppliers have when it comes to green manufacturing. Companys should instruct suppliers on exactly what they will be expected to provide and how that will be measured. This will help to make sure that compulsory processes are in place to make sure they are complaint. CAD 3D software is now available for green manufacturing that allows you to design, visualize, and simulate products before starting production. The software can also improve manufacturing flexibility and efficiency by designing plant layouts that decrease waste. It allows engineers to design and communicate the most practical layout by creating a digital model of the plant. You can evaluate your layout for material flow, machine deployment, and energy consumption in the early stages of layout design, and then quickly consider numerous supposing scenarios to optimize your layout. This undertaking is motivating, stimulating, and exciting; lets all get inspirited and get to work, because for US Manufacturing, The Good Times are Back!
If you found this article interesting and are thinking about a career move yourself then please get in touch with Sharon to find out more about how she can help you achieve your goals.

From that moment on, I have uncompromising respect for the Tools of ones craft. I asked Greg if he could give me an example of the importance of Process and Procedure, Here is an example of how following Processes and Procedures saved lives: While direction manufacturing for a security x-ray scanning company, we received a contract to supply the Cancun Airport (CUN). They were having major failures with the units already in operations. The units were not detecting threats, guns, or explosives. There supplier, our competitor, could not determine why the units would work correctly in their factory but fail in Cancun. Needlessly to say we were issued the new contract. Our internal QA Processes and Procedures required that all units go through an environmental QA test prior to shipment, operational testing under extreme heat and cold temperatures to determine how the unit responded under extreme weather conditions. The QA check is there for a critical reason. Using six-sigma analysis, we discovered that humidity was settling into the detector boxes cause the machine to malfunction and not detect threats. We added to our production traveler two steps that resoled this issue. 1. Insert desiccant moister absorbing bags. 2. Prior to shipment, run units through the humidity QA test. The Cancun Airport requested that to expedite shipment, we skip this Process and Procedure. I refused. I held to my judgment, that by deviating we severely exposed the company to possible crippling litigation. Furthermore, after showing the President, my statistical data (six-sigma) revealing that units that bypassed the Process consistently missed detecting threats and allowed contraband to pass through the machines without detection. He agreed that we should not bypass our Processes and Procedures. Disaster prevented by following established and verifiable Processes and Procedures. I told this story to a friend, an international business consultant from Chicago who consults businesses on how to manage Change and how to identify and improve their weakness and reinforce their core competencies. He told me, that after hearing what I learned from my Dad and how that knowledge helps me be a better Manager today, reminded him of Apples Steve Jobs. He said that Steves dad was also a Machinist and that Steve credits his dad with inspiring his discipline and creativity. Being compared to Steve Jobs even a little bit, is a complement that I will gladly accept If you would like to speak with Greg about joining your company then you can make direct contact with him through his LinkedIn profile: www.linkedin.com/pub/gregory-king/62/373/6b4

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