Olympic Steel – Chambersburg, PA Team: Brian Clippinger, Robert Johnson and Dave Nichols

Sometimes, a little fresh perspective is all it takes. Brian Clippinger (Tool Technician), Robert Johnson (CNC Programmer) and Dave Nichols (Lead and Machine Operator) in Olympic Steel’s Chambersburg, Pennsylvania facility brought some fresh perspective to the process of producing a completed weldment for one of the division’s key accounts

Working together, the team evaluated the existing process for drilling and milling the job and determined they could eliminate a drill cycle. After some trial and error to refine the approach, the team was able to save 13-minutes on the process, creating increased work flow and saving the cost associated with the eliminated step. The result: potential savings for the division of nearly $20,000 annually.

Lesson Learned: Take a moment to step back and review your processes – especially those that have been in place for a long time. Sometimes a fresh perspective and newly available tools and technology can help you save both time and money.