What Hawaiian shirts can tell us about team spirit
There are many different teams in our KAMAX world, and each and every one of them has their own unique features, rituals and histories. We would like to tell you a bit more about two of these teams. As different as our areas of focus might be, it is teamwork that has made possible the success we enjoy today. And this is something that we can deservedly be proud of.
Anyone who visits the quality management team at 4fastening will be struck by one thing in particular: color. For about a year now, the team has been wearing Hawaiian shirts every Wednesday. The reason? To show that they are a team and break free from routine. Anyone who wishes to may take part, but there’s no pressure. Team Leader Jan Hofmann is certain that “people are more productive when they are in a friendly environment and having fun. It’s a ritual that really suits us, because we’ve always focused on the importance of teamwork.” Respect is something that Patrick Lutz practices in his role as Managing Director, and his team of approximately 50 people is careful to show this same respect to everyone in the company, no matter what their position. Hofmann: “Everyone matters. If one of our colleagues in the warehouse has a suggestion for how we could improve our quality management, we listen to them the same way we would when a manager puts forward an idea.” Since 2012, the company has been taking quantities of fasteners produced in excess of requirements by KAMAX plants and storing these to ensure they can offer their customers secure supply even apart from the large series. The company never loses sight of maximizing efficiency, and the team regularly scrutinizes internal processes and trains employees. A good example: the Six Sigma Green Belt. The latest milestone is our own measurement room. Soon, it will be possible to carry out the tests necessary for first article inspections (FAI) in this new 120-square-meter facility in Pohlheim. Some of the equipment was brought in from Alsfeld, while one machine made its way here from Bardejov. No longer will be it be necessary to gather the materials and ship everything off to Homberg for testing. Hofmann: “This makes us significantly faster. It also creates interesting jobs preparing the samples.” It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved.
There’s no question that inventory is always a tough job. And if it also happens to be not only the very first inventory following the introduction of the S4/HANA system, but also an inventory of two locations simultaneously, there are quite a few challenges that must be overcome. And let’s waste no time in stating that our colleagues in Jintan and Wujin mastered these challenges with flying colors. Before taking inventory, the team drew up detailed plans and familiarized themselves with the new workflows mandated by the SAP EWM module. Now, in order to record the products, for example, our colleagues scan the labels and the data are fed directly into the system. This is much faster and more accurate, and it would have been great – if error messages hadn’t suddenly appeared. It was not possible to generate the roughly one hundred documents that were required, but help was on the way from the German SAP team. According to Chunjiao Yin, Customer Service Supervisor, “our colleagues provided us with excellent support. We were able to reach them almost around the clock, and they worked non-stop to help us solve our technical difficulties – even though this meant that they had to work during the German Christmas holidays.” In the end, the team was able to complete the inventory in just a few days while learning an entirely new procedure. Reason to celebrate? It most certainly is. And both plants did so, together – with a gigantic cake. Speaking of together: the Wujin and Jintan locations are continually growing closer and becoming more proficient with S4/HANA. As Yin reports: “We regularly hold meetings to share ideas and discuss problems and solutions. As a result, we continue to learn from each other.” The next inventory? Bring it on.
KXpress
