2006 Fall Issue - UAW-Chrysler.com

SOLUTION
PDCs pack more productivity
BY MOLLY ROSE TEUKE
JOHN SOBCZAK
The payoff in greater productivity
should translate into better job security.
“The after-market auto parts environment
is highly competitive,” says Memphis PDC
manager Kevin Vaughan. “We have a lock
on only 5 percent of parts. Our competitors
are able to provide dealers with the other
95 percent, which means we have to work
smarter, leaner and more responsively if
we want to stay in business.”
For Local 1086 member Mary Tyler,
organization of the dock area is a prime
example of working leaner. With just-intime
inventory, parts are delivered to the
warehouse as needed, and usually shipped
within hours. When Tyler started more
than 10 years ago, the day shift had to pack
up its receiving operation every afternoon
to make way for the night shift’s shipping
operation. Today, each shift has a designated
area and workers no longer spend time
clearing the dock. “Now we can go straight
into our work,” says Tyler. “It’s a lot easier
on the workers.”
Part of the new efficiency is 15-minute
batch processing, which lets workers
determine the optimal time for filling orders
by timing a 15-minute sequence. “The point
isn’t to pick as fast as we can,” says Tyler.
“It’s to get an accurate portrayal of how
many lines we can pick in 15 minutes, and
then the lines for the work assignments are
adjusted accordingly. We just went from 42
lines to 36 lines in my area.”
“Management doesn’t determine it,”
says Vaughan, “workers do. If we know our
productivity levels, we can plan our shifts
more accurately and move workers where
they’re needed.”
Everything considered, Memphis is on a
roll thanks in large part to the impact of Lean
Warehousing. In March, the facility received
the 2005 UAW-DaimlerChrysler Excellence
Award for the Mopar Division, symbolizing
its progress in union-management cooperation
and process-driven change. Memphis
showed an improvement of more than
41 percent in outbound lines per hour and
a 20 percent increase in quality last year.
BETTER THAN EVER
DView, Mopar’s updated warehouse management
system implemented as a part of Lean
Warehousing, has had a big impact because it
has greatly reduced errors. Workers now scan
each part at every step, from dock delivery to
shipping. Scan the wrong bin for a particular
order, and DView beeps. Even the most
diligent worker can make a mistake, notes
Tyler, who appreciates the added assurance.
“I like getting the right parts to our dealers,”
she says. “It helps me keep my job, and my
job is my livelihood.”
Tyler also applauds the new racking
system, which is ergonomically designed,
resulting in dramatically less physical wear
and tear. Since Lean Warehousing was
implemented in 2003, the Memphis PDC
has recorded the lowest incident and
severity rates for injuries in Mopar.
But what Tyler appreciates most about
Lean Warehousing is how much cleaner the
warehouse is. “When we redid the racks, we
cleaned out years’ worth of trash,” she says.
“This is a nicer place to work now. Even the
air is cleaner.”
For Jackson at the Detroit PDC, the
shift from an individual to a team work
environment is what transformed her unit .
“The atmosphere is just different,” she says.
“We’re all more involved with decision
making, and that makes the company more
profitable and more competitive. And that
means future jobs.” ■
Crystal Jackson helps to keep
the inventory in order
at the Detroit PDC.
www.uawdcx.com TOMORROW FALL 2006 11