Lab On-time Testing Project Example

Kaiser Aluminum Corp Six Sigma project improved the lab on-time to 6% which was an outstanding improvement--Historically, an outside service provider performed the physical property tests on the metal produced by Kaiser Aluminum's Trentwood facility. Because thousands of tests are necessary each year, management decided to bring the testing in-house to reduce vendor expenses. Installing, calibrating and certifying the needed fracture and fatigue test cells – a major capital investment – took seven months. Although the project was deemed a success, the new physical testing laboratory was experiencing delays in completing the tests. On-time testing performance is critical so that, as metal is ready to ship, all the proper testing and certifications are complete to ensure on-time delivery to customers – a hallmark of Kaiser Aluminum's "Best in Class" customer service mantra. The laboratory manager, newly trained as a Green Belt through the Kaiser Production System, put his training to