219
Technical Assistance
In 2006, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funded a Lean and the
Environment pilot project to develop a nonregulatory approach for managing P2
and waste management at manufacturing companies to improve and sustain their
competitiveness and profitability and reduce the need for regulatory compliance.
The Washington Department of Ecology worked with the EPA and Washington
Manufacturing Services (WMS) to provide lean environmental assistance and training to facilities in Washington State. WMS, the Washington State center for the
federal Manufacturing Extension Partnership program under the National Institute
of Standards and Technology (NIST MEP) is a not-for-profit organization with the
goal of increasing the competitiveness of Washington manufacturers.
This pilot program has three participating companies. These companies manufacture cabinets, fiberglass tubs, and paint. This program was designed to take the
principals of lean manufacturing and apply them to these companies in a way that
also improves environmental management.
The goals of the pilot program are to
• Develop a collaborative partnership between the Washington State Department of Ecology and WMS
• Integrate environmental tools with lean practices
• Identify and reduce material and resource wastes and risks at three pilot
companies
BASIS FOR PROGRAM
Companies were chosen for the program based on several criteria. They had to agree
to the publicity associated with the pilot program. The names of the companies and an
analysis of the process at each facility will be included in both Washington Department
of Ecology and WMS documentation. The companies will also be expected to testify
to the state legislature regarding the effectiveness of the program. Each company
chosen had to have processes and products in their operating systems that would
benefit significantly from both lean and environmental improvements. If the company
could only make changes in one of these areas, then it would not be considered for the
program. Size and industrial classification were not directly considered but instead
were factored into the potential changes. The Washington Department of Ecology
and WMS contacted likely candidates within Washington and encouraged them to
apply, then chose the top three applicants based on the criteria listed.
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
Lean manufacturing is based on the idea of kaizen, a Japanese word adopted into
English that refers to the continuous, incremental improvement of production activities.
Kaizen is broken down into three phases:
Phase 1: Planning and preparation
Phase 2: Implementation
Phase 3: Follow-up
Technical Assistance
In 2006, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funded a Lean and the
Environment pilot project to develop a nonregulatory approach for managing P2
and waste management at manufacturing companies to improve and sustain their
competitiveness and profitability and reduce the need for regulatory compliance.
The Washington Department of Ecology worked with the EPA and Washington
Manufacturing Services (WMS) to provide lean environmental assistance and training to facilities in Washington State. WMS, the Washington State center for the
federal Manufacturing Extension Partnership program under the National Institute
of Standards and Technology (NIST MEP) is a not-for-profit organization with the
goal of increasing the competitiveness of Washington manufacturers.
This pilot program has three participating companies. These companies manufacture cabinets, fiberglass tubs, and paint. This program was designed to take the
principals of lean manufacturing and apply them to these companies in a way that
also improves environmental management.
The goals of the pilot program are to
• Develop a collaborative partnership between the Washington State Department of Ecology and WMS
• Integrate environmental tools with lean practices
• Identify and reduce material and resource wastes and risks at three pilot
companies
BASIS FOR PROGRAM
Companies were chosen for the program based on several criteria. They had to agree
to the publicity associated with the pilot program. The names of the companies and an
analysis of the process at each facility will be included in both Washington Department
of Ecology and WMS documentation. The companies will also be expected to testify
to the state legislature regarding the effectiveness of the program. Each company
chosen had to have processes and products in their operating systems that would
benefit significantly from both lean and environmental improvements. If the company
could only make changes in one of these areas, then it would not be considered for the
program. Size and industrial classification were not directly considered but instead
were factored into the potential changes. The Washington Department of Ecology
and WMS contacted likely candidates within Washington and encouraged them to
apply, then chose the top three applicants based on the criteria listed.
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
Lean manufacturing is based on the idea of kaizen, a Japanese word adopted into
English that refers to the continuous, incremental improvement of production activities.
Kaizen is broken down into three phases:
Phase 1: Planning and preparation
Phase 2: Implementation
Phase 3: Follow-up