Engaging a Lean Workforce
Our culture of associate involvement around Lean Thinking and it’s effect on improving results

This presentation will illustrate how the General Cable Moose Jaw plant achieves results by engaging every employee in a culture of continuous improvement. Creating an expectation that associates will participate in operating, maintaining and improving their area of responsibility is key. Associates are trained in Lean principles and are engaged in improvement strategies including 5-S activities, Kaizen’s, Poke Yoke, cross-training and creating a safe work environment. Training is then extended to value stream mapping and understanding basic six sigma metrics with the goal being to expose each associate to this learning. Facilitated by six sigma black belt and green belt mentors, monthly area focused improvement meetings -where key metrics are reviewed, issues are surfaced and improvement assignments are shared - serve to reinforce the involvement of each associate in the lean & six sigma culture to create an understanding how they can make a contribution towards improving their workplace and the competitiveness of the business.

Moose Jaw shop floor associates demonstrating the interest, enthusiasm and solid knowledge around the Lean toolset are considered for further training as Lean-Six sigma greenbelts at General Cable’s corporate training center in Highland Heights, Kentucky.

• General Cable ( Moose Jaw) Culture & Structure
• Applying the Lean-Sigma tool-set
• Fostering a mind-set of continuous improvement

General Cable (NYSE:BGC), headquartered in Highland Heights, Kentucky, is a leader in the development, design, manufacture, marketing and distribution of copper, aluminum and fiber optic wire and cable products for the energy, industrial, specialty and communications markets. The Company offers competitive strengths in such areas as breadth of product line, brand recognition, distribution and logistics, sales and service, and operating efficiency.

Established in 1986 the Moose Jaw plant was a proving ground for self directed work-teams and was primarily focused on supplying Saskatchewan Power with URD cables for their 14.4kV overhead replacement project for 11 years. The Moose Jaw plant now part of General Cable’s energy group currently manufactures medium voltage power cables for utilities in the North American market. A Lean-Sigma tool set is used extensively to continuously improve quality and plant performance.

Gillis Burke, Technical Coordinator – Process Improvement

Gillis Burke has been a member of the General Cable, Moose Jaw team for the past 18 years. He has contributed in several roles since commencing his employment with the Moose Jaw plant in 1988, and has been engaged in the Process Improvement Coordinator role for the last 11 years. Gillis was a key contributor in participating and leading significant plant performance improvement through the lean and sigma tool sets and continues to lead the process improvement effort at the Moose Jaw plant.

Gillis has a BASc in Electrical Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan (1981). Following the General Cable inaugural lean roll-out in 2001, Gillis received his Six Sigma Black belt training and certification from Stat-a-Matrix in 2003.