Allen Hartsoe is a Lean TPM Consultant with J&A International, Inc.
He is a 30 year veteran of heavy manufacturing, is a certified Lean Practitioner and Six Sigma Black Belt.
During his career at RR Donnelley and Sons, he developed and implemented preventive and predicative maintenance programs for the purpose of reducing maintenance cost, improving equipment uptime, better resource utilization, while increasing equipment capacity in a 750,000 square feet manufacturing facility. As a member of the management team, he oversaw annual operating budgets of $5 MM.
Allen served on the corporate Lean design and steering team that created training materials, field guides and developed Train-the-Trainer materials for Donnelly facilities in the United States and abroad. In addition he developed technical training curriculum for machine operators.
Allen launched his consulting business, CI Solutions, with a goal of helping companies improve their bottom line while improving the work environment of employees while preserving jobs.
His consulting disciplines include training and hands-on facilitating of teams in the use of Six Sigma, Five-S, Single Minute Exchange of Die (S.M.E.D.), Single Piece Flow, Pull Systems, Kanban, Workplace Standardization, Poke Yoke (Simplifying and Mistake Proofing), and Visual Management Systems.
Allen has partnered with senior executives to develop strategic operational plans to improve their bottom line, followed by developing tactical plans through hands-on involvement. These plans are achieved by partnering with cross functional project teams at the floor level in applying and implementing Lean Six Sigma tools.
He is an affiliate of the South Carolina Manufactures Extension Partnership. Allen has provided services for a wide variety of industries such as, the wood composites, construction, transactional, molding, forging, automotive, precision machining, warehousing logistics, printing, chemical, textiles and food.
Allen has partnered with Global Fortune 300, Global Forbes Platinum 400, Forbes top 400 privately owned companies as well as small to medium size companies.
Clients include tier one suppliers for Mercedes Benz, Chrysler, Mack Truck, Volvo, General Motors, John Deere, Caterpillar, JLG, BMW, United States Military, Boeing, and Home Depot.
Allen has five patents for process improvements. He believes obstacles can be turned into marketplace advantages through out-of-the-box-thinking.
SUMMARY
o 30 years of manufacturing experience in diverse high paced environments
o Certified Six Sigma Black Belt and Lean Practitioner
o Utilized techniques used in Lean Manufacturing, Kaizan, Quick Change Over, S.M.E.D. (Single Minute Exchange of Die), Pull Systems, 5/S, Six Sigma, and Theory of Constraint (T.O.C.)
o Skilled in delivering training in a formal classroom setting, as well as floor level through hands-on application for client specific processes
o Strong leadership and interpersonal skills, capable of coaching both subordinates and superiors; can challenge conventional wisdom while maintaining trust, respect and unity of team.
o Demonstrated ability to drive change through recognizing, managing various personalities and behaviors at both the individual and organizational level
o Clear understanding that client success and satisfaction per project determines future client process improvement activities
o Coaching clients in the importance of quantifying the Cost of Poor Quality, and project objectives to show client Return on Investment for process improvement initiatives
o Persuasive written and verbal communications skills
o Multiple tasks capable with proven project planning and management skills, experiences include driving standardization across multiple plants/ facilities
o Capable of turning obstacles into advantages through out-of-the-box thinking as demonstrated by being awarded five patents for process improvements (4 for set-up reduction breakthroughs)
o Proficient in Excel, Word, Power Point, Visio, Mini Tab (statistical software)
o Strong analytical and technical skills. Experiences include setup through overhaul of industrial equipment including robotics. Knowledgeable of milling machines, lathes, and programmable logic control systems
SELECTED ACCOMPLISHMENTS
o Successful provider of Lean Six Sigma services as an independent contractor in a variety of industries for ten years.
o Two projects published in “The Competitive Edge” magazine, a publication of the South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership which provides competitive solutions for manufacturers
o Served on RR Donnelley Corporate “5/S, Set-up Reduction” design and steering team. Team was charged with creating training materials, field guides and training the trainers for company wide implementation of 5/S, Quick Change Over, S.M.E.D. and Referencing
o Inventor of “Referencing” a patented process to reduce set-up time, while improving product output, reducing defects, reducing rework while improving raw material yield and increasing equipment capacity
o Facilitated and trained Customer Service, Schedulers, Managers and Manufacturing teams in R.R.D. divisions to improve manufacturing efficiencies and performance utilizing “Referencing”. Set-up times were reduced from as much as 8-12 hours to as low as 45 minutes, while improving startup production by 43%, in addition to reducing waste and re-work. Developed and presented training materials for train the trainer that included process experts across R.R.D. for the purpose of company wide deployment.
EDUCATION
Wave Five Black Belt Training R.R. Donnelley 2000-2001
Third Party Auditor Training R.R. Donnelley 2001
Diversity Train The Trainer R. R. Donnelley 1999
Total Productive Maintenance Mgt Clemson University 1998
Diversity Pope & Assoc. R. R. Donnelley 1995
Set-up Reduction Clemson University 1995
Team Facilitation skills R. R. Donnelley 1993
Statistical Process Control James Madison University 1995
Public Speaking University of S. Carolina 1994
Supervisor Training University of S. Carolina 1990
WORK EXPERIENCE 1980-Present
Independent Contractor
Six Sigma, Lean Principles, Theory of Constraint
o Industries served include construction, molding, forging, automotive, precision machining, printing, food, ceramic, metal fabricating
o Clients include tier one suppliers for Mercedes Benz, Chrysler, Mack Truck, Volvo, General Motors, John Deere, Caterpillar, JLG, BMW, United States Military, Boeing, and Home Depot
o Size of clients served vary from privately owned companies with as little as 15 employees to Global Fortune 300, Global Forbes Platinum 400, Forbes top 400 companies with as many as 40,000 employees
o Developed and delivered training materials with hands on facilitating of teams in the use of Six Sigma, Five-S, Single Minute Exchange of Die (S.M.E.D.), Single Piece Flow, Pull Systems, Kanban, Workplace Standardization, Poke Yoke (Simplifying and Mistake Proofing), and Visual Management Systems
o Worked with senior executive and vice presidents to develop strategic operational plans to reduce waste, lower cost, and improve operational excellence performance using Lean Six Sigma methodologies
o Through hands-on involvement, partnered with cross functional project teams consisting of senior management, middle management, hourly employees in implementing and executing operational process improvement plans in the United States and Canada
o Established project benchmarks and metrics to track progress and project performances
o Provided project teams and executives with readouts outlining project status and performance, including “Issues and Barriers” and corrective actions if project benchmarks or targets were not met
o Provider of services for the South Carolina Manufactures Extension Partnership as a third party contractor
R. Donnelley & Sons Printing, Spartanburg, S.C.
Six Sigma Black Belt
o Assisted business unit leadership in planning, development of improvement strategies for effective and sustainable cost savings initiatives for multiple plants across company business units
o Led project teams, taking a hands-on involvement to identifying root cause of problems and solutions
o Established and managed operational process metrics to managing cost and performance
o Provide formal readouts of projects to all levels of the organization using verbal, written, Power Point presentations and Net Meeting medians
o Conducted brainstorming sessions that promoted/valued both logical and out-of-the box thinking through assembling cross-functional teams from diverse backgrounds
Automation/Operation Services Management
o Coordinated and facilitated repairs and maintenance of all production equipment within a 750,000 square feet manufacturing facility
o Developed and maintained maintenance operating budget of $4.8 million. Reduced budget spending $175m first year through cost analysis
o Responsible for hiring, training and overall leadership of electronic technicians, electricians, machinists, including employee development, performance evaluations, and salary administration of 45 direct reports
o Developed and implemented preventive and predicative maintenance program for the purpose of reducing maintenance cost, improving equipment uptime, better resource utilization, and increased equipment capacity
Process Technical Supervisor
o Led process improvement efforts to upgrade efficiencies, quality and productivity
o Coordinated downtime and maintenance on all equipment while maintaining annual maintenance budget. Reduced maintenance spending 30% first year
o Oversaw and kept current state certified training programs on equipment for the purpose of meeting all customers’ requirements, as well as all departmental budgeted throughput and efficiencies goals
o Initiated capital expense appropriations for capital expenditures based rate of return