IEM PROTECTS BRAND REPUTATION OF “WOODY’S” WITH QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
The input and assistance that we have received from The Center has been highly beneficial and extremely insightful. The Center has been a valuable resource to our company for many years.
-- Steven Piechocki, Vice President of Business Operations
International Engineering and Manufacturing, Inc. (www.internationalengineeringinc.com), established in 1968 and based in Hope, Mich., is known worldwide as the industry’s premier producer of snowmobile performance and safety traction products. International Engineering and Manufacturing (IEM) has 58 full-time employees and is best known for the Woody’s® racing product line, which includes more than 150 different stud, runner and support plate configurations, all developed to advance the technology of snowmobile chassis, drive trains and engines. The trademarked Woody’s® name is synonymous with quality in snowmobile accessories and is highly recognizable among snowmobile enthusiasts.
Challenge
Quality is paramount in the performance snowmobile market. In late May of 2018, IEM decided that to maintain a competitive edge, they would need to update their Quality Management System and make operations more efficient to better respond to customer demand.
Solution
To boost efficiency in production, IEM came to the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (The Center) - Northeast to have employees trained by the Lean Manufacturing Champion course and other core Lean methodologies. Then, following mentoring and coaching from The Center, the Operations team implemented major changes in their plant layout that garnered large efficiency improvements. The Center also worked with the IEM team to implement an updated Quality Management System which has improved product quality and lowered re-work significantly.
Results
- New Sales: $125,000
- Retained Sales: $350,000
- Cost Savings: $40,000
- New Investments: $90,000
- Jobs Retained: 5
- Jobs Created: 2