ORBITFORM: Achieving Company-Wide Goals With The Support Of Supervisor Skills
The Center came on-site to train our new area leaders and supervisors. The instructor gave them real-life examples of how to deal with employees and issues that arise. We had 11 that took the class, and they all had good things to say about the instructor and what they got out of the training.
-- Kim Sayles, HR Director
Orbitform, LLC (www.orbitform.com) has designed and built assembly equipment solutions for manufacturing since 1984, including riveting, forming, welding, conveyors and custom-engineered assembly systems. All operations are carried out at their Jackson, Mich., headquarters where they employ 93. Orbitform services original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and integrators in industries such as aerospace, automotive, home goods, industrial, medical, recreation, HVAC, electronics, agriculture, appliances, mass transportation and government/military. Orbitform partners with manufacturers to fully understand all facets of their application requirements and ensure they provide the right assembly equipment to meet all needs. Utilizing their in-house Solutions Lab, Orbitform can assemble prototype parts to determine the precise equipment specifications to deliver the desired result.
Challenge
In 2017, Orbitform’s senior leadership group started their journey of implementing the EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) and Traction®, which are simple tools to help manage and strengthen businesses. After a year of profoundly diving into the vision and direction that their company wanted to take, it was time to implement the changes required to grow the company. Orbitform needed the right people in the right seats to carry out this vision.
Solution
To adequately accomplish this, Orbitform would need to promote 11 people into supervisor roles and create a shared knowledge foundation among them. Orbitform participated in the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center’s (The Center) Supervisor Skills course to develop the leadership skills of their newly promoted supervisors. Having the instructors on-site was ideal for a group this size, ensuring all new supervisors kept the same vision and were on the same page with their leadership practices. As explained by Orbitform’s Manufacturing Leader Phil Teremi, who attended the course, “The class was great; it gave different insights on working with people. The teacher had lots of energy and kept building on what had been learned.” The tools gained in this class enabled Orbitform’s new supervisors to more effectively contribute to and drive the company vision, aligning the organization toward achieving shared goals.
Results
- Initial Investment: $10,250
- Promoted Supervisors: 11
- Culture Change Statement: The new supervisors have improved operations by implementing continuous improvement projects and following them through to completion. The employees in each department feel more like a team and want to work together, which also lowers the turnover rate and keeps employees engaged.