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In 2007, the emergency department at Kaiser Permanente's South Sacramento Medical Center was experiencing extremely long patient wait times, and it became clear that a new and better way of doing business was needed. The chief of the emergency department was inspired to change things and became the leader of the lean program-a system of management methods and tools widely used for over 25 years in the manufacturing sector. Changes were made over a six-year period to significantly improve key performance measures of the department. The goal was to create capacity and continuous flow in a health-care setting without negative implications to the emergency department and patients.

PRIDE Industries made a $2.6 million capital appropriation request to replace older electronics surface mount technology with newer and more capable machinery. PRIDE, a non-profit enterprise that hired workers with disabilities, wished to earn business and reputation based on the universal measures used by customers worldwide — price, quality and delivery — while maintaining its social mission. The proposal looked good on paper, and the company predicted that it was the only way to keep PRIDE’s current electronic manufacturing services customers happy as well as capture new business. One of the other important pieces of the capital expenditure analysis was to study trends in the manufacturing sector, especially evidence that manufacturing was returning to the United States from offshore. Yet, the investment represented a risk for PRIDE if the projected new business opportunities did not materialize.

This case chronicles the creation and transformation of a Singaporean joint venture, Eagle Services Asia (ESA). It describes some early start-up problems, including a forced shutdown by the Civilian Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS). The resulting shakeup of the ESA management team provides a fresh start and an opportunity to reinvigorate the company using lean management principles. Managerial decisions play a key role in ESA's success, together with the discipline and training of the workforce. Students will gain an understanding of cultural difficulties associated with international joint ventures, and learn fundamental aspects of lean management including how to create and sustain a lean culture. The case also provides insight into the worldwide aircraft engine business, the engine overhaul process and cultural barriers that may arise when managing operations in foreign countries.

This case study chronicles the creation and transformation of a Singaporean joint venture, Eagle Services Asia (ESA). The case describes some early start-up problems, including a forced shutdown by the Civilian Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS). The resulting shakeup of the ESA management team provides a fresh start and an opportunity to reinvigorate the company using lean management principles. Managerial decisions play a key role in ESA's success, together with the discipline and training of the workforce. Students will gain an understanding of cultural difficulties associated with international joint ventures, and learn fundamental aspects of lean management including how to create and sustain a lean culture. The case also provides insight into the worldwide aircraft engine business, the engine overhaul process and cultural barriers that may arise when managing operations in foreign countries.

Loctite Corp., a large industrial adhesives company, has implemented the five principles of lean management on its customer service operation. A recent merger of the customer engineering service operation with the dispensing equipment operation has the vice-president of technical service and application engineering looking at applying the lean principles on the equipment operations. The company initially considered equipment a secondary product line, needed only to augment its service offering in support of the core product--industrial adhesives. In addition, most of Loctite's equipment manufacturing activities were outsourced, so suppliers played a key role in lean transformation. The vice-president must prepare a plan to implement the principles of lean management while meeting the goals set out by the president of the company.

Loctite Corporation is a large industrial adhesives company. The company has implemented the five principles of lean management on its customer service operation. A recent merger of the customer engineering service operation with the dispensing equipment operation has the vice-president of technical service and application engineering looking at applying the lean principles on the equipment operations. The company initially considered equipment a secondary product line needed only to augment its service offering in the support of the core product, industrial adhesives. In addition, most of Loctite's equipment manufacturing activities were outsourced so suppliers played a key role in lean transformation. The vice-president must prepare a plan to implement the principles of lean management while meeting the goals set out by the president of the company.