Electro Medical Equipment
VSM Leads to Growth Opportunities for Electro Medical Equipment Co. Profile
Electro Medical Equipment (EME) is a disposable medical device manufacturer located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The company is privately owned, employs 18 people, and has a national customer base. The company was founded in 1970, and purchased by Leonard Carmouche along with his partners in 1984. Situation
EME is and ISO Certified company. As part of the requirements of being certified, EME is charged with continuously trying to improve the quality of their products and processes. Being that the medical device market is very competitive; EME must be more efficient and have higher standards of quality than their competition. Solution
EME called MEPOL to provide lean assistance to achieve higher levels of efficiency and productivity. Project Director Ray Bard led a Lean 101 class for EME's employees first, which produced good results. Employees saw first hand the effects of lean principles, and realized what a critical role they play in a manufacturing facility. Next, MEPOL led several Value Stream Mapping sessions at EME, resulting in removing unnecessary equipment, and clearing out much needed space in the facility. The exercise was so impactful EME has taken it to other divisions of the company. Says Carmouche, "MEPOL didn't just do the value stream mapping for us; they taught us how to do it ourselves. We have taken the lessons learned and are in the process of creating a VSM for our sales department." Results
Through the consolidation and de-cluttering of the facility, EME was able to free up enough space to begin an entirely new knitting process, thereby eliminating the need to build on to the facility, or rent space, equaling a cost savings of $200,000. "EME wanted to reduce the cost of textile materials we use in some of our products, particularly with single patient use items. For years we have bought the knitted material from an outside source, then at our facility we would cut it, weld the pieces with VelcroTM, and package it. After MEPOL conducted the VSM sessions, we freed up enough space to house the knitting machines and the materials used. We'll be able to start knitting our own material by the end of the year." He continues, "We've also built a mezzanine level over the knitting area to create more space for the new process." Testimonial
"The relationship with MEPOL has been very successful. We've had buy in from all levels in the company, not just management, and it has made all the difference to improving our quality and productivity." Leonard Carmouche, President
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