Maytag's Jackson Dishwashing Products Wins Prestigious Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing

Maytag's Jackson Dishwashing Products Wins Prestigious Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing



		MAYTAG LOGO Maytag Corporation is a leading producer of home and commercial appliances. Its products are sold to customers throughout North America and in international markets. (PRNewsFoto)[TC] NEWTON, IA USA

First-ever Appliance Manufacturer to Earn Shingo Prize NEWTON, Iowa, March 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Maytag Corporation's dishwashing plant in Jackson, Tenn., is one of 12 recipients of the 2004 Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing. Dubbed the "Nobel prize of manufacturing" by Business Week magazine, the Shingo Prize is the only industrial excellence award in the world that focuses on lean manufacturing, and Maytag Jackson Dishwashing Products is the first appliance manufacturer to receive the award. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040318/CGM003 Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000505/MYGLOGO ) Maytag Chairman and CEO Ralph F. Hake called the dishwashing plant's award "an achievement that represents the finest efforts of Maytag people and an inspiring example of what our LeanSigma(R) philosophy can help us accomplish. "I congratulate our Jackson associates who worked as a team to deploy LeanSigma(R) methodology to its fullest, making our dishwashing operations a world-class facility that is a source of great pride across our company. This prize will inspire our other sites to strive to reach the same level of manufacturing excellence," Hake said. "We believe that through committed applications of our LeanSigma(R) philosophy and through a committed and dedicated workforce, our U.S. manufacturing plants can become more competitive, grow and prosper," he continued. Maytag's Searcy Laundry Products in Searcy, Ark., was a finalist for the 2004 Shingo prize. The Maytag LeanSigma(R) philosophy, which combines lean manufacturing methods with Six Sigma tools, was the path for transformation beginning in 1999 at the Jackson plant. Significant improvements were achieved in safety, quality, cost and delivery -- the performance measures used at all Maytag plants. Terry Spalding, director of manufacturing at Maytag Jackson Dishwashing Products (JDP), explains that the plant's associates belong to empowered "High Performance Work Teams" producing more than 100 models of dishwashers with brands including Maytag(R), Amana(R) and Jenn-Air(R). "Our team culture encourages empowerment at all levels in the decision-making process. Maytag Jackson team members are totally committed to the never-ending quest for continuous improvement. They are dedicated to creating a safe environment and to providing a top-quality dishwasher in the quantities required by our customers, at the time required by our customers," Spalding said. Some of the improvements in safety, quality, cost and delivery achieved by JDP are: -- Transformed a single assembly line into eight one-piece flow assembly cells allowing flexibility to produce any of over 100 models in any hour of the day -- Reduced the OSHA recordable injury rate by 65 percent -- Improved attendance by 16 percent to 99.1 percent -- Improved labor hours to produce a unit by 29 percent -- Reduced scrap and rework costs by 64 percent -- Improved first pass quality yield by 88 percent to 99.15 percent -- In 2003 alone, conducted more than 2000 kaizen events and performed 53 Six Sigma projects to help generate several million dollars in cost reductions. Maytag Corporation (NYSE: MYG) is a leading producer of home and commercial appliances with 12 manufacturing facilities in the United States. Its products are sold to customers in the United States and in international markets. The corporation's principal brands include Maytag(R), Amana(R), Jenn- Air(R), Jade(R), Hoover(R) and Dixie-Narco(R). LeanSigma(R) is a registered trademark of the Maytag Corporation. Glossary of Terms: Kaizen - The Japanese word for continuous improvement -- a series of ongoing incremental improvements by teams focusing on eliminating all forms of waste from the operation, typically with little capital. Lean Manufacturing - Producing the maximum sellable products at the lowest operations cost while optimizing inventory levels. The emphasis is on cutting out the "fat" or waste in the manufacturing process, with waste defined as anything that does not add value to the customer. Six Sigma - A disciplined, data-driven approach and methodology for eliminating defects in any process, to produce high-quality products or services (driving towards six standard deviations between the mean and the nearest specification limit). At many organizations, the term simply means a measure of quality that strives for near perfection. LeanSigma(R) - A registered trademark of Maytag Corporation, where the approaches of Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma have been combined into the LeanSigma philosophy and methodology. It is deployed in every part of the business, not just manufacturing. Media Contact: Lynne Dragomier, Maytag Corporate Communications 641/787-7711 ldragomier@maytag.com