Lean Six Sigma Round Table in Madrid

Bodyshop Professionals Participate in a Lean Six Sigma Round Table in Madrid

As part of its ongoing commitment to improve bodywork and paintwork methods, PPG Refinish held a new Lean Round Table in Madrid on 14 and 15 September. Approximately 30 professional attended. Bodyshops that already apply Lean Six Sigma techniques shared the benefits of this efficient methodology.

The benefits of Lean Six Sigma

Bodywork and paintwork shops were the main participants the first day of the conference. Ildefonso Jiménez, Lean Six Sigma Training Manager of PPG Refinish Spain, and Alberto Gonzalez, Business Solutions Manager EMEA, led the sessions. In a mutually supportive atmosphere, attendees also heard about the pros and cons of decisions made by other colleagues in their respective businesses.

Quick Changeover, the new training module in Paintshop Throughput, focused on how to eliminate waste by maximising the capacity of the facilities and reducing downtimes. Efficient management in booth reloading operations was one of the most relevant points of the session, since the number of cars repaired per day can be maximised only when the booth is functioning optimally.

Live analysis of results

On the second day of the conference, the group of participants moved to the production area of a workshop in Madrid that has implemented Lean methods. They observed the practical approach to improvements in cycle time and quality of service.

The Lean Round Table concluded with a session focused on the two fundamental pillars for undertaking continuous improvement actions: data collection (data that provides useful information and how to collect it); and the preparation of flow charts (that allow us to analyse the actions of the workshop and who performs them in order to eliminate everything that does not generate value for the customer).