As you may or may not know, Estes Designs Mailboxes & Streetscapes is part of a larger organization, Estes Design & Manufacturing, Inc.. As an organization, Estes is focused on innovation and always trying to improve processes and products through frequent collaborations with the lead engineers on our team. Estes is committed to producing better, more cost effective products for the entire business—this includes more cost effective mailboxes and mailbox accessory products as well.
Below are some examples of steps Estes has taken to focus on being lean and innovative:
- Contracted a company to create a strategy focused on lean initiatives and cellular manufacturing
- Provided ongoing training to over 40 employees focused on waste versus value-added activities in the manufacturing process
- Hosting of Kaizen events on a reoccurring basis to drive continuous improvement
- Redesigning manufacturing layouts and processes toward cellular manufacturing ( see diagram and characteristics below)
Characteristics:
o One piece-flow
o Machines in order of process
o Small, inexpensive and dedicated equipment
o Multi-process handling workers
o Easy moving/standing operations
o Production paced to task time
o Standard operations defined
o Short lead time
As you can see, this diligent effort in pursuit of improvement and lean systems creates a constant attitude of innovation throughout all business units at Estes. The process developed and formed throughout the Estes Design & Manufacturing team consistently flow through to the Estes DesignsMailbox & Streetscapes business, bringing you the most innovative and cost effective mailboxes on the market.
