Our 2-Second Lean Manufacturing Mission, One Year Later
At Athena Manufacturing, our commitment to Lean manufacturing has moved mountains in streamlining our processes and producing the most consistent results for our customers. That’s why we’d like to share an update on our 2-Second Lean journey since its implementation one year ago.
Inspired by the initiative outlined by Lean manufacturing expert Paul Akers, the Athena team has been working tirelessly and consistently to collaborate and innovate—and the results have been impressive. In the last year, our team has implemented over 500 small improvements. These changes may seem minor on their own, but collectively, they’ve significantly impacted our contract manufacturing services.
Here’s how our 2-Second Lean mission has grown over the past year and what’s next for Athena's future of continuous improvement.
Organizing and Standardizing Our Workspaces
One of our major priorities involved organizing and standardizing our work areas for increased productivity and a more productive workspace for our teams. Here’s what we accomplished last year:
Tooling Improvements
Our team centralized all the tools in our machine shop into a single tool crib. In addition, we began pre-kitting tools ahead of production jobs. As a result, this streamlined system has reduced relays and increased efficiency on the shop floor.
Expansion of Our Welding Department
Our Lean initiative prompted our team to clean over 500 square feet on the shop floor. In this extra space, the Athena team has created room for two additional weld tables, enhancing our capacity to handle both larger volumes and smaller job sizes.
Streamlined Material Management
In our integration site, we’ve implemented visual standards with labeled locations and pictures for each material that makes up our inventory. This change has accelerated material retrieval, as we are confident that everything is in its proper place.
Enhancing Our Processes
Standardization is at the core of our Lean journey, and we’ve made significant strides in ensuring our processes are reliable and repeatable.
Process Documentation
The Athena team has developed illustrated process documents for every task that comprises our precision machining services. To date, we’ve documented 50 processes, and we plan to add 10 more each week. These guides enable new team members to get up to speed faster and ensure optimal consistency.
Standardized Maintenance
To maintain our equipment’s performance reliability, we utilize:
Step-by-step video guides that ensure operators perform daily and weekly maintenance correctly.
Kamishibai boards, visual management tools that help supervisors track whether maintenance tasks—such as cleaning machines, changing filters, tightening drive belts, cleaning traps, and changing coolant—have been completed. These visual representations reduce oversight gaps and ensure equipment stays in prime condition.
Investing in Our People
Lean manufacturing isn’t just about optimizing processes; it’s about creating a workplace where our team members thrive. At Athena, our 2-Second Lean journey places people at the heart of our initiatives. Here’s how we prioritize our people in our 2-Second Lean journey:
Daily All-Hands Meetings
Every day, we gather everyone in the organization to review productivity data and financial performance. Then, we divide all team members into small groups for short meetings to share ideas for improvement. These small group discussions offer a collaborative environment that encourages every employee to participate in suggesting small, actionable steps that drive significant results in our precision machining and manufacturing services.
Continuous Learning
Our leadership team has participated in Lean events across the globe, from Japan to the United Kingdom. Organized by Paul Akers, these trips offer our people the opportunity to tour some of the world's most cutting-edge, Lean facilities, taking back insights to further innovate and improve what we do here at Athena. This May, Athena’s President, Matt Newman, will attend another Lean event to continue building on this momentum.
The Results of Our Lean Initiative
Increased Productivity
Since adopting this 2-Second Lean mindset, we’ve seen a consistent 15% improvement in company-wide productivity. With organized and efficient workflows, we’ve set each process up for success, driving tangible results for our customers.
A Culture of Respect
We have a simple rule here at Athena: Leave every space as neat (or neater) as it was before you started using it. This aligns with our Lean initiatives and ensures that our workspaces and the individuals using them are treated with the utmost respect.
What’s Next for Athena’s Lean Mission
Lean is a journey, not a destination. Athena is committed to advancing our Lean mission this year and in years to come. We hope that by this time next year, we’ll have even more exciting news and successes to share that directly impact our customers, team members, and our business as a whole.
By this time next year, we hope to share even more successful results with our customers.
Learn more about our commitment to Lean manufacturing and how our Texas contract manufacturing team can bring precision and efficiency to your next project. Contact us today!