Subscribing to the ACE (Achieving Competitive Excellence) operating system-developed by parent company, United Technologies Corporation (UTC)-Champion Compressors continues to streamline its business and manufacturing processes to impact positively on the 'bottom line' of its clients.
According to Yee Kwan, Champion Compressors Continuous Improvement Manager, the ACE operating system is centred on a steadfast commitment to quality-and the notion that productivity can only be realised once quality is achieved. "Quality and productivity are intrinsically linked, especially from a manufacturing perspective," he says. "When a manufacturing process is executed without error or interruption, efficiency follows-which results in more cost-effective products."
A set of ACE tools, each targeting a key area of the business-such as process improvement, waste elimination, problem solving and decision making-has been developed to streamline the implementation of the operating system. Champion's ACE operating system advocates a strong emphasis on establishing and nurturing a proactive company culture through employee empowerment. Employees are encouraged to take ownership of projects and accept responsibility for outcomes.
"The quality of Champion's compressed-air technologies is shaped by all employees," says Kwan.
"Education, training and sharing ideas-throughout the entire organisation-coupled with rigorous adherence to ACE protocols, means best-practice processes become automatic. We want our employees to perform their roles to the highest standard 100 per cent of the time. When best-practice processes become automatic, quality, and then productivity, follow."
Furthermore, by fostering close relationships with industry, Champion is able to set its performance targets to key in with customer expectations. By having the right tools in place, and maintaining its dedication to 'quality first', the company has made some real progress-both internally and for compressed-air users.
"Even at a time of global financial uncertainty, Champion Compressors has forged ahead and made real progress," says Kwan. "Here, we have laid the foundations for continued success. With the ACE operating system complementing our in-house compressed-air expertise, Champion is well-positioned to continue to provide industry with the highest quality technologies and services well into the future."