Lean & Green – From the Archives
Earth Day was first celebrated in 1970. In that inaugural year Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin inspired an estimated 20 million Americans to join together and combine their pet causes on a single day, April 22, to rally and protest against the destruction of a sustainable and healthy environment. An official Earth Day team emerged and paved the way for the Environmental Protection Agency and cleared the path for the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. It was 1990 when Earth Day went global and participation really spiked. This year, its 42nd, over 1 billion people in at least 192 countries actively celebrated Earth Day.
Harbinger has used an outside consultant for years to help us analyze and adjust our own methods of manufacture, making sure that we keep our own waste to a minimum while educating us on ways in which we can recycle, repurpose, reduce and rethink how we do things in our own backyard. You know, if you wanna talk the talk, you gotta walk the walk. As technology is ever-changing and consumer needs adapt, it is an evolving exercise that keeps our business environmentally fit. In the spirit of reusing materials, we tapped into our archives for this month’s news letter about LED lights and retrofitting existing signage to take advantage of this
cost-saving, energy-saving, space-saving technology.
LEDs
Our implementation of green materials started in 2000 when we began using LED products specifically designed for channel letters. At that time, the energy-saving benefits hadn’t reached today’s standards. The lights were only available in red, and the cost was high – nearly three times the cost of neon. Now, LED lighting costs less than neon, and the modules are available in various colors.
When we learned China, and many other countries, were migrating away from fluorescents toward greater use of LED technology, we knew it was the right choice for our clients. Members of our team traveled to China to learn more about “green” technologies.
When implemented in signage, LEDs represent significant energy cost savings for customers, particularly when used in large, single- and double-faced sign cabinets. Estimated energy savings can range between 60 and 80%. LEDs can be applied in various indoor and outdoor signage, including menuboards and channel letters, and the lights offer more design versatility because of their smaller size. Although initial upfront costs are incurred, the benefits related to operations and energy cost savings yield positive ROIs for most customers.
For our multi-location clients, Harbinger creates new LED-lit signage, and we also perform green, retrofitting services on existing signs. Currently, our team is fulfilling a contract with one of our largest clients to replace fluorescent lights with LEDs in pylon-sign cabinets.
To show clients the benefit of retrofitting their signage with LEDs, our teams conduct energy audits to assess the energy used by existing signage. An onsite consultant examines the current lighting products in use and estimates the financial benefits that LEDs could provide. Some clients can save as much as $7,000 per location per year, resulting in an 80% savings on the electric bill and an ROI of 2½ to three years.
Retrofitting signage with LEDs has represented a major portion of Harbinger’s sales in the past couple of years. As a result of this success, our company increasingly emphasizes our green program and products, and Harbinger’s long-term goals greatly revolve around green technology.
Learning about LEDs’ many benefits jumpstarted our research into other green products that could benefit our customers and our company. Harbinger has adopted additional green materials and processes, such as using low-VOC paints and practicing responsible disposal techniques. We started using low-VOC paints in 2005 to continue our efforts to produce a green, cutting-edge product. At the time, it increased our costs by 10% and required our team to learn a new application process because of the paint’s thinner consistency.
Manufacturing
Harbinger also practices green initiatives through lean manufacturing. More efficient and organized lean practices reduce waste, increase output (helping us to be more profitable) and elevate product quality.
Harbinger first adopted lean manufacturing 2½ years ago. Because lean requires an intense, academic journey and a full commitment from your team, the initial conversion posed challenges. To help make the transition, we hired a consultant. The first day, our consultant measured how many footsteps our team members were taking to walk work orders to our foreman’s office in a two-story building in the middle of our work area.
The consultant determined we spent an extra $30,000 each year marching work orders up the stairs to that office. The next morning, a wrecking crew tore down the foreman’s building.
Today, Harbinger has been recognized as a fast-moving, top-performing lean organization. Members of our leadership have been quoted as experts in lean by top publications, and the company has been recognized by the Jacksonville Lean Consortium for its hard work.
A key lean principle that has benefited Harbinger significantly is one-piece flow. One-piece flow is a first-in, first-out philosophy in which one workpiece at a time moves between operations within a workcell. This method has helped us cut the turnaround time for standard products from 30 days to nine. Benefits include a higher quality product, because we can easily monitor each
process and each piece that goes through the cells.
Our manufacturing space is divided into several, independently operating cells, each of which produces a specific sign component, before the product moves on to the next cell.
Each cell is set up with the concept of “everything has a place, so everything is in its place.” Each tool board has a photo that shows where and how the tools should be placed. If something is missing or out of place, our manufacturing team
notices immediately. For example, we’ve even outlined, on the floor, where the trashcan goes. This has made our team more efficient because they can quickly and easily find the tools that they need.
Future plans
We continue to invest in research and development of green techniques and technologies. Harbinger’s team members travel to China often to research the latest in advanced lighting technologies. They bring back and test anything that could be a fit for our business. We’re testing many new products now and look forward to releasing more information on this in the near future.
Harbinger anticipates that, like the other green solutions we’ve implemented, an increase in green offerings will lead to continued growth and success. In the past year, Harbinger’s sales have increased threefold, largely due to our use of green products and services.
In addition to increasing our green-product offerings, we also hope to expand our internal green practices, including recycling a greater percentage of our waste and having team members go through the LEED-certification process.
read the whole article at www.signweb.com
Quality Control to Meet Brand Standards
No two signs are alike. But to keep with brand standards of national clients, the difference should be undetectable. When seeking a sign manufacturing company to create dozens or hundreds of brand signs, inquire about its processes that ensure signage consistency.
Mike Lev, operations manager, explains the quality control checkpoints Harbinger uses when building multiple signs for a national account.
"Sign consistency and quality control begins with standards for each customer's product lines," Lev said. "Shop drawings and CAD drawings are set for every department, enabling us to perform several different fabrication functions simultaneously. When it’s time for final assembly, all the pieces are ready."
Harbinger uses lean manufacturing processes, such as cells instead of "assembly lines." When a product is moved from cell to cell, it is inspected and the work order is reviewed. Quality control measures including visual controls, templates and guides are in place at various cells to help equipment operators avoid mistakes.
Upon completion, the sign is thoroughly inspected for workmanship, safety and whether it meets the customer"s brand standards. Lastly, the product is inspected for proper labeling and destination before being loaded onto the freight truck for delivery.
"Lean manufacturing enables us to closely inspect and QC every single sign we manufacture, not just every three or five signs. As well, we provide this individual attention while actually increasing efficiency and product flow," Lev stated.
What Our Move Means for You
Moving a headquarters and manufacturing facility is a daunting task for the company making the move. But, for customers and partners, it should be nearly undetectable. That is the goal of Harbinger, which will be moving a few miles from its current location to a much larger facility this summer. By operating both locations throughout the transition, Harbinger will ensure minimal disruption in its manufacturing and shipping.
What customers and partners will notice, however, is faster turnaround and expanded services following the move.
The 51,500-square-foot building features 35-foot high ceilings to accommodate larger signage and multiple loading docks for faster shipping. The production space is 2.3 times larger than the current facility, allowing for more streamlined operations and more equipment that can run simultaneously.
Harbinger’s new facility will be based on Lean manufacturing best practices to maximize efficiency and throughput.
- The paint booth is centrally located on the manufacturing floor; as painting is the last step of production it is important that all other production areas feed into it efficiently.
- The production area of the most highly demanded products is closest to the shipping and install lines.
- Overall equipment placement and layout of the production floor is designed with efficiency and increased workflow in mind.
The new location houses a larger graphics room to accommodate additional printing technology as Harbinger becomes more multifunctional. Previously only serving to print and cut vinyl for various signs being manufactured by Harbinger, the graphics department will have the capacity to print vinyl banners and site signs, and create custom fleet graphic wraps.
Offices within the building also are designed for improved communication flow and integration between departments. More conference rooms and internal meeting spaces, including conversation “bars,” facilitate collaboration.
The company will create its new workspace to ultimately benefit its current and future customers. Producing top-quality, consistent signage in an efficient and timely manner, and offering more product options to better serve as a one-stop signage resource are the effects of this move Harbinger hopes its customers notice.
A Harbinger of Efficiency (Sign Builder Illustrated)
Harbinger is profiled in Sign Builder Illustrated magazine's Going Green supplement. The story, A Harbinger of Efficiency, highlights the company's approach to research and development, its environmentally friendly solutions and Lean manufacturing practices.
Lean Toward Efficiency
Do all your vendors or suppliers use Lean principles? This manufacturing process focuses on eliminating waste, both in materials and time, and has a ripple effect to businesses of all types, even non-manufacturing ones. Harbinger implemented Lean techniques nearly three years ago, and the payoff for its clients has been significant.
The turnaround time to make a custom sign (from taking the order to finishing production) has been reduced from 30 days to nine. Also, Harbinger has experienced labor cost savings, which enabled the company to keep its prices steady despite the economic downturn.
“Adopting Lean principles made it possible for Harbinger to ramp-up production and sales,” Steve Williams explained. “We are able to efficiently fabricate a large number of high-quality signs even quicker than before, meaning better service and better signs for our clients.”
Lean manufacturing is a mind-set and a culture. It’s about breaking down the steps of a business’ operations and analyzing each one for errors, inefficiencies, delays and wasted materials. For example, Harbinger previously had a large two-story structure in the middle of its production floor so the foreman could have a “bird’s eye” view of the manufacturing. However every time workers needed to provide paperwork to the foreman, they had to climb up a 13-step flight of stairs. Due to Lean principles, Harbinger decided to remove the structure and place the foreman’s desk on the floor. This resulted in more space for production and an annual savings of up to $37,000 in labor costs by reducing the “walking around” time.
Harbinger also has implemented one-piece flow manufacturing, value stream mapping, and heijunka. The company is a member of the Jacksonville Lean Consortium, comprised of nearly 50 companies, government agencies and universities that share best practices in Lean.
Lean & Green (Signs of the Times)
Harbinger was featured in the September 2010 issue of Signs of the Times magazine about how the company's green initiatives have helped sales grow threefold.
In our 48-year history, we’ve always worked to stay on the cutting edge of technology and innovation. Part of that effort is our emphasis on green initiatives. Our decision to use green products in our signage and implement green-friendly lean manufacturing has touched every aspect of our business, helping Harbinger provide high quality signage and greatly increasing our sales.
Read the full story at Lean and Green.