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completed this year and has provided an increase in produc- tivity as well as open capacity for our anodizing line. Culture of Continuous Improvement Continuous improvement is probably the most difficult step we've identified with lean manufacturing, and from what we have gleaned from other companies, we're not alone. Continually auditing and driving continuous improvement will help maintain the momentum needed to develop a culture of continuous improvement and lean sustainment. Our company has developed a variety of tools to aid in this effort: • Employee engagement. For example, each team member has a goal to submit 12 Waste Stoppers per year or one per month. This drives employee engage- ment and is the basis for small or larger kaizen improvements. It's easy to measure, and great incen- tives are tied to meeting the goal. • Standardized work. We developed a standardized checklist for leaders, managers and engineers to audit improvements and processes, and require that data and/or numbers be logged, rather just checked off as complete. • Incentives. We offer creative incentives for perfor- mance, ideas and participation. • New hires. The foundation of any culture is its people. Employee entrance into the culture is huge. Can temporary or staffing agencies select new employees better than you can? Doubtful! • Culture of change. Employees need to be willing to embrace change, because the status quo is the opposite of continuous improvement. An open atmo- sphere of communication has to be present. If team members are afraid or can't voice their opinions and concerns, growth is stifled and it's difficult to improve. • Measuring. If it can't be measured, it's not happening. If it's not reported, it's extremely difficult to change or improve. There are many more tools not listed here that can help create a culture of continuous improvement. The list above has yielded great success for our company, and we believe it is the most valuable asset we have. It has provided the continual success we've realized as a company since the beginning of our lean journey. Jared Bringhurst is president of Utah-based Futura Industries, a division of Bonnell Aluminum. The Aluminum Anodizers Council awarded his paper the Robert Kersman Award of Excellence for best paper presented at the 2015 AAC conference. Your Finishing Equipment Source Design, Fabrication and Installation • Automated & Manual Finishing Lines • Exhaust Systems • Metal & Thermoplastic Tanks, Sinks & Liners • Wastewater Evaporators • Plating Racks & Baskets • New Equipment or Rebuilds 877.615.6460 (toll free) www.pkgequipment.com PRODUCTS FINISHING — PFonline.com 31 LEAN ANODIZING