Tokyo (SCCIJ) – The Swiss “Family Business Award 2019” goes to the company Wilhelm Schmidlin AG, a manufacturer of bathroom products made of glazed titanium steel based in Oberarth in the canton Schwyz. It attributes its success to the adoption of the Japanese kaizen philosophy of continuous improvement.
The Family Business Award honors particularly responsible and entrepreneurial family businesses from Switzerland. Besides, the purpose of the award is to draw attention to the great economic importance of family businesses in Switzerland.
The company Wilhelm Schmidlin receives 8th Family Business Award in Bern.
From Schmidlin to SchmidLEAN
The company history of this year’s recipient began in 1947 when Wilhelm Schmidlin started manufacturing steel bathtubs in a forge in Oberarth. His daughter Margrit Wullschleger-Schmidlin and her husband Eduard took over the management of the family business in 1969 and became its owners in 1986. Since 2007 the fortunes of the company have been in the hands of Beat and Urs Wullschleger, the third generation to own the company.
Although its production facility is located in the middle of the Alps, Schmidlin’s horizons stretch right around the world. Nowhere is this better seen than in the Japanese kaizen philosophy it follows. Since its introduction in 2011, Schmidlin developed the Japanese concept into “SchmidLEAN”.
This Schmidlin version of kaizen involves continuous improvement and fine-tuning of the business processes. The implementation has revolutionized our company, Schmidlin states on its website. “The new processes reduced our set-up times and resulted in shorter lead times which enabled us to deliver much quicker than before. Product and process quality has increased at the same time, which in turn leads to higher customer satisfaction levels.”
Improving efficiency and more
Today, Schmidlin applies a “one-piece flow” concept. It demands lean processes for batch size one production with quick lead times. With conventional serial manufacturing, it would be impossible to supply its large variety of products and offer such short delivery times. Its most popular products are manufactured and stored at its site, which helps Schmidlin meet the demands of all customers.
SchmidLEAN is about far more than just improving our efficiency, the company adds. “Also, it has allowed us to switch to a system of multi-functional working areas.” Its staff does not spend all day carrying out repetitive tasks on the same part of the production line. Instead, they switch activities several times a day. This work style enriches their working experience and boosts motivation. Also, it makes the production process considerably more flexible.
All involved in optimization
To continuously improve how Schmidlin works, the company dedicates 10 percent of its working hours to optimization, for which it sets aside one day every two weeks. On this day, the employees work in small teams to examine their workflows and see how they can improve them. The principle of continuous improvement applies across the whole company value chain, including sales and management processes. As a result, all staff has the opportunity to play their part in shaping the business and develop their skills.
To help other companies and external visitors understand the SchmidLEAN philosophy, Schmidlin organizes a half-day workshop every spring and autumn at its site. The workshop includes a factory tour, a theoretical component, and the chance to see a number of our workplaces, all with the main focus on kaizen and lean management.
Text: SCCIJ with material of Wilhelm Schmidlin AG; Photo: © Wilhelm Schmidlin AG
