NVWA: smarter and better through the application of Lean Training of more than 100 Green and Black Belts at NVWA. Symbol has guided NVWA in this Lean journey for 7 years.
Thales: Lean transformation of radar production Lean transformation within 22 departments resulted in a 30% shorter lead time and less work in progress. Symbol implemented Lean fundamentals consisting of 6S, WIP control and visual management across 22 departments.
GGD: vaccination speed increased based on Lean GGD GHOR had to triple the vaccination rate in a short period of time. Symbol formed a Lean team of five consultants who visited 50 vaccination locations in 6 weeks and implemented targeted improvements. Result: the vaccination rate rose from 22 to 100 jabs per hour per line and the weekly volume grew from 500,000 to 1.4 million jabs.
Penske Logistics: QMS redesigned to work for the organisation Penske Logistics had an ISO-certified quality system but was unable to work with it effectively. Processes were documented but cluttered and difficult to find. Symbol helped redesign the entire QMS in the Penske corporate identity. Result: successful recertification for ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and HACCP, and a system that is also used for customer communication.
GGD Drenthe: Mijn Kinddossier Successfully Implemented with Lean GGD Drenthe implemented Mijn Kinddossier: an online portal for parents in youth healthcare. The technical side was manageable, but the human impact was greater than expected. Symbol guided the change management from kick-off to embedding. Result: portal live in one year, all employees convinced, and knowledge embedded within the organisation.
Sealed Air: £100k annual savings through Lean Six Sigma Sealed Air starts with Lean Six Sigma at the Enschede site: 16 employees trained and four improvement projects launched. The Mixing project delivers €100,000 savings per year and was internationally nominated. Enschede serves as a pilot for a European roll-out and more than 10 employees have signed up for further training.
Scoober: Lean foundation established in fast-growing delivery organisation Scoober suffered from silos: branches did not work in the same way and could not learn from each other. Symbol helped set up a Lean plan, strategy plan, process plan, and training plan. Result: key business processes standardised, management trained as Lean Champions, and three Lean employees active in the organisation.
Veco Precision: inspection system improved with data analysis Veco Precision's automated inspection system collected a lot of data but provided unreliable results. Symbol data scientist analysed 300 photos per product, identified the relevant parameters and implemented a software upgrade. Result: consistent and reliable measurement system with 20 parameters instead of 3, ready for rollout to other products.
REINÆRDT: lead time from 3 weeks to 1 week in 4 months REINAERDT Deuren wanted to reduce lead time from 3 weeks to 1 week. Internal Lean knowledge was present, but the change did not get off the ground. Symbol guided nine sub-projects via Value Stream Mapping. Result: goal achieved in 4 months, buffer halved, and 5,000 doors delivered per week as the fastest supplier in the Netherlands.
Mitsubishi: IATF supplier auditing training MTEE wanted to bring the Supplier Quality Development department to a uniform auditing level. This required not only knowledge of the standard but also an effective, motivational approach towards suppliers. Symbol provided bespoke training focused on practical auditing skills and win-win cooperation. Result: five certified IATF auditors who know how to persuade suppliers rather than confront them.
DAF Trucks: 30 Supplier Quality Managers IATF Certified DAF Trucks requires IATF 16949 certification from suppliers and places high demands on its own auditing skills. Symbol provided two customised training courses for more than 30 Supplier Quality Managers, tailored to DAF's own audit tools and working methods. Result: certified auditors in-house and a demonstrably stronger approach towards suppliers.
BMI Netherlands: mapping the production process with PFMEA At BMI Netherlands in Woerden, not a single production process had been put on paper. With an ERP migration and staff turnover approaching, this became a risk. Symbol proposed a PFMEA and provided an interim consultant who fully documented the process from clay to roof tile. The foundation has now been laid for onboarding and quality assurance.
Mogema: Process Knowledge Secured with an Interim Consultant For years, Mogema had accumulated process knowledge that was not documented anywhere. Internally, there was insufficient capacity to address this. Symbol provided an interim consultant who conducted interviews in the factory and converted knowledge into structured work instructions. Result: ongoing projects fully documented at the same level as new projects.
Tata Steel: Six Sigma Implementation Saved Over €50M Tata Steel systematically pursues operational excellence through data-driven Six Sigma projects. Symbol provides Green and Black Belt training and coaches projects where capacity is lacking. Result: one project involving iron mixers yields over €200,000 per year. Five seconds of time saving per steel coil means tens of thousands of euros in savings.
Watson-Marlow Bredel: £78k cost savings through continuous improvement Watson-Marlow Bredel wanted to grow in improvement maturity, but the internal GEM programme had been sidelined. Symbol guided the process with a CIMM assessment, Hoshin Kanri sessions and Lean training for the entire organisation. Result: £78,000 cost savings and 200 man-hours saved in 2021, and an organisation on its way to the highest GEM maturity level.
Peka Kroef: Lean Green Belt Training Leads to Tangible Improvement Projects Peka Kroef had an improvement team but lacked knowledge of Lean methodologies. Symbol provided an in-company Lean Green Belt training for 10 employees from various departments. Result: water consumption reduced, higher production per man-hour, and employees who link improvement projects to organisational objectives themselves. Peka Kroef now has true ambassadors of continuous improvement.
SEKISUI S-Lec: ISO 9001 Certification Achieved with Zero Non-Conformances SEKISUI S-Lec in Geleen lacked the capacity, knowledge, and awareness to achieve ISO 9001 independently. Symbol guided the process: GAP analysis, management training, and a dashboard with all ISO parameters. Result: TÜV audit passed with zero non-conformances and an organisation that continuously monitors ISO itself.
Shin-Etsu Silicones: IATF 16949 implementation Shin-Etsu Silicones Europe needed to start working in accordance with IATF 16949, but lacked the in-house knowledge. Symbol guided the implementation: processes documented, work instructions digitised via LeanForms, and KPI reporting set up in Power BI. Result: Shin-Etsu is on track for certification and has a data infrastructure that the organisation can use independently.
Goudsmit: reducing scrap rate from 40% to 5% with DMAIC At Goudsmit Magnetics, the rejection rate for a critical product group rose to 40%. Internally, they were unable to find the cause. The Symbol consultant analysed the production process via DMAIC and database construction. Result: scrap rate decreased to 5–10% and knowledge secured within the organisation.
ZGT: Continuous Improvement Across 50 Departments with Lean Six Sigma ZGT is building a culture of continuous improvement: improvement teams in every department, two project weeks per year, and trained Green Belts. Symbol guides the process. Result: 22 active improvement teams, a 75% success rate for the Green Belt, and a snowball effect of improvements throughout the organisation.
MOSO: 30% shorter lead time through process improvement MOSO's R&D department was overloaded and a barrier to growth. Not due to a lack of talent, but because of a lack of structure and unclear ownership. Symbol provided the diagnosis and a targeted approach. Result: 30% shorter lead time and, for the first time in years, room for new product development.