Starkey de Mexico Receives the Shingo Bronze Medallion
For Starkey de Mexico, the Shingo model has been key. It has helped us make our systems more robust and create a culture of continuous improvement where our people are first and everything we do is about our patient.
Mexico (PRWEB) November 05, 2013
The Shingo Institute, part of the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University, has selected Starkey de México S.A. de C.V. as a recipient of the Shingo Bronze Medallion.
“Receipt of the Shingo Bronze Medallion signifies an organization’s strong use of tools and techniques for business improvement,” said Robert Miller, executive director at the Shingo Institute. “Those organizations that receive the Bronze Medallion are on their way to true enterprise excellence.”
The Shingo Bronze Medallion is the third of three awards bestowed on organizations by the Shingo Institute. The highest achievement is The Shingo Prize.
Part of Starkey Hearing Technologies’ global network of 21 hearing healthcare facilities, Starkey de Mexico in Matamoros, Mexico, manufactures 75 percent of Starkey’s United States’ custom hearing aid orders and 99 percent of standard hearing aid products sold worldwide. The site employs 900 employees and produces an average of 75,000 hearing aids per month.
After implementing several initiatives to become more efficient and to continually improve its processes, Starkey de México experienced, among other improvements, a 52-percent reduction in scrap, a 32-percent reduction in the standard hearing aid product cost, a 32-percent reduction in cycle time for the custom hearing aid product and $204,837 USD savings due to a suggestion system that helped to gather and implement employee ideas.
“For Starkey de Mexico, the Shingo model has been key,” said Dora Ayala, managing director. “It has helped us make our systems more robust and create a culture of continuous improvement where our people are first and everything we do is about our patient. Each day, we are committed to providing our customers a better life by offering the best products made with passion, dedication, quality and the responsibility that we have learned during our journey to excellence.”
By “challenging” or applying for an award, organizations invite a group of accomplished professionals and trained examiners from The Shingo Prize to thoroughly review their culture and operations. The examiners select the organizations they think are worthy of recognition.
“In providing recognition, the Shingo Institute invites organizations to challenge early in their implementation of improvement efforts,” Miller said. “Doing so provides them valuable feedback to help accelerate their implementation. By understanding the principles we teach, organizations can begin to proactively change their culture. Culture is the key to sustainable enterprise excellence.”
Starkey de México S.A. de C.V. will receive the Shingo Bronze Medallion at the Awards Ceremony and Gala during the 26th International Shingo Conference, May 5-9, 2014 in Sandusky, Ohio. The awards gala is the conclusion to this five-day event featuring a selection of workshops, plant tours, keynote speakers and breakout sessions designed to provide ongoing knowledge, insights and experience for organizations in their pursuit of operational excellence.
About the Shingo Institute
Housed at the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University, the Shingo Institute is named after Japanese industrial engineer Shigeo Shingo. Dr. Shingo distinguished himself as one of the world’s thought leaders in concepts, management systems and improvement techniques that have become known as the Toyota Business System. Drawing from Dr. Shingo’s teachings and years of experience working with organizations throughout the world, the Shingo Institute teaches the application of principles that are necessary to achieve sustainable results. It also awards and recognizes organizations that demonstrate an exceptional culture that continually strives for improvement and progress. Those interested in more information or in registering to attend the 26th International Shingo Conference may visit http://www.shingo.org.
About Starkey® Hearing Technologies
Starkey Hearing Technologies is a privately held, global hearing technology company headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minn. The company is recognized for its innovative design, development and distribution of comprehensive digital hearing systems. Founded in 1967, Starkey Hearing Technologies currently employs more than 3,600 people, operates 21 facilities and conducts business in more than 100 markets worldwide. The company develops, manufactures and distributes hearing aids via four distinct brands – Audibel, NuEar, MicroTech and its original brand, Starkey. For more information, visit StarkeyHearingTechnologies.com.