Limestone: Process Improvement Professional I

Milliken and Company•Gaffney, SC

About The Position

The Process Improvement function is responsible for understanding each process area of the plant and implementing improvements to provide downstream customers with the best products available. Process Improvement will work with Production Management to increase productivity and strive to insure we are producing first quality products. The Process Improvement and Production personnel must work jointly as a team. Process Improvement responsibilities include process and product innovation as well as quality, safety, efficiency and standard productivity improvements. In addition, the specifications and proper start-up of samples and new products will be the Process Improvement responsibility working in conjunction with production planning and development.

Requirements

Understanding each process area of the plant and implementing improvements.
Working with Production Management to increase productivity.
Producing first quality products.
Process and product innovation.
Quality, safety, efficiency, and standard productivity improvements.
Specifications and proper start-up of samples and new products.
Working in conjunction with production planning and development.
Working in conjunction with associates from all other areas as needed.
Receiving customer complaints and investigating, documenting, and implementing corrective action.
Seeking to determine how processes can be modified to improve existing products or produce new products.
Staying abreast of and recommending the latest technological developments in machinery, raw materials, and methods.
Stimulating interest at the appropriate management level for implementation of innovative improvements.
Specification, installation, and start-up of new machinery.
Recommending technical training for production, administrative, and management associates.
Performing trials and evaluations.
Working with production management for proper utilization of process monitoring and feedback systems, specifically statistical quality control techniques.
Acting as an interface between production management, personnel, suppliers, and customers.
Sharing joint responsibility for development of new products with the Development Function.
Serving as a liaison between Development and Manufacturing.
Objectively seeking information concerning competitors' activities.
Understanding the linkage between processes to improve the total system (safety, quality, and cost).
Working with Operations Research to set up and follow designed experiments.
Actively participating in the Milliken Pursuit of Excellence process.
Maintaining and representing the Company with the "highest integrity".
Handling RA dispositions.
Meeting company education/training requirements.
Maintaining quality records applicable to their process.
Identifying and correcting nonconformities in the Quality System.
Approving Process Improvement Documents.
Being responsible for the Internal Audits System.
Implementing applicable latest technology and process improvements from throughout the company.
Handling management review in the absence of the Plant Manager.
Acting in the absence of and assisting the Plant Manager in reporting the performance of the Quality System in the Management Review Meeting.
Ensuring management review reports are used as a basis for Quality System Improvement.
Verifying that all internal quality auditors meet the minimum criteria.
Reporting process changes that may impact environmental compliance.
Implementing a temporary machine specification deviating from original machine specification when deemed necessary.
Notifying the responsible P.P.I. of temporary machine specification changes.
Removing temporary specifications from machines when no longer needed.
Working with NPD to set up and follow new product development.

Responsibilities

Constantly strive to improve the quality level of the assigned products and processes.
Strive to improve the quality of the first quality for the assigned processes and products, with the objective being to drive the defect level to zero.
Develop detailed and complete process specifications.
Strive to optimize the assigned processes for increased productivity, minimum energy consumption, maximum process efficiency and minimum total system cost.
Identify and help eliminate all safety hazards associated with the assigned processes, working in conjunction with associates from all other areas as needed.
Share accountability for all non-conformance and responsible for receiving customer complaints and investigating, documenting, and implementing corrective action.
Responsible for process and product innovation. The Process Improvement Function should constantly seek to determine how the process can be modified to improve on existing products or produce new products.
Strive to stay abreast of and recommend the use of the latest technological developments in machinery, raw materials and methods associated with the process, as well as preceding and subsequent processes.
Strive to stimulate interest at the appropriate management level to insure implementation of innovative improvements.
Be responsible for specification, installation and start-up of new machinery.
In conjunction with production management, recommend the technical training required for production, administrative and management associates, so that the process is controlled according to specifications.
Perform all trials and evaluations as needed.
Work with production management for proper utilization of process monitoring and feedback systems and specifically, statistical quality control techniques.
Must be an interface between the production management, personnel and the suppliers and customers so that both process improvement and production functions understand the effect of any changes to the processes or products that reach our customers.
Share joint responsibility for development of new products with the Development Function and serve as a liaison between Development and Manufacturing.
Objectively seek information concerning competitors' activities in the assigned processes.
Must understand and know the linkage between processes for which he is responsible and those that precede and follow in order to improve the total system (safety, quality, and cost).
Work as necessary with Operations Research to set up and follow designed experiments.
Actively participate in the Milliken Pursuit of Excellence process.
Personally, maintain and represent the Company with the "highest integrity".
Be responsible for handling RA dispositions.
Meet the company education/training requirements.
Each Process Manager is responsible for maintaining quality records applicable to his/her process.
Identify and correct any nonconformities in the Quality System as it relates to their area of responsibility.
The Process Improvement Manager is responsible for approving Process Improvement Documents of all types.
The designated PPI is responsible for the Internal Audits System.
Any other assignment not listed above but determined to be necessary by Plant Management.
It is the responsibility of the Process Improvement Manager to see that the latest technology and process improvements from throughout the company which are applicable are implemented totally in his plant.
In the absence of the Plant Manager, the Process Improvement Manager is responsible for handling management review.
It is the responsibility of the P.P.I. Leader or designated P.P.I to act in the absence of and assist the Plant Manager in reporting the performance of the Quality System in the Management Review Meeting and to ensure that these reports are being used as a basis of Quality System Improvement.
The P.I. Manager is responsible for verifying that all internal quality auditors meet the minimum criteria.
P.P.I.s and the P.I. Manager will report process changes that may impact environmental compliance through the procedure outlined in the EMS system. The manager(s) may have other various environmental responsibilities outlined in the EMS system.
P.I. Manager, or P.P.I s are authorized to implement a temporary machine specification deviating from original machine specification when deemed necessary by the PPI or PI manager. The P.P.I responsible for this product must be notified of the change. The P.P.I is responsible for removing the temporary specification from the machine when it is no longer needed.
Work as necessary with NPD to set up and follow new product development.