Employees at Mercury Marine in late August completed their 1,000th project using the company's Lean Six Sigma continuous improvement process, which has helped the company improve product quality, enhance customer service and lower costs.
Since 2003, thousands of Mercury employees around the world have helped improve the company's business processes through the implementation of Lean Six Sigma. The improvement methods are based on lean processes, which improve speed and eliminate waste, and Six Sigma methods, which reduce process variation. The company has focused on improving processes in everything from product design to manufacturing, including planning, sales, distribution and service.
"I am most proud that Lean Six Sigma has become a way of doing business for Mercury Marine, providing the foundation for the continuous improvement which will drive our customer satisfaction," said Mercury President Patrick C. Mackey. "We know it's working because our OptiMax and MerCruiser customers ranked us highest in customer satisfaction in this year's J.D. Power surveys."
Since Mackey launched the cultural transformation of Mercury three years ago, nearly 700 management and production employees have been formally trained in Lean Six Sigma methods, with dozens more attending training every quarter. The company has also worked with its suppliers and customers to create a lean supply chain to ensure the highest-quality products are manufactured and available for consumers.
