Great Northern invests considerable resources into ensuring that our processes flow smoothly and provide the results our customers need, year after year. Our dedication to continuous process improvement is evident in our many significant equipment and technology investments, our ISO 9001: 2000 certification, and other process improvement initiatives that are defined and pursued by our process improvement teams.

One of our primary focuses is implementing world-class, or “lean,” manufacturing standards. Implementing these standards focuses on customer satisfaction through our development of better teamwork and the elimination of waste throughout Great Northern.

There are essentially three facets of Great Northern's lean manufacturing approach:

1. 5S: Sort, Straighten, Sweep, Schedule and Sustain – “Five S” basically defines ways for us to improve organization at each work station and how to keep it that way
2. Setup Reduction – this initiative focuses on reducing setup times at each work center, which translates into more throughput and often better quality
3. Total Preventive Maintenance – Our reliable maintenance program keeps work centers running without downtime

In addition to lean manufacturing, Great Northern also implements other process improvement undertakings, such as “Value Stream Mapping,” which identifies and eliminates waste in specific work procedures.