Our dedication to continuous improvement and customer satisfaction is not confined solely to the production aspect of the business.  There are tools and techniques, such as TLS, that are applied company-wide to ensure a superior customer experience at every level.

TLS is a unique blend of Theory of Constraints (TOC), Lean Manufacturing and Six-Sigma:

• Theory of Constraints (TOC): A methodology for identifying the most important limiting factor (or constraint) that stands in the way of achieving a goal and then systematically improving it until it is no longer the limiting factor.
• Lean Manufacturing: A systematic method for the elimination of waste within a manufacturing system.
• Six Sigma: This seeks to improve the quality of the output of a process by identifying and removing the causes of defects and minimizing variability in manufacturing and business processes.

Overall, TLS seeks to leverage the strengths of each method and focus them in a way that will yield system-wide benefits. Here’s a look at how the entire process works:

1. Apply the TOC methods to analyze the system and identify the constraint.  This becomes the point of improvement.
2. After the constraint has been determined, look for and eliminate any wasteful steps using the concepts found in Lean Manufacturing.
3. Employ Six Sigma principles to reduce variation and improve quality at the constraint.
4. Return to Step 1 and, using the TOC methods, re-assess the system to identify the “new” constraint.

This integrated approach to TLS results in a significant downstream impact throughout the system as compared to using each of the components individually.

At Horberg Industries, our commitment to continuous improvement and customer satisfaction remains steadfast.  By implementing the TLS methodology, we are able to ensure that each of our customers receives not only great products, but great service as well.

Horberg Industries…Dowel Pins Made Right!