Viking Academy Squared is a continuation of Viking Academy, and was created to take an even deeper dive into continuous improvement. The members of Viking Academy Squared were selected by the Viking Plastics management team, and the only prerequisite was to have previously gone through Viking Academy. The class is working on a project to map the process of a specific product line from the time a purchase order is placed, processed, manufactured, packaged and shipped and work to improve efficiency.

They recently presented  how they utilized the value stream mapping tool to identify and reduce the waste (non-value added activities) within the process’s current state. The team’s focus was analyzing the data and creating opportunities for improvement which will lead to a more efficient and productive future state. Viking Academy² is made up of employees from various departments.

The members include:

Tom Arnold – Production Supervisor

Jesse Barber – Sr. Program Mgr.

Travis Corbett – Changeover Tech

Rob Elchynski – Operations Mgr.

Matt Greer – APQP Eng.

Mike Hook – IT Specialist

Erin Huffman – Mfg. Assistant

Jon Swank – Materials Mgr.

Marlana Wills – Operator

Their project is ongoing and should be complete by the fall.  Great work so far from all members of Viking Academy Squared! We are eager to see what the results are once the project is complete.