Johnson Controls Automotive Seating has teamed up with The Empowerment Plan, a Detroit-based nonprofit employs and trains homeless women to create coats that transform into sleeping bags for the homeless, to help produce its coats more efficiently and cost effectively by applying automotive manufacturing approaches.
Johnson Controls’ Plymouth-based team applied its development and continuous improvement processes to improve The Empowerment Plan’s overall product design, manufacturing, supply chain approach. The collaborative effort between the automotive supplier and nonprofit produced the following dramatic results:
- 51 percent increase in coat production per day (from 17-35 coats/day)
- 20 percent reduction (two yards) in fabric per coat
- advancements in training, temperature ratings and testing
The nonprofit is also working with another company, Lean Machine, to implement lean processes.
“What began with a financial donation from our company earlier this year has developed into so much more,” said Eric Michalak, chief engineer, Advanced Product Development for Johnson Controls Automotive Seating. “It’s been amazing to see how in just a few short months Johnson Controls’ expertise in engineering, manufacturing and supply chain could be applied to The Empowerment Plan’s coat and have such an impact.”
According to Michalak, Johnson Controls is continuing the company’s efforts with The Empowerment Plan to see what more the partnership can accomplish.
In fact, Johnson Controls Automotive Seating recently was able to repurpose international shipping boxes to support the nonprofit. In addition to boxes, the company invited its suppliers to assist The Empowerment Plan with logistics and distribution. As a result, a leading logistics company is helping to provide lower shipping rates through a special state of Michigan program for nonprofits and another supplier provide the nonprofit with free bags to ship the coats for a year.
