Whirlpool 2005 Annual Report Download - page 16

12 Whirlpool Corporation
Nelson Possamai, Plant Director, Ramos Arizpe, Mexico
Whirlpool North America
When Whirlpool Mexico begins production at its new
refrigerator factory in 2006, the units rolling off the assembly
line won’t come from a conventional manufacturing site built
around operational principles alone. The new factory is a
state-of-the-art facility built to manufacture refrigerators of
unsurpassed quality.
The leadership team at the factory has used
Whirlpool innovation tools to start a unique employee
culture focused on quality throughout the plant; one which
champions the concept of Whirlpool customer focus from
new employee orientation through final product delivery.
“Employees will strive for zero defects through a continuous
improvement process based on a series of checks and
balances. For example, employees allocated 60 seconds
for a specific process will spend the first 15 seconds of
this time checking the task of the previous work station,
30 seconds doing their specific activity, and the last 15
seconds reviewing their own work,” says Nelson Possamai,
Whirlpool plant director.
Their focus to deliver unprecedented quality, and their
passion to get it right from the start, will enable Whirlpool
Mexico employees to keep the customer at the heart of all
their efforts, and deliver on all of our brands’ promises.
Employees will strive for zero defects through a continuous improvement process …
For example, employees allocated 60 seconds for a specific process will spend the first 15
seconds of this time checking the task of the previous work station, 30 seconds doing their
specific activity, and the last 15 seconds reviewing their own work. — Nelson Possamai
Unprecedented Quality Control Standards People / Process / Products