Chantilly, Va.—Feb. 27, 2012—American Woodmark Corp., a cabinetry supplier to the remodeling and new construction industries, utilizes quality control software provider InfinityQS International Inc.’s ProFicient statistical process control (SPC) software platform to increase process efficiency and reduce scrap. The ProFicient platform will add to American Woodmark’s established lean manufacturing processes and Six Sigma initiatives to improve visibility into input and output correlation and process inefficiencies.
“In order to achieve our corporate vision to be the undisputed leader in total quality for our customers, contractors and do-it-yourself service centers by 2013, it is vital that American Woodmark lives and breathes quality,” said Shannon Walton, Six Sigma Master Black Belt, American Woodmark, Winchester, Va. “We selected InfinityQS’ ProFicient because it not only enables us to identify and correct inefficiencies now but is also a scalable system that will grow as our needs evolve. ProFicient has been so well received at each of our plants that the biggest challenge is tempering the excitement for continued, strategic deployment.”
American Woodmark utilizes natural materials in its manufacturing processes, which creates a wide range of quality characteristics to consider, such as natural abnormalities in the wood or humidity and temperature in the plants—all of which can affect the quality of the final product.
By implementing ProFicient to automatically alert appropriate operators and quality managers as nonconformities occur, the company can optimize its manufacturing processes to cut costs and save time and ensure higher quality production.
“American Woodmark continues to thrive, even as its competition struggles because it understands the real market value of manufacturing to specification the first time, every time,” said Michael Lyle, President and Chief Executive Officer, InfinityQS. “The InfinityQS platform provides its quality teams with real-time visibility and allows them to optimize processes specific to conditions on the plant floor. True to the principles of Six Sigma, data analysis guides American Woodmark’s decision-making and allows the company to overcome challenges related to natural variation in its raw material. The result will be a higher quality product, increased demand from customers and dramatic reductions in operational costs,” Lyle concluded.
