Quality and Continuous Improvement with Lean Six Sigma

All logistics service providers talk "quality."

But where the doers distinguish themselves from the talkers is in the time, commitment and money they invest in a rigorous continuous improvement methodology.

At GENCO, Lean is not a one-time program or training event. It’s a culture and an attitude. All GENCO teammates - all the time - look to attack inefficiencies in your operations, and our own.

We don’t settle for "good enough." If there’s a better way, we’re not afraid to challenge long-standing operational practices.

Investing to Promote a Lean Logistics Culture

GENCO has invested millions of dollars in a companywide Lean logistics training program that has developed hundreds of Lean-trained managers and fostered the participation of more than 2,000 teammates in Lean initiatives.

Each GENCO facility has a Lean continuous improvement manager, who facilitates "Kaizen" process-improvement events. Annually, Lean logistics initiatives generate an average of $30 million in validated cost savings.

Lean principles are also used to drive GENCO’s significant work with customers on sustainable supply chain initiatives.

Dedicated Continuous Improvement Team

One key sign of a third party logistics (3PL) provider’s commitment to quality and innovation is the existence of a dedicated continuous improvement team. At GENCO, this team, which operates as part of our logistics engineering department, is committed to making your operations more efficient.

GENCO Measurement and Management Tools

Measuring how effective Lean and continuous improvement initiatives are - and how efficient your operations are - is a critical component of a quality culture and workplace.

GENCO employs several measurement and management tools:

Daily KPI reports
- Every day, we track and report on key operational metrics and worker productivity. This KPI report becomes our “report card” that gauges progress on improvement objectives.
Dashboard reports
- These are “at a glance” views of weekly operational metrics and goals. Dashboard metrics are discussed in daily pre-shift meetings with our teammates and management staff.
Quarterly Business Reviews
- QBRs bring you and your team together with the GENCO facility manager and the president of the GENCO business unit responsible for your operation.
Core Excellence Audit
- Performed by our continuous improvement team twice a year, this comprehensive, unannounced audit examines operational, safety, security and housekeeping practices of the facility. Audits can last up to a week. Each facility receives a score, which is directly tied to the financial incentives of facility managers.