SUPPLY CHAIN by leveraging their experience and wider customer base . It is the best way to keep abreast of change in this volatile marketplace , she believes .
Innovation is in Steve Tungate ’ s job title and he says it is the fun part of his work . “ We aim to be the best and easiest company to do business with and we have always been out in front of the competition on that metric . A lot of innovation is taking place in the operational supply chain and that is what enables us to continue to improve our overall position in the market . We know we are not the biggest so we try to treat our customers the best .” For him , innovation means the evolution of corporate strategy , not just in supply chain but in every department .
Innovation is a frame of mind , and all the tools in the box , whether Six Sigma or lean processes , are just there to achieve business improvement . Ideas should be sought at every level , he says , and as an illustration he cites a project that recently closed . An employee at the South Dakota manufacturing facility raised the question of why the climate control equipment had to function all of the time across the entire plant even in rooms that were not in use . His innovation project was a system to shut off the fans when rooms were not in use : it saved the company $ 8,000 . Tungate says .
“ Although these savings are very small it is a great example of a culture of innovation that starts from the top and involves all associates . We highlight this project because we want
“ EVERYTHING WE DO IS DESIGNED AROUND BENEFICIAL CHANGE TO OUR CUSTOMER ”
– Steven Tungate , VP / GM Americas , Service , Supply Chain & Innovation at TABS business . toshiba . com / usa / index . html 67