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In business since 1947, Lafayette Instrument Company is the world's leading manufacturer of polygraph instrumentation, while also offering a wide range of physical assessment and life science research products. Located in Lafayette, IN, the company also possesses a full-service sheet metal and machine shop for custom manufacturing.

Situation:

Lafayette Instrument has an incredible company culture and with that, many long-tenured employees. Wanting to expose the members of its team to different types of Lean manufacturing and process improvements, Lafayette Instrument sought outside expertise to fulfill the training. The goal was to equip the team with the knowledge and tools needed to maximize Lean techniques throughout the production facility.

Solution:  

Having worked with Purdue MEP numerous times including most recently on their ISO 9001 certification journey, Lafayette Instrument reached out to the MEP team regarding Lean training. A series of six Lean trainings were scheduled covering topics such as Lean principles, 5S, inventory management utilizing Pull-Kanban, and more. Purdue MEP was also able to connect Lafayette Instrument with grant funding from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation to cover 75% of the training costs.

Results:

Purdue MEP provided over 50 hours of training for 25 employees at Lafayette Instrument, leading to the implementation of Lean best practices. A new pull system with their inventory has tremendously impacted and leveled out their production schedule and overall created efficiencies on the shop floor. Prior to the training, if an unexpectedly large order came through, there would be a scramble to get enough parts made and sometimes it required paying premium shipping costs on items to complete orders. By balancing peak times, they also have a better opportunity to optimize slower periods by rebuilding and replenishing stock – creating a more stable workflow.

Lafayette Instrument has significantly improved production efficiency by implementing a Kanban system for inventory replenishment and optimizing component and part processes. These improvements, along with key equipment upgrades, have resulted in approximately $300,000 in labor and material cost savings over the past year.

They have also decreased lead times dramatically. In one specific product, lead times have shrunk from an eight-week lead time to being able to ship the next day. On-time delivery has increased from an average of 85% to 97%, as well.  

Lafayette Instrument introduced a hybrid role to support Lean improvements and quality initiatives resulting from their ISO 9001 certification. With a renewed focus on efficiency, they restructured their organization to include department team leads, who now drive process improvement implementation. However, across the board, team members are empowered to make adjustments and improvements, and the team is eager to help drive progress at Lafayette Instrument.

Impact metrics:

• Completed over 50 hours of training for 25 employees
• Deferred 75% of training costs due to grant funding
• Saved $300,000 in past year due to production efficiencies and equipment upgrades
• In one product line, lead times have reduced from eight weeks to one day (next-day) shipping.
• On-time delivery increase from avg 85% to avg of 97%
• ISO 9001 certification (certified 01/24)
• Voted one of the "Best Places to Work in Indiana" in 2024

"Having Purdue MEP come onsite for training has been a huge benefit to Lafayette Instrument, exceeding our expectations. Their instructors bring real-world manufacturing experience, making Lean principles more relatable and impactful. The training sparked honest conversations, great questions, and a deeper understanding of our goals. Everyone who has come in has truly wanted to help us succeed and do better, and that’s the same culture we try to drive at Lafayette Instrument. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.”

- Levi Hunt, Operations Manager, Lafayette Instrument

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