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Headquartered in Evansville, Indiana, MetroNet is a customer-focused company providing cutting-edge fiber optic telecommunication services, including high-speed Fiber Internet, full-featured Fiber Phone, Fiber IPTV with a wide variety of programming and products.

MetroNet is committed to bringing state-of-the-art telecommunication services to the communities they serve by delivering services comparable or superior to those offered in large metropolitan areas. This commitment not only means better internet, television and telephone options for their customers today but also the capacity to continually provide additional products and services in the future as new uses for 100% fiber are developed.

Situation  

MetroNet is a rapidly growing company who, like many others in their situation, found that processes on a small scale worked fine. However, when the pressure of growth was applied, these processes become rapidly un-scalable.

Solution  

MetroNet sought Six Sigma Green and Black Belt training assistance from Purdue MEP to improve some of their processes, such as tackling inventory carrying costs and shrinkage.

One MetroNet Employee, Jean Reising, Process Improvement Manager, dedicated her Six Sigma Black Belt project to address the issue of inventory carrying costs and shrinkage. Using the tools learned in both the Six Sigma training provided by Purdue MEP, her team was able to identify the root causes of the problems and implement a strategy to control these costs. 

After root-cause analysis, the team implemented a complete process change which resulted in the consolidation of five warehouses and implementation of a direct ship process. Each Installation Technician in the identified markets were directly shipped their supplies using a Just in Time Inventory process. The Direct Ship Project was successfully piloted in February 2020.

Results

MetroNet was able to reduce shrinkage by 13%, subsequently saving the company millions of dollars in carrying costs in the years to come. After the first five warehouses are complete, the company will further evaluate based on market needs and continue to implement the direct ship process whenever possible.

“Our company’s culture is dedicated to continuous improvement. In the past five years, MetroNet has sponsored over 70 Six Sigma Green Belt Participants and 100 White or Yellow Belt participants. Of those, we currently have three Black Belts and 27 Green Belts on staff. Purdue MEP provides Six Sigma Yellow and Green Belt trainings each year, with multiple classes during some years. The instructors and administrative staff work with our Process Improvement team to hold on-site classes at our Evansville home office.”

Purdue MEP has been instrumental in supporting MetroNet as we strive to engrain a continuous improvement mindset into all parts of our culture. The ability of our associates to have access to tools and resources to be the drivers of the change, has proven to be invaluable. Purdue MEP has helped us to empower our associates and, in doing so, allowed MetroNet to grow as a company at an astounding rate. The Purdue MEP instructors were knowledgeable and accessible, even during the COVID-19 Pandemic, even participating in video conference calls to keep all of the company projects moving forward. We are very thankful to have Purdue MEP as a partner.”

- Jean Reising, Process Improvement Manager