Original Date: 10/04/1993
Revision Date: 01/18/2007

The Hamilton Standard (now Hamilton Sundstrand) Electronic Manufacturing Center (HSEMC) in Farmington, Connecticut is a functional unit of the Hamilton Standard division of United Technologies Corporation. This facility covers over 160,000 square feet and supports almost 400 employees. Operations include production of electronic systems for flight controls, engine controls and other aerospace applications.

HSEMC presented the BMP program survey team an outstanding example of a successful business comeback. This facility rebounded from an unfavorable situation to become a high-quality producer of electronics for flight controls and data management systems for several key aerospace platforms. In the late 1980s, adverse conditions prompted HSEMC to re-evaluate its way of doing business and the quality of its product. Internal and external feedback highlighted the need for widespread changes in what the company was producing as well as its means of production. This introspective analysis at HSEMC resulted in basic shifts of management philosophy as well as far reaching trends on the production floor.

There are two critical elements in the turnaround from reactionary to solution-oriented operations at the Farmington, Connecticut facility that were evident in all presentations during the BMP survey. Those elements include communication and the unique application of common practices to HSEMC’s specific operation.

Good communication in any company has become a basic ingredient for success; however, at HSEMC, communication is not just basic but a key reason for its present situation. Management and associates maintain an active, free-flowing association using common tools such as Total Quality Management or less common ones such as the establishment of an all salary workforce. Each associate is aware of his or her individual place in the overall company process. Complex data is visually presented in simple forms such as in HSEMC's singular use of arachnoid charts.

HSEMC also individualizes many common practices to achieve maximum results. These practices include areas such as continuous improvement efforts and metric alignment/flowdown. By internalizing the precepts of processes such as agile manufacturing and specializing them to HSEMC's operation, the company has established itself as a forerunner in several production areas. Specifically, the BMP survey team considered HSEMC to have one of the best continuous flow manufacturing (CFM) operations ever documented.

HSEMC provides any company with a roadmap for applying good management techniques and sound business practices, and ensuring its successful application by strong support from highly motivated and trained personnel. This effort is providing HSEMC with an environment of opportunity to expand its share of the global marketplace. The company is well on the road to world class manufacturing through strong communication procedures and individualized application of common practices.

TABLE OF ACRONYMS
The following acronyms were used in this report:

For more information see the Point of Contact for this survey.