CFO of Hansen Plastics, Bob Ruehl, Discusses Why He Favors Employee Engagement over Compliance

ELGIN, Ill. - Sept. 3, 2019 - PRLog -- Lean business practices are crucial in today's day and age, particularly in saturated industries such as plastics and plastic technology. Bob Ruehl, the Chief Financial Officer for Hansen Plastics, says his company has improved operations primarily by focusing on keeping their employees engaged as opposed to strictly enforcing compliance.

Ruehl says he and the company's CEO, Roy Lilly, take time out of every day to do what is known as a Gemba walk; this is one of the tenants of lean management that involves observing the various processes on the production floor. Ruehl also meets regularly with other departments, which include training coordinators, logistics managers, and even accounts payable and receivable.

Today, Hansen Plastics utilizes a form of policy deployment known as Hoshin Kanri, which is designed to help ensure that every action at every level of a company is always driving progress and action. This is crucial for eliminating waste and developing lean management and business practices. However, Ruehl says that things used to be much different; once upon a time, annual strategy meetings were the bread and butter of the company's future.

Hansen Plastics decided to put more focus on individual processes within the company – and to do so every day rather than once each year. Specific metrics that Ruehl believed were important to the company's value streams became the focus, and the company adopted the 4DX plan, which stands for Four Disciplines of Execution, which helps them focus on their most important goals. For Hansen Plastics, these included developing a sense of accountability, keeping compelling scoreboards, and more. Ruehl, along with the company's president, Tim Bayer, continue to meet each week with the people who facilitate the 4DX process.

Ruehl also points out that the employee stock ownership plan, or ESOP, ensures that employees are truly vested in the success of their employers. They are far more eager to proactively find ways to boost their own production or understand more about the way the business works. At the end of the day, engaging employees in this way drives high morale, and when employees are happy, companies are far more likely to grow and succeed.

To learn more about Hansen Plastics, visit the company's website or contact them at (847)741-4510. You can also send an email to info@hansenplastics.com. For more information please visit https://www.hansenplastics.com/.