Continuous improvement
Quality Electrodynamics (QED)
Hiroyuki Fujita, Ph.D.
president and CEO
www.qualedyn.com
Quality Electrodynamics (QED), a global developer, manufacturer and supplier of advanced medical equipment electronics, has invested heavily in human and equipment capital to support its increased manufacturing needs as a result of increased sales. The company has relocated twice because of the growth and is starting to explore options for its next move.
Adding people to its organization helps meet market demand while providing a fresh perspective to generate new ideas and strategies. The company has invested in itself, adding top-tier talent and state-of-the-art technology as revenue increases.
QED is an early adapter of additive manufacturing, which it refers to as direct digital manufacturing. Implementing this technology since its inception in 2006 has allowed QED to work in-house on the development of prototypes and production of customer parts that otherwise would have delayed projects and increased costs. The company also has spent a great deal of time creating technology that it uses to design products that have a competitive edge.
Hiroyuki Fujita, Ph.D., company president and CEO, encourages his team to continually push the envelope and help the company evolve by suggesting process improvements. The company’s open office environment puts no physical partitions between the departments to promote real-time communications among employees. Fujita stays involved with his leaders and guides them, but trusts that he has chosen people who understand and are able to carry out his philosophy of “do the right thing as a human being.” When that philosophy is followed all other aspects fall into place.
Speed to market
Seaman Corp.
Richard Seaman
chairman and CEO
John Crum
president and COO
www.seamancorp.com
This past year was big for Seaman Corp., a developer of coated fabric technology. An office makeover and new equipment investments were among the changes that greatly impacted how Seaman does business every day, and how it will operate and transition into the years to come.
Under the guidance of Chairman and CEO Richard Seaman, and President and COO John Crum, Seaman has invested $50 million in the past decade to update its manufacturing equipment and another $5 million to improve the office structure at its Wooster headquarters.
An emphasis on organic growth spurred the decision to create an innovation and technology department, the idea for which was first formed in January 2014 and executed the next month. The new department works in an open environment that allows information to be quickly exchanged internally and presents opportunities for collaboration.
Speed is also being emphasized outside of the office to get to the crux of a product problem a client is experiencing so that it can be solved. In order to gain that speed, Crum has begun shifting the culture, redefining the responsibilities of some of the technical positions. Seaman technicians now go to a customer’s job site more often, learn how that customer is applying its products and work to make improvements to better suit the application.
Seaman is focused on acquiring younger talent while still maintaining a rigorous screening process. As Seaman continues to grow, the emphasis is on building good bench strength for the future.
