Moen Incorporated

STOP® DataPro® enhances Moen's dss⁺ STOP® program overall.

dss⁺ STOP® training programs help record and analyse safety performance data and generate reports saving time and providing access to the same, standardized system.

Moen Incorporated is a manufacturer of kitchen faucets, bathroom faucets, shower heads and stainless steel sinks for residential and commercial applications. Its New Bern, NC, location is Moen's primary assembly facility.

In 2008, Moen Incorporated implemented dss⁺ STOP® for Supervision program – a program that aims to control injuries and incidents through worker observations and discussions. dss⁺ STOP® quickly became a key tool for Moen to identify unsafe actions, conditions and behaviors before incidents could occur.

However, Moen found it difficult to use its in-house database for crunching the rich information generated by the dss⁺ STOP® program. Though the database was meeting the needs of Moen's safety managers, it didn't have the functionality to generate reports that could answer questions such as, what areas are findings coming from and are auditors conducting observations correctly.

"Our homemade system was a basic database that we'd put together," explained David Pearce, Senior Human Resources Generalist at Moen's New Bern, NC facility. "We were going in and looking at what sort of reports do we want, what information do we wish to pull out of it. So, every time we thought of another type of report or bit of information we wanted, we would have to go back and make the query on our own."

Compounding the problem was the fact that the in-house database wasn't online, making it cumbersome to share information between locations. As a result, each facility was building its own system to store and review data gleaned from the dss⁺ STOP® program. The subsequent differences in reporting made it hard to compare and discuss findings across the company.

The Kinston, NC Moen Distribution Center piloted STOP® DataPro® and shared its experience with the rest of the organization. Moen decided to implement it on a company wide scale. As Mr. Pearce observed, "We were making a car from the ground up. Why not go to the auto dealership and buy one instead?".

Solution
In December 2009, Moen Incorporated purchased dss⁺ STOP® DataPro® system. STOP® DataPro® is a secure, web-based application that allows Moen to record and analyze safety performance data and generate reports based on that information.

A key factor in choosing STOP® DataPro® was that the system is web based, ensuring all Moen facilities have access to the same, standardized system. A common system makes it possible for all facilities to enter, record and present data in the same way. That in turn makes it easier for stakeholders to review the data– whether people at corporate or people at a facility. "We don't have to worry about one facility having its own system," Mr. Pearce noted." It's easier to speak to each other about trends, observations and what you are seeing if we are all looking at that information in the same manner."

Another key factor that played into the decision was that STOP® DataPro® came preloaded with the reports, charts and data analysis tools that Moen Incorporated needed. The company didn't need to spend time creating its own reports, as it had been doing with its in-house system.

"We have definitely been able to use STOP® DataPro® to focus on specific issues and improve the safety of the facility."

Results: New Bern, NC
At Moen's New Bern, NC assembly plant, the dss⁺ STOP® program involves 78 people divided among 28 audit teams that conduct observations across 56 areas on a six-week cycle.

After implementing STOP® DataPro®, Mr. Pearce trained the plant's dss⁺ STOP® auditors on the use of the new system. All auditors have access to STOP® DataPro® and are responsible for not only performing observations but also entering their observations into STOP® DataPro®.

Mr. Pearce exports the data weekly into Moen's in-house tracker tool, which places unsafe observations on an action item list that tracks findings through to their corrective action. The tracker tool "is something that's in the Moen culture already, that people here know and understand and are comfortable with," explained Mr. Pearce. "So I'm able to use the information from STOP® DataPro® in our existing system."

Auditors are expected to view the tracker and follow findings through to completion. "They don't have to do the work, but they need to follow up and ensure the work is done," Mr. Pearce said. This might mean ensuring a supervisor has followed through on education or getting an engineer involved in a redesign, he explained.

The New Bern plant has found this system critical for identifying unsafe conditions and improving safety behavior. In 2010, it had its best year in the history of the plant in terms of safety.

"We really just started using STOP® DataPro® in earnest so we only have one year of data, but I think it's a factor," Mr. Pearce said." I definitely think dss⁺ STOP® has to be a factor in overall safety performance because it's one of the key tools we use to identify unsafe actions, unsafe conditions and unsafe behaviors before an incident occurs.

From the Field
STOP® DataPro® has helped Moen Incorporated enhance its dss⁺ STOP® program overall. For example, using STOP® DataPro® has enabled the New Bern plant to address issues faster and more efficiently. Of the dss⁺ STOP® findings uncovered in 2010, the plant had resolved a robust 96 percent by year's end.

"STOP® DataPro® is an easy system to understand, it's web-based so that tech support is streamlined, it has very good reporting capabilities, it has very good statistical reports that are preloaded, and it’s a standardized process."

— David Pearce, Senior Human Resources Generalist

That's because with STOP® DataPro®, the information needed to resolve issues is easy to locate, Mr. Pearce explained. In addition to unsafe findings, Moen can pull which team made the observation, the area that was audited and the audit date. "All that information is ready. All I have to do is ask the system," according to Mr. Pearce.

Faster access to audit information means Moen is able to move relevant data into its tracker tool quickly. That in turn means the personnel that need to correct the findings, the managers, supervisors and people on the shop floor, gain faster access to the information as well. The faster they gain access to the information, the faster they can begin working on a solution.

In addition, the New Bern plant is able to use STOP® DataPro® to target its safety efforts. "We have definitely been able to use STOP® DataPro® to focus on specific issues and improve the safety of the facility," said Mr. Pearce. Each month department heads meet to review STOP® DataPro® findings, specifically the Pareto chart, to identify trends and decide how to address them.

For example, after reviewing the Pareto chart, the department heads decided to address access issues in some areas of the facility. It formed a subcommittee to examine the plant's floor layout.

Finally, Moen Incorporated has been able to harness STOP® DataPro® as both a quality control tool and a training tool to ensure continuous improvement. The New Bern plant monitors the observations gathered to ensure all participants are using the dss⁺ STOP® program and STOP® DataPro® system properly. This helps ensure the right information is being gathered correctly, auditors are inputting information properly and that overall Moen is getting the most out of its safety program.

"It's easier to speak to each other about trends, observations and what you are seeing if we are all looking at that information in the same manner."

– David Pearce, Senior Human Resources Generalist

Safety management at Moen Incorporated uses STOP® DataPro® as a springboard for training topics. Trends are identified by what is seen in the observations and used as fodder for continuing education sessions. For example, the New Bern plant was experiencing a lot of unsafe findings in the structure and work area. Mr. Pearce turned these findings into a training session on how to identify unsafe conditions in a work area and what to do about it.

Would Mr. Pearce recommend STOP® DataPro® to other companies? Yes. "STOP® DataPro® is an easy system to understand, it's web-based so that tech support is streamlined, it has very good reporting capabilities, it has very good statistical reports that are preloaded, and it's a standardized process," he summed up.