CDI Holdings · Case Study Library
Mission-Directed Work Teams® · Springs, Gauteng, South Africa
Element Six
Integrating Kaizen and Kaikaku for World-Class Competitiveness
Global Leader in Super Abrasives & Industrial Diamonds · 16 Countries · 4,000+ Employees · Mining · Aerospace · Automotive · Construction · Oil & Gas
10 min
Plate curing time
(from 24 hours)
(from 24 hours)
R984K
Annual savings from
lapping innovation
lapping innovation
1.2%
Weld adaptor defect
rate (from 8%)
rate (from 8%)
R450K+
Black Belt material
savings in one year
savings in one year
Context
High Technology, High Pressure, and a Mostly New Workforce
Element Six is a global leader in super abrasives and industrial diamond materials — one of the most technically demanding manufacturing environments in the world. Their Springs facility faced a convergence of pressures: increasing operational costs, decreasing selling prices, and a workforce challenge that made process improvement simultaneously urgent and difficult. Sixty per cent of staff had fewer than five years of service, creating significant skill and supervision gaps precisely when competitive pressure demanded the opposite.
The Challenge
Competitive Cost Structure, Inexperienced Workforce
The site faced a real threat of production relocation driven by cost. Addressing that threat required both immediate breakthrough improvements (Kaikaku) and the embedding of daily continuous improvement habits (Kaizen) — simultaneously, and with a team that was largely learning the work for the first time.
MDW provided the cultural and structural foundation that made both possible: team ownership, visible performance, and systematic problem-solving from the shop floor up.
MDW provided the cultural and structural foundation that made both possible: team ownership, visible performance, and systematic problem-solving from the shop floor up.
The Integrated Improvement Model
MDW as the Cultural Foundation for Kaizen, Kaikaku, and Six Sigma
1
MDW Yellow Belt TrainingShop-floor team leaders trained in structured problem-solving: Fishbone diagrams, FMEA, Pareto analysis, and 5 Whys. MDW became the nucleus for continuous learning — giving frontline teams the analytical tools to diagnose and resolve problems at the level where they occurred, rather than escalating every issue upward.
2
Six Sigma — Green and Black Belt ProjectsDeeper systemic improvements driven by certified Green and Black Belt projects, working alongside the MDW team layer. Six Sigma provided the statistical rigour for projects where root cause required more than frontline analysis — creating a structured escalation pathway from team problem-solving to professional improvement methodology.
3
Lean Manufacturing ProjectsTeams initiated lean projects targeting lead time reduction, WIP stock control, and throughput improvements. Kaikaku (breakthrough change) events drove step-changes in specific processes, while Kaizen (continuous improvement) embedded the daily discipline of incremental gains — the two working in combination rather than competition.
4
Visible QCSP Tracking and Innovation RecognitionQuality, Cost, Speed, and People performance made visible and tracked across all teams. Innovation recognition systems ensured that team-generated solutions were acknowledged and celebrated — creating a visible improvement culture where contribution was seen and rewarded.
5
Goal Alignment Tree and Multilevel Review StructureKPIs cascaded across four levels through a Goal Alignment Tree — ensuring that improvement work at team level was visibly connected to executive priorities and site-level competitive targets. Multilevel review meetings held daily through to quarterly at every level closed the loop between frontline activity and strategic intent. Without the alignment tree and the review cadence, Yellow Belt training and Six Sigma projects would have generated improvements in isolation rather than contributing to a single organisational direction.
Operational Challenges
Increasing operational costs and decreasing product prices threatening the site's competitive position.
Pressure to relocate production offshore for cost reasons — site viability under review.
60% of staff with fewer than five years of service creating skill and supervision gaps.
Need for simultaneous breakthrough change (Kaikaku) and daily improvement embedding (Kaizen).
Cultural transformation required to embed QCSP thinking across a largely inexperienced workforce.
Results — Specific Innovation Outcomes
Measurable Impact at the Project Level
24h → 10 min
Plate Curing Time
Epoxy plate curing time reduced from 24 hours to 10 minutes, cutting plate cost from R180 to R130 — a team-identified Kaikaku breakthrough.
R984K/year
Lapping Innovation
Lapping plate casting innovation eliminated machining entirely — saving R82,000 per month (R984,000 annually) through a process the team fully owned.
8% → 1.2%
Weld Adaptor Defects
Poka Yoke (mistake-proofing) reduced weld adaptor defect rate from 8.0% to 1.2%, saving R28,000 per month in rework and scrap.
R450K+
Black Belt Savings
Black Belt material cost saving projects delivered R450,000+ in a single year — systemic improvement above and beyond frontline Kaizen activity.
Structured
Daily Improvement
Improvement culture transformed from reactive and ad hoc to structured, visible, and team-owned — across a workforce that was simultaneously building its technical skills.
Aligned
Four-Level Cascade
Goal Alignment Tree connected frontline improvement projects to site-level competitive targets at every level — MDW as the architecture that held Six Sigma, Lean, and Kaizen coherent.
“
Sustainable gains come from developing frontline ownership and systematic thinking — even in cost-sensitive, high-technology environments.
Programme Reflection · Element Six Springs MDW Implementation
Key Insight
Element Six demonstrates that MDW is not in competition with Six Sigma, Lean, or Kaikaku — it is the platform that makes all of them work. Yellow Belt problem-solving improved daily. Six Sigma improved systemically. The Goal Alignment Tree ensured both served the same purpose. Mission-Directed Work Teams® provided the architecture that held it together.
