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CONTRIBUTING RE.ENGINEER Kevin Lane CHALLENGE Raw material consumption is one of the largest cost for any business and probably only second to labor. When you reduce the consumption of materials, there is significant cost savings which can add up to profits at the end of the day. SOLUTION The most cost effective way a business or plant can improve their consumption is with accurate metering that is repeatable. Calibration is fundamental to the operation of an measurement system and without it, organizations can expect to have some level of uncertainty as it relates to their most critical operating indicators, commercial or inter-company transactions (goods sold or purchased). In a well- functioning measurement system, agreements are in place to ensure orderly transactions. RESULT One project that I completed saved right at $900,000 per year and we only spent $50,000 on the equipment. Another custody transfer project I completed saved $1 million per year and the equipment was only $30,000. At a total of $1.9 million, both of these projects yielded an immediate Return on Investment that can be realized year after year. IMPACT $1.9 million

CONTRIBUTING RE.ENGINEER Kerry Mathews CHALLENGE During a maintenance call out on a steam drum, a set of three level transmitters were deviating with one deviating over 3 inh2o (shown in the picture below). Has the calibrated span widened 3 in or is the measurement off 3 in? SOLUTION This was the ultimate process of troubleshooting the transmitter; as you can see, this is a manifold setup with tubing at the transmitter and also tubing at the high and low side of the steam drum. Initially, I block and bled the transmitter at the manifold and this caused the measurement to go to zero (in this case full scale) because the URV value is 0 (20mA). This validated that the high side reading was good. I then proceeded to pressure up the low side of the transmitter to 33 inh20. The transmitter responded by going to nearly -33.00 exactly. This proved that the low side of the transmitter was good, eliminating the transmitter as the issue. I then started looking for leaks and found that the tubing was leaking on the low side at the stream drum after the manual block valve. There was the culprit causing the drift and the deviation of a critical level transmitter. The "wet leg" water filled impulse line could have frozen during a recent freezing condition which could have compromised the fittings or tubing. RESULT Avoided a process upset or steam drum failure due to inadequate level protection. Long term solution is to install a different level technology such as radar or ensure that adequate heat tracing is provided for installations with water filled impulse lines.

CONTRIBUTING RE.ENGINEER Undisclosed CHALLENGE A maintenance department was becoming overloaded with the amount of service jobs needed to be fulfilled within the calendar year. The team wanted to re-engineer their work process to increase the efficiency of their activities without hiring external contract labor. SOLUTION The maintenance staff was manually entering work request instead of using the automated scheduling service provided within the computerized maintenance management system (CMMS). This non-value added work equated to an underutilized factor of 74%. The resolution was to implement an improvement strategy to automate work requests. RESULT Automating the scheduled activities in the CMMS increased efficiency by 67% and by level-loading the routine workload, the team was able to increase the availability of other staff. This waste elimination project removed the need to hire an additional full-time equivalent, which also reduced their cost to serve. IMPACT $100,000

CONTRIBUTING RE.ENGINEER Shadrach Stephens CHALLENGE In response to low first pass yield, a manufacturing plant identified the gaps within their supplier quality and quantified the impact to the bottom-line. SOLUTION The team used downtime reporting, operation data and cycle time analysis to identify the top five suppliers contributing to lost revenue; the quality expectations of each supplier should be “Clearly Defined and Measured” through a management system. This component of the overall business downtime should account for little to no losses of revenue because controls should be in place to measure the quality of raw materials coming into the plant. RESULT A “Supplier Quality Management” program was implemented to address the root causes of quality defects. The operation unit realized a 20% decrease of cycle time due to the corrective actions identified by performance measurement. IMPACT $2 million

CONTRIBUTING RE.ENGINEER Brant Smith CHALLENGE Just recently a client called and was having trouble starting up. We dispatched two senior Instrument and Electrical technicians immediately. The client had several problems with pH probes and several level transmitters not reading properly. SOLUTION The team performed maintenance on the instrumentation and was able to get the system back in order. While there, the client asked the team to look at several other transmitters that were being troublesome. The team found that the technology being used was not adequate for the process. The customer explained hat the process had changed from the time of when the instrumentation was originally installed. We are in the process of developing an instrument reliability program and working with the client to select a cost-effective technology for their process. RESULT As a result of their hard work, the client achieved $200,000 in production savings and prevented $100,000 in fines due to not being able to report waste. IMPACT $300,000

CONTRIBUTING RE.ENGINEER Shadrach Stephens BACKGROUND A HVAC manufacturing site was gearing up for a new product line that would impact 50% of their operations. Our team had to create implementation plans for manufacturing cells to ensure a smooth start-up of the new line of products. SOLUTION A previous product start-up in these manufacturing cells was not pre-planned. An excessive amount of production downtime occurred because bill of materials did not match cells, material did not match visual aids, operators had increased travel times, and new equipment/supplies arrived sporadically. A Kaizen project was created to minimize plant downtime as a new product was released to six production units. RESULT Capacity studies, cell layouts, parts/die verifications, visual aids and equipment schedules were performed and evaluated which aided in a reduced setup/cycle times for tooling changeovers by 68% (pre-product line vs. post-product line). IMPACT 68% decrease in cycle time

CONTRIBUTING RE.ENGINEER Martin Stephens Jr. CHALLENGE An automotive manufacturing company was experiencing annual net losses in the millions of dollars due to production part cycle losses related to supplier challenges with bulk materials, assemblies, purchased parts, etc. Out of the 11 facilities, they chose to implement solutions for 1 facility because it was within the span of control of their material planning and logistics expertise. SOLUTION A team of Six Sigma Black Belts and subject matter experts used the DMAIC process to identify the challenges within each commodity. Using regression plots, cause & effect analysis, and capability studies, they identified the causal factors that were contributing to cycle losses; issues with computerized maintenance management system, receiving and shipping practices, returnable dunnage, scrap processing, integrity of records, pilferage, truck shipping/unloading, supplier discrepancies, etc. RESULT After the implementation of the improvements within each commodity code, the facility realized a savings of $581,248. IMPACT Savings of $581,248

CONTRIBUTING RE.ENGINEER Joshua Teekel BACKGROUND Many of us enjoy being able to assign a task to an employee or peer and have them run with it. They get to work on the task at hand and don’t give up until it is complete. This is normally the time we realize the work has been done because they are diligent workers and want to complete the task and make you proud. When the project is done you think to yourself, “job well done” and the employee made it look easy. What we didn’t see: Jacob spent many hours at work and some at home researching the tasks that was given. Jacob may have even missed family time and given up dinner to achieve the task but did it without a hesitation. The task was started, and he made decisions about the job and didn’t need permission or help from a supervisor to do so. All plans and approvals were checked off and after final approval the job started. Jacob communicated with everyone to make sure everyone involved knew the plan and then oversaw the task to make sure everything went through without a snag. Lastly, Jacob mentioned to you that the entire team did an amazing job of making sure everything went well, although deep down he knew he did 95% of the work. You think, how can I find more people like Jacob, so you start doing some research. After looking through Jacob's records, you realize that he has been with the company for many years and has adjusted to multiple different positions. He has had some people that you know are good leaders and some you know that are not so good. Jacob and his family attend all the company outings and makes sure to be at every community outreach program. He has requested a transfer a few times to follow a certain manager throughout his stay with the company, Micah. Isaac has been with the company almost 25 years and has also requested that Jacob work with him on many tasks and big projects. Isaac is a humble leader that leads a lot of training classes within the company and attends all the company outings as well. They appear to have a great working relationship and help each other when they can. SOLUTION Instead of finding good employees, let’s start building them. We implemented a mentor program. We empowered everyone in the company to make decisions. Allowing them to make good decisions and learning opportunities. Company events became more spotlighted and community service came with paid time off. Family Function: If you needed to attend a family event or function, you went only if you told everyone about it when you got back. Accountability was peer reviewed based on behaviors and not production. We all know happy employees are more productive, then why do we only judge production and not happiness. Anyone could ask a question to anyone; we all work together for a common goal and know one is above answering to what they do. Everyone is encouraged to go to leadership academy. Wow, this is something everyone should do!!! RESULT After changing the way we think, we found that we change the way we react. We are hiring less employees, but production and customer service has elevated. We have employees that have really grown, and many have shown the company more than what we believe them to offer. I personally have been reading more than ever about becoming a better leader and mentor. The company culture has changed to a team of servant leaders and business is booming. Jacob has recently become a mentor to Joseph, and you can almost instantly see Joseph's attitude and production increase.

CONTRIBUTING RE.ENGINEER Laquica Patin-Fisher Safe Lily Insurance LLC CHALLENGE A client had to process an insurance claim because water backed into her home and she did not know what to do or how to manage this situation. Since this occurred during the weekend, the agents of Safe Lily Insurance had to utilize their technology to meet the client's needs. SOLUTION Safe Lily Insurance Agency LLC uses several methods of automation which enhances the relationship with their customers and enables them to cultivate a more genuine experience; Their clients receive automatic communications from the corporate office. They have deployed self policy management, i.e., customers can make their own policy changes and create their own certificate of insurance (primarily for clients that run businesses). 2-way text communications. Insurance rates based on your actual driving performance. As a part of their latest technology platform, they are considering chatbots. RESULT The client's claim was filed remotely the same day, the following Monday the adjuster came out to examine the damaged property and by Wednesday, she had her payment in hand for the repairs. IMPACT Depending upon the client's history, on average the Safe Lily saves their clients 30% of their annual insurance rate.

CONTRIBUTING RE.ENGINEER Calvin L. Williams CEO of Impruver Technologies www.impruver.com CHALLENGE World Technology Ingredients (WTI), is a 35-year-old manufacturing company that produces functional wet and dry food ingredients designed to organically extend the shelf life of meat, fish and other consumer food products. As the they were developing their 5 year goals, The WTI organization identified two opportunities for achieving 3x growth; 1) top line sales growth and 2) higher production capacity. They also understood that their growth potential could not be met unless they removed their production constraints. With aggressive growth targets and production constraints limiting the company's ability to meet its goals, WTI needed to figure out how to improve the way it improved. Through this process, they identified their continuous improvement program's three core deficiencies: Lack of skills / expertise. Lack of engagement / support. Inadequate tools / information. SOLUTION The three-dimensional approach called the Impruver Continuous Improvement System, was implemented to address WTI's greatest challenges. A results-based continuous improvement certification program was used to address the problem of lack of skills / expertise. The program was used to systematically build coaching capability among leaders and problem-solving skills throughout the enterprise. A leadership standard work process was used to address the problem of lack of support / engagement and the process engaged people at the right levels in structured Quarterly, Monthly, Weekly, and Daily team-based activities designed to maintain alignment to strategy, drive for results, and sustain progress. ​The Impruver Industry 4.0 software solution was used to address the problem of insufficient tools / information. These powerful tools enabled strategy deployment, root cause analysis, project management, performance tracking, and best practice sharing to occur across the entire organization. RESULT Since WTI started using the Impruver Continuous Improvement System in May of 2019, they have more than doubled their production output with no capital investment. During this time, they have broken several production records, which continues to this day. They have also begun to implement Continuous Improvement enterprise-wide. IMPACT Doubled production output with ZERO capital investment.

CONTRIBUTING RE.ENGINEER Allen Wills TECVINE Founder & CEO www.tecvine.com CHALLENGE National law firm Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney needed a technology refresh for their aging IT hardware. How could they reduce technology costs while immediately upgrading core infrastructure to support their cloud-based applications? SOLUTION TECVINE delivered a comprehensive technology solution, including: Conducting system evaluation & identifying points of redundancy Upgrading equipment and services to include UCAAS, SD-WAN and more in their offices nationwide Installing a Qube ® to encompass all necessary hardware in a single, attractive cabinet Identifying advantageous vendors and completed all negotiations for a single-source solution Qube ® IT as a System (ITaaS) optimized the technology architecture, offering a single-source hardware stack that eliminated the need to juggle multiple vendors or equipment locations: Significantly improved network security Clear communication, diligent project management and a non-disruptive process for their busy firm TECVINE aggregated all circuits under a single carrier, streamlining billing to a single pane of glass RESULT Replaced all firewalls, removing ASR and ISR routers, replacing all switches, and upgrading internet circuits with the addition of an SD-WAN appliance to improve network resilience and increase application uptime. TECVINE slashed SMSM’s costs, with a more convenient, higher performance solution: Best-in-class infrastructure, with Qube ® housing hardware in a pre-configured cabinet Exceeded client cost savings goals, funding upgrade of network hardware years earlier than expected Eliminated billing hassle with a single-source payee for all IT needs Technology solutions designed for sustainability and reduced downtime A scalable, repeatable solution for additional office locations IMPACT The refreshed Unified Communications environment is projected to reduce costs nearly $500,000 over 5 years.

In this age of internet and technology, people are now more confident to try and sell their ideas and hit the road to success. With even the basic skills like knowing how to market products online, people can reach out to the world and showcase their talent. In this feature, we showcase the fact that age doesn't equal business success, and no one knows that more than young entrepreneur Jai Porter! She doesn't need a driver's license or high school diploma to transform her ideas into thriving businesses. Please take a moment to learn more about her venture and how she is inspiring other young entrepreneurs. As I trust in the Lord, I know all things are possible. - Jai Jai is the oldest of four siblings. She attends Mayfair Lab school where she has maintained a 4.0 grade point average and remains on the principle's list. Jai is a member of the Art society, Duke Tip, and Legends Legacy Leaders. Her extracurricular activities include Soccer, playing the Piano and the Viola. She enjoys movies, art and being creative. One day Jai hopes to inspire other kids to do what they love, believe in themselves and never give up. Her mom Jamila Shaw-Bell always says "Learn to lead others, become a legend in your walk and leave a legacy for others to follow". When people ask her who she is, she says, "I’m Just Jai a ten year old girl, silly, smart and full of life". Q: What inspired you to become an entrepreneur? Jai: I wanted to make money by doing something I liked and be able to buy somethings myself instead of using my parents hard earned money. What types of products do you make? Jai: I make mostly abstract painting, glitter art and I’m learning resin art. I also draw cartoon characters. What advice would you give to other kids that are interested in becoming an entrepreneur? Jai: I would tell other kids to find something you love and learn how to make a profit off of it. When business is too much stop and take a breather but never give up. Quitting is not a option. How are you using innovation at home, school or in your business? Jai: I’m in a art club at school, at home I’m watching YouTube and taking online art classes for inspiration. I’m constantly adding on to my art and getting better and wiser with it. What can adults do to encourage kids to live like there is no box? Jai: Adults can encourage you by being positive, by showing encouragement, support and leading by example. My parents show me there is no box by leading by example. My mother and father are both full-time entrepreneurs. What do you like to do for fun? Jai: For fun I ride my bike, hangout with friends, watch TV, play video games, and sketch cartoons. We are not only a supporter of Just Jai but we are a customer (thanks for the Re.engineer themed picture Jai!). By the way, STOP what you are doing and go to her Instagram page to become a customer as well. Jai is an inspiring young entrepreneur that has gifts that will open up a world of possibilities and we respect her as a young leader amongst her peers. Not only is she talented but also 4.0 student! The sky is definitely the limit for her and we are excited to capture this moment as we know she will be a rising future star. Jai, you are a certified Re.engineer! Contact Information: Instagram, @justjai_artist, Email: justjaiartist@gmail.com Pricing Information: 12x24 $25 16x20 $30 24x30 $70 24x48 $100 Custom sizing available by request. O