The Applied Process group of companies is a commercial heat treating company specializing in the Austempering process. We get paid to heat treat people’s parts, but what we really do for a living is help customers convert from one material/process combination to a better, faster, cheaper one. Our laser-like focus on the Austempering process has lead us to healthy market growth in North America and a world-wide network of customers and licensees. It’s easy for a business owner to get so tied up within his/her own business as to lose sight of its performance relative to the rest of the industry. So when external benchmark information is available I am a hungry consumer of it.
Applied Process has been a member of the Metal Treating Institute (MTI) since its incorporation in 1984. The MTI is a network of heat treaters and suppliers to the industry that work together to advance the business and science of heat treatment. MTI heat treat members are the best in the industry. Amongst the activities of the MTI are certain (anonymous) benchmarking activities that allow participating heat treat members to compare things like sales and costs in their business to the industry. So it is with great interest that we were just able to review MTI’s 2012’s Operational Cost Survey (covering calendar year 2011).
My mother always told me not to be prideful, but I have to say that the operational performance of the AP team simply ROCKS. Here are some of the highlights:
-AP people deliver nearly twice the sales per employee as the MTI industry average.
-Due to our manpower efficiency, self-insuring and proper management, our health care plan costs us 28% less than the industry average.
-Our attention to safety and a safe workplace has driven down our workers compensation premium to one-quarter of the industry average (and lost-time accidents are scarce).
-The AP Team’s relentless pursuit of efficiency (year in and year out) has resulted in AP’s energy consumption being 37% LESS than the industry average....with more improvements in store.
-Our commitment to preventive and predictive maintenance allows us to keep our maintenance costs down to about half of the industry average and keeps our equipment running reliably.
-AP’s quality bests the industry average by AN ORDER OF MAGNITUDE. (We speak in single-digit PPM….most of the heat treating industry doesn’t).
Applied Process’ policy is to deliver the highest quality Austempering services available ANYWHERE, on time and at competitive prices. We continually strive to live up to that policy. The AP Team, working with our customers, has built us into a heat treat industry leader and the leading supplier of Austempering services on the planet. Many thanks go to our team and our customers. We will continue our relentless drive for excellence. I’m REALLY proud of our team. I hope my mom will forgive me.