We’ve all heard the line “practice makes perfect,” but the truth is perfect doesn’t exist. 

In reality, the practice we put in conditions us to be better prepared for whatever might happen. It allows us to spot mistakes quickly and fix them before they become problems. Practice allows people to improve, makes teams more cohesive, and takes companies to greater heights. 

When we talk about what it takes to go above and beyond at Kris-Tech, it often comes down to doing the little things well. But it also means encouraging others to do the same, practicing each day until everything becomes muscle memory. 

February’s Employee of the Month improves KT’s operations in every sense. Their commitment to daily improvement shines through their communication with others, positive attitude, ability to lead others, and dedication to keeping the KT production facility as safe as possible. 

That’s why February’s Employee of the Month winner is Quality Tech Ashley Reid!

Pulling the Andon Cord

Part of supporting high standards is getting everyone on the same page – something Ashley does incredibly well. 

“She always goes above and beyond her normal job duties and responsibilities,” Director of Operations Larry Reed said. “She goes the extra mile by using the Andon board to communicate with the Operations team about reels placed in the quality hold area. This helps with scheduling but also provides insight into potentially late orders. She always has the customer in mind, communicating with the scheduling department to ensure orders are remade to hit on-time delivery metrics.” 

Ashley’s putting her practice to work, changing the production team’s culture from the ground up. She actively works alongside the afternoon production floor team, mentoring the team and staying active on their daily management board.

Safety First

Ashley’s job encompasses much more than keeping Kris-Tech’s high product quality standards. She’s also on the front lines, keeping the team and the company safe. 

“She leads by example by performing Gemba Safety and 5S audits and has started to include the operators in the process,” Reed explained. “During these tasks, she has found multiple safety, quality, and delivery issues that have been resolved due to her dedication and observance of what is happening around her.” 

Reid is almost committed to safety by taking on more than ten monthly inspections across the facility to ensure KT follows quality and safety standards. On top of that, she makes sure issues are added to Andon and corrected as soon as possible.

Celebrating All Our Nominees  

Ashley is February’s Employee of the Month, but she wasn’t the only one to be nominated. We have several great Kris-Tech team members to highlight this month, including: 

Kaley Newport
Joe Gassaway
Robert Atwood 

Two spots filled, only nine more to go! Next month, we’ll add another name to the list of employees running for the prestigious 2024 Employee of the Year award!