How much paint is enough? At Steelcase Inc. (Grand Rapids, MI), a leading office furniture manufacturer, engineering specifications dictate a minimum millage, or paint thickness, that is needed to meet customer requirements.
Steelcase has traditionally tracked millage based on average paint thickness, without giving major consideration to variation, notes Paul Dzwonek, quality engineer in the company's Office Systems plant in Grand Rapids. As a result, while Steelcase consistently maintained average millage at levels that kept customers happy, the company often applied more paint than was necessary. "Each color has a basic minimum heighting millage that we want to hit, so we would typically put on more to make sure that we hit that minimum customer requirement," Dzwonek explains. The result: significant excess paint costs for Steelcase.