The Wabtec Performance System (WPS) is a collection of tools and methodologies designed to foster continuous improvements in quality, delivery, cost, productivity and product development. The ideals embodied in WPS, including the constant pursuit of quality, continuous improvement and the elimination of waste, are ingrained in the Wabtec culture and produce meaningful, substantial results. Wabtec aggressively applies a variety of WPS techniques to its business, manufacturing and product development processes throughout the corporation to generate improvements that benefit all stakeholders. The company also offers WPS training to customers.

Some of the tools and techniques in the WPS toolbox include:

Kaizen, which means continuous improvement, is a technique that facilitates immediate, measurable improvements on the shop floor, as well as in the support areas of shipping, engineering and finance. All Wabtec companies are required to hold at least one, three-day "blitz" Kaizen event annually and to conduct ongoing continuous improvement projects year round. Results include optimized use of floor space, labor and equipment; reduced work-in-process inventories; increased inventory turns; and improved safety and quality.

Priority Deployment is a planning and implementation process that focuses the efforts of all employees on achieving major, breakthrough objectives that support the long-term goals of the enterprise.

Statistical Engineering, the foundation of most Six-Sigma programs, is a proven, systematic methodology that targets the root cause of product quality or performance problems that are otherwise difficult to identify and, thus, correct.

Value Stream Mapping is used to study the steps in any given process to identify and eliminate or change those actions that do not add value to the customer. This tool essentially purges bottlenecks and waste from business processes, thereby reducing time and costs. It is particularly valuable in targeting critical processes that would benefit from Kaizen.

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