We strive to push the boundaries of our capabilities and manufacturing efficiency; passing on the benefits to our customers by providing high quality, durable and cost-effective assemblies and components.

This requires innovation in our products and our processes and continuous improvement is central to this evolution.

Customers come to G&H because we have innovative products, the ability to offer technologically leading customized solutions, and expertise in photonics engineering and manufacturing; enabling them to innovate.

G&H customers need short lead times, on-time delivery, and quick reaction to demand or design changes, as their customers’ requirements change. This is the impetus behind our investment in continuous improvement across every facet of our business.

In response, we have embarked upon a worldwide deployment of the G&H Operating System which was built to advance lean manufacturing principles in all of our sites.

Our lean manufacturing culture systematically drives customer satisfaction and operational excellence.

The G&H Operating System is built upon a foundation of core principles and processes that we rely on to guide every deployment of lean manufacturing.

True North: “World class begins with everyone, every day” means that all employees are engaged at all times in the improvement process, and in the design and deployment of tools and training.

This results in improvement in flow, reduction in waste, and an increase in output. In this way we better meet, if not exceed, customer needs and expectations.

Three pillars support our lean manufacturing initiative:

Flow: The first tool optimizes continuous flow within order management, manufacturing, and product delivery.

Our empowered workforce: At the center of our company, and our success, is our workforce. We look to our workforce to initiate and sustain these improvements.

Designing in quality: A quality system which relies upon an inspection filter inherently creates waste. Parts which are made right the first time flow through the system directly to the customer.

World class begins with everyone, every day

The five principles of lean thinking begin and end with the customer.

• Know what the customer considers value, and is willing to pay for
• Map the Value Stream, analyzing the wastes that exist within the processes
• Create flow through elimination of errors and waste
• Create pull system responding to customer demands
• Continuously improve in pursuit of perfection

• 6S – Formerly known as 5S + safety, this fundamental methodology is quite simple: sort, straighten, shine, standardize, and sustain.
• Visual management – Enables the teams to see what and how they are doing through visual control charts and other monitoring methods.
• Employee empowerment – Enables our workforce to improve, innovate, and communicate.
• Standards – Standardized work forms the baseline for continuous improvement.
• Waste elimination – G&H focuses on eight deadly wastes: defects, overproduction, waiting, non-value added processing, transportation, inventory excess, motion, and employee-related.
• Problem solving – G&H utilizes four approaches: plan, do, check, act (PDCA); 5-why analysis, fishbone diagrams, and simplified failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA).
• Kaizen – Japanese for “improvement”. Typically Kaizen events are scheduled activities to re-organize, re-arrange, or re-tool production to improve flow.