American companies concerned with quality look to masters like W. Edwards Deming for ways to improve performance. But unless adequate time is devoted to studying Demings extensive work, managers can become frustrated by the complexity of his ideas. Fellers capsulizes Deming's philosophy and offers new insights to drive companies toward quality transformations.
Dr. Gary Fellers
Statistical Consultant's Vitae
Mission→Education→Books→Typical Jobs→Testimonials→Client List
gpfellers@yahoo.com; 864-639-8004; (Cell: 864-508-2542)
Mission: Training and hands-on guidance, with great efficieny.
Dr. Gary Fellers is a statistical-applications consultant.
Education: PhD - applied statistics.
Books:
Statistical Process Control (SPC) for Continuous Processes
SPC for Practitioners
The Deming Vision
Why Things Go Wrong
Creativity for Leaders
Typical Jobs:All companies differ, so Dr. Fellers will not be a "hammer looking for a nail." Consider the three representative situations below - all related to the question, "What elusive issues impact you the most?"
1.A firm's cost-to-manufacture exceeds the industry norm, and they need to know what techniques might be available to move them to the next level. Yet, they do not want someone to sell them a $200,000 generic, one-fits-all training package. Our initial project: An overview training session - Title: Here's What's Out There.
2.A company has recurring customer complaints, and the resolutions seldom last. Earlier training either didn't take-root, or they did not (or do not) have time to "back-up and punt" - to train enough people too make sure a problem never reoccurs. Dr. Fellers gets for 3-5 days involved to help uncover the root causes. Large-scale, designed experiments might be the answer - especially if upstream variability interacts with downstream unpredictability. Or finding a more responsive quality sampling plan might enable issues to be prevented. Also, there might be a collection of process inputs that will eliminate the problem - one that multiple-regression data-mining can indentify. Other times, cultural issues holding-back progress can be identified. Many clients have recommended him to partners up-the-supply-chain.
3.Someone said knowledge is the only instrument of production not subject to diminishing returns. True or not, some factories want training, and then more training, so they can solve their own problems as they arise. We do all it all: a basic statistical-applications course, an advanced design-of-experiments (DOE) workshop, statistical approaches to process stabilization, SPC, problem-solving tools for ad hoc teams, six-sigma, etc. Customized instruction manuals provided.
TESTIMONIALS
Gary Sams: Manager of Training and Governmental Affairs, Green Bay Packaging,
Inc., Arkansas Kraft Div, 501-354-9279, 501-499-0164 (cell), gsams@gbp.com
"Dr. Fellers taught us how to reduce process variability with statistics. A decade later we're still using his teachings. I do not believe I've seen a better instructor of complicated subjects. And he can elicit buy-in with his many success stories, and keep you entertained with an occasional joke. His being an engineer as well as a master statistician gives him an edge over his competitors. He chases cost savings like no one I've met - with the energy of a twenty year-old."
Dennis McElhannon: Quality Manager, Cryovac Films, Simpsonville, SC; 864-967-1557,DennisMcElhannon@sealedair.com
"This pretty much says it all: Ten years after he finished with our firm, I still call Gary when I have a tough quality issue requiring a quick solution, or when I have a statistics question. He helps for free. People with his level of applied and theoretical expertise are usually egg-heads, but Gary is 'one of the guys.' A true manufacturing guru! His training manuals are superb."
Bill McCoy: Pulp & Paper Manager, Green Bay Packaging, Inc., Arkansas Kraft Div, 501-208-3365, bmccoy@gbp.com
"Our operators loved working with Gary. He has a way of getting "buy-in" from all the players. Also, his intuition about complicated, continuous processes is unparalleled."
Bill Bern: retired, 502-558-6553, wjbern@att.net
"In a corrugated box plant, warped sheets (board) coming off the corrugator is probably the biggest and most elusive problem. Gary's methods gave us a 35% reduction in warp, which resulted in a 15% decline in total-plant scrap. Other than him, few or no consultants have been able to apply statistical process control and improved operating strategies to eliminate this problem - or its many contributing factors. I've used him in about six turn-around situations over a ten-year period, and hope to do so again. He's seen it all!"
Dave Williams: retired & former Blue-Cross Blue-Shield manager,
dewilliams1103@sbcglobal.net
"Dr. Fellers' approach: If it doesn't impact the bottom line within four months, let's find a new project. His diplomacy is remarkable. He provides the missing link."
Joe Count: Senior Consultant, BVM Consulting, 803-341-1465, BVMconsulting@comcast.net
"NBC once aired a nationally televised show titled "NBC White Paper: If Japan Can Do It, Why Can't We?" The guru who was mostly credited with turning around Japan's economy, Edwards Deming, was the interviewee. He recommended that U.S. manufacturers hire a consulting quality-improvement statistician. He also advised them to call the Ford quality office for a list of fifteen. Dr. Gary Fellers' name was on that list. He later consulted with us at Kimberly-Clark and was always available to run our interdepartmental teams when we had a huge issue that needed quick attention. He customizes what others generalize. And he's a master diplomat."
Partial Client List
The group below forms a partial listing of the hundred or more locations where Dr. Fellers worked many days.
Kimberly-Clark, Beech Island, SC, & Jenks, OK; tissue & diapers
Peace River Pulp Mill (Daishowa-Marubeni), Peace River, Alberta, CANADA; bleached pulp
PQ Corporation, Augusta GA ; chemical producer (Spring 2010)
Lyphomed, Grand Island, NY; pharmaceuticals
Xerox, New York, NY ; copiers/customer service
Blue-Cross/Blue-Shield, Little Rock, AR ; health insurance
Smith & Nephew, Columbia, SC; duct tape
Green Bay Packaging, Morrilton, AR & Green Bay, WI; paper makers (fall 2010)
Hillerick & Bradsby, Louisville, KY; the Louisville Slugger baseball bat
Georgia Iron Works, Grovetown, GA; foundry
Green Bay Packaging, Fort Worth, TX & Cincinnati, OH; corrugated containers
W.C. Bradley Co, Columbus, GA; barbeque grilles
Owens-Corning, Aiken, SC; fiberglass insulation
Sonoco Products, Hartsville, SC; paper tubes and cones
Weyerhaeuser Corp boxplants: Cedar Rapids, IA; St. Joseph, MO; Manitowoc, WI; Rockford, IL; Three Rivers, MI; Omaha, NE; Portland, ME; St. Paul, MN; Rochester, NY; White Bear Lake, MN; Amarillo, TX; Valiant, OK; Eugene, OR; Butler, IN; Warren, MI
Thermal Dynamics (formerly Babcox & Wilcox) , Augusta, GA; furnace ceramic insulation
Proctor & Gamble, Augusta, GA; detergent
Monsanto, Augusta, GA; phosphate
Torrington Bearings, Sylvania, GA
Container Corp of America (Now CCA/Smurfit), Shelby, NC; corrugated containers
Lockheed, Burbank, CA; missile components & aircraft
International Paper, El Paso, TX, McAllen, TX, and Dallas, TX; corrugated containers
Container Corp of America (Now CCA/Smurfit), Greensboro, NC; cartons
Murray Biscuit, Augusta, GA; cookies
Englehard, Sandersville, GA; kaolin mining & processing
DSM Chemicals, Augusta, GA; chemical producer
Cryovac (Sealed Air), Simpsonville, SC; food-wrap films
Virkler Corp, Charlotte, NC; chemicals
Inland-Rome, Rome, GA; paper maker
Temple-Inland, Silsby, TX; fine papers
Amercord, Lupton City, GA; steel tire cord
Davey Co, Dowingtown, PA; book backings . . .
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