(Rucker & Associates: Raleigh, NC) -- Getting lean can often mean going green. As energy costs continue to rise, company decision makers search for ways to make their organizations more efficient. Rucker & Associates president David Rucker says lean Six Sigma strategies, usually applied to quality and productivity processes in manufacturing organizations, can also be used when considering the electric or nitrogen bill.

“Utility costs can have a significant financial impact on a company’s bottom line,” says Rucker. “For example, a single compressed air leak can cost $12,000 a year—and many companies find up to 50 percent of their compressed air is lost through leaks.”

“One of our clients, Performance Fibers, saved more than $200,000 just by stopping steam leaks,” says Rucker, who has been teaching lean manufacturing and Six Sigma efficiency solutions to companies for more than 30 years. “More often these days, we’re showing companies that not all lean solutions involve high technology.”

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