IC Bus Investing $52M in Manufacturing Upgrades, Product Development
The school bus manufacturer upgrades its Tulsa, Oklahoma, plant and implements automotive lean manufacturing practices as it launches new products and technology in the market.
Nicole Schlosser・Former Executive Editor
May 18, 2016
IC Bus has invested about $17 million in upgrades to its Tulsa, Oklahoma, plant, including to the painting process. Here, school buses wait to be painted in the pre-paint work station.
3 min to read
IC Bus has invested about $17 million in upgrades to its Tulsa, Oklahoma, plant, including to the painting process. Here, school buses wait to be painted in the pre-paint work station.
TULSA, Okla. — As it looks ahead to the next 10 years with a continued commitment to efficiency and quality, school bus manufacturer IC Bus has made significant investments in manufacturing practices, advanced technology, and product development.
The school bus manufacturer is investing $52 million over the next three years in its Tulsa-based plant, products, and technology, with a focus on on-time performance, said Trish Reed, vice president and general manager of IC Bus, in an interview at the Tulsa plant.
A sizable portion of that investment — about $17 million — has gone into plant upgrades, which will help to streamline production.
To that end, Chuck Sibley, the plant manager, has adopted some automotive lean manufacturing practices, such as the Andon System, which shows updates on the status of every work station on flat screens to get support to workers; just in time delivery; and storage of parts.
Sibley also identified and eliminated various types of waste, such as defects, overproduction, waiting, non-utilized talent, and excessive processes. To eliminate defects, he redid the steering wheel alignment process, and brought the bump test station outside for a flatter surface to ensure optimal conditions. He also conducted error proofing on each part of the build process. Plant workers now validate every feature on each bus before it leaves the plant. Additionally, to eliminate excessive processes, he changed the order of bus cleaning.
Ad Loading...
About $10 million went to drip rail and bow bender tooling; robot updates; a floor welder; a conveyance system; a pre-delivery inspection process; and pedestrian access. The additional $7 million was spent on improvements to the painting process; seat tie-down expansion; and a chassis line conveyor upgrade for expanded capacity.
The body line can still accommodate 457 workers, but is now split, which allows half of them to keep working in the event of a delay with the buses in the buffer, Sibley explained.
Sibley believes that this implementation of automotive manufacturing techniques at the plant is a first in the school transportation industry.
These upgrades underscore IC Bus’ commitment to the idea that the leader supports the operators, instead of the other way around, he added. In practice, that means that the leader owes the operator a safe work environment; feedback on performance; the right parts on time; appropriate training; recognition and rewards; a way to call for help; and the appropriate tools.
The plant has adopted some automotive lean manufacturing practices, such as the Andon System, which shows updates on the status of every work station on flat screens.
Additionally, a minimum of three workers are trained on each job so that at least one is available to do it at all times, in preparation for workers who may be out sick or on leave or vacation. The plant has a total of 1,400 employees.
The changes come as IC Bus launches its new concept, The Next Stop, which includes several products to be released over the course of the next 10 years. The first wave of aftermarket offerings this fall includes over the air programming (OTA) in addition to OnCommand Connection, its remote vehicle diagnostics system, Reed said.
The OnCommand Connection diagnostics system will help customers decide when they need to take a bus in to the dealership, she explained.
Meanwhile, IC Bus will soon release an accelerator program app for iPad that runs OTA programming for health diagnostics. The app is designed to enhance consistency in the service process.
Stop bidding everything and try a simpler way. Here's how cooperative purchasing can streamline purchases while maintaining compliance. Sourcewell breaks down the process in this episode of The Route, sponsored by IC Bus.
The alternative transportation company expands its services to traditional yellow buses with the launch of a new division focused on helping school districts optimize their routes.
Roberts, 35, serves as the lead IT application engineer for vehicle electrification at First Student, where he helps shape scalable, real-world EV infrastructure to support student transportation.
Swazer, 29, serves as director of transportation at Puyallup School District, where he champions student wellbeing and inspires the next generation of industry leaders.
Dubas, 38, serves as sales manager and safety advocate at IMMI, where she advances school bus occupant protection through industry education, OEM collaboration, and proactive safety policy efforts.
Moore, 32, grew up around the school bus, leading him to the classroom and eventually inspiring high-performing teams while bringing operations in house (twice).
Baran, 38, serves as transportation supervisor at Odyssey Charter School in Delaware, where he leads daily operations with a focus on safety and professional growth.
Maybee, 36, leads transportation operations for Denver Public Schools, where he is advancing equity, efficiency, and cross-department collaboration to improve student access.
Higgins, 38, serves as director of industry engagement at TAT (Truckers Against Trafficking), where she equips school transportation professionals with the tools to recognize and report human trafficking.
