#InThisTogether: 11 MAY 2020

With everything going on during the COVID-19 crisis, we wanted to share some of the stories about what Cook people are doing during this difficult time. All around the Cook world, we are #InThisTogether, and we would love to hear stories about how you and your coworkers are stepping up to make a difference. If you have a story to share, please email us at BlogEditor@CookMedical.com.

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“It really is a group effort”

By Jon Hancuff, manager, global Editorial Content for Corporate Marketing and Communications

Like most modern companies, Cook Polymer Technology (CPT) in Bloomington uses numbers to guide their business. They can plug an order into an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system and quickly determine the raw materials, numbers of machines, and the number of hours it will take to complete that order.

But all the numbers in the world don’t a mean a thing if a business doesn’t have people who are willing to step up and do the work.

That fact has been driven home during the COVID-19 pandemic. An unprecedented need for Cook’s Critical Care devices has created a significant backorder. CPT is Cook Medical’s biggest supplier and makes components for these important devices.

Rising to the occassion

In late March, Cook Medical sent CPT the list of products that physicians use in ICUs where COVID-19 patients are being treated. Paul Kinder, CPT’s manufacturing operations manager, realized that the list would impact most of his facility’s departments— CPT employs approximately 430 employees between its Bloomington and Canton facilities in which 75% would be working on COVID related components

Then they plugged the order numbers into their ERP, and they quickly identified the challenges ahead.

The lead times, the time between the start of an order to the completion, were really far out—weeks apart. This was not going to be good enough. Working under the specter of COVID-19 meant they needed a quick turnaround. It was evident that an aggressive timeline would need established. Paul held a meeting with his department heads and explained the situation. The call was put out: people needed to rise to the occasion. The department heads went to the production floor with the news.

In true Cook fashion

In true Cook fashion, the response from employees was overwhelming.

The department heads came back to Paul to let him know that people had volunteered to alter their shift times and shift days to the point where CPT could be working 24 hours a day, seven days a week in some areas.

“I didn’t have to request this, they took it upon themselves,” Paul said. “We try not to use the term ‘mandatory’ around here. We know people have personal lives. But it’s times like this when you see that people have really bought into Cook and what we are trying to do for the doctors, nurses, and patients out there. It’s really refreshing. It makes you feel wonderful that your team is doing that—especially if it’s not you telling them to do it. They care, they want to do this.”

Ultimately, numerous employees ended up either altering their shift or logging in extra hours to meet demand. The schedule changes went into effect the first weekend of April and immediately CPT saw an increase in the number of units produced per day.

But shift changes and overtime aren’t the only reasons for the increased output. According to Paul, employees across the board have risen to the challenge.

“It really is a group effort,” he said. “When you think of trying to get these products out, we need the tooling room stepping up to get the tooling ready, you need the maintenance crew onsite to make sure none of the machines break down, and the people we have in here cleaning make sure this place is spotless all of the time. They are all doing their part. It’s been great.”

“We keep telling people that it is a great time to work for Cook,” Paul continued. “In a time of need, the pride that our employees have in what we are doing for people is amazing.”

The backorders caused by the unprecedented need of COVID-19 still exist; but the willingness of CPT’s employees to step up and sacrifice time with their families demonstrates their commitment to helping patients.

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