An expert at adapting new technologies to solutions that make our customers safer and more productive, Ansell understands like no other company that performance and profitability go hand in hand.

That's why we developed Ansell Guardian®, a cost-savings and profitability improvement process provided as a service to our customers. Putting customers' needs at the forefront of our effort to achieve excellence in safety solutions, the program operates within the following maxims:

• Employee safety can NOT be compromised; Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) cost reductions must be balanced against application and operational safety needs.
• To remain competitive, businesses need new ways to identify and report significant cost reductions in safety related expenditures.
• Price reductions don't actually impact the bottom line; cheap product solutions never save enough money to balance the increased costs of health insurance and injury management.

Delivered by the efficiency experts at Ansell, Guardian® is a framework for rapid, sustainable and improved operational results in seven key practices related to PPE:

• Cost Performance – practices that maximize product performance to meet the requirements of the application (specific work environment)
• Injury Prevention – practices that reduce the risk and cost of employee injuries
• SKU Management – practices that minimize the number of SKU's used
• SKU Standardization – practices to ensure optimal product selection across like job applications, across multiple site locations
• Controls – practices that optimize PPE dispensing, usage, and disposal procedures
• Training – practices that educate employees in proper selection, usage and disposal of PPE products
• Productivity – practices that improve output and eliminate waste

Ansell Guardian® may be implemented within a single manufacturing plant or – with executive management sponsorship – applied as a corporate wide initiative. Based on the DMAIC process of Six Sigma methodology, the process employs five interconnected phases:

1. Analyze
2. Benchmark
3. Improve
4. Measure
5. Commitment

Phase One: Analyze

In the Analyze phase, a project team composed of both Ansell and customer representatives discuss business objectives and safety requirements. Using research, data collection, and best practice surveys, the team identifies areas for operational improvement.

Phase Two: Benchmark

In the Benchmark phase, current performance measures are established as performance baselines. These metrics are used later to quantify process improvements – and savings gained through process and practice improvements, such as improved inventory management and decreased health insurance costs.

Phase Three: Improve

In Phase Three, the team develops an implementation plan for business improvement. Pilot tests, program monitoring and reporting are used to close the gap between the existing and desired level of performance.

Phase Four: Measure

Phase Four quantifies the success of the program against baseline measurements and establishes against baseline measurements and establishes new performance benchmarks for the future. Through staff training and follow up, procedures are established that ensure improvements are maintained over time.

Phase Five: Commitment

The Ansell Guardian® program is not an isolated process or an end result. In fact, it's just the beginning.

Our Commitment to You

As technological advancement spurs evolution in PPE, Ansell is here to provide best-in-class safety solutions, product innovation and industry leadership. We believe our commitment to improving employee safety and increasing operational efficiency is what keeps us ahead of our competition – and you ahead of yours.