Great Progression in the Hub of Cybersecurity
Company Profile
Haydel’s Game Calls is family owned and operated and is nationally recognized as a leader in the manufacture of the finest quality game calls. Haydel’s founder and his sons are national champion callers, and the majority of Haydel’s employees are both hunters and callers. The most impressive feature of a Haydel’s Game Call is its ability to “blow wet”. This original idea is a major factor in their tremendous success and growth. The current Haydel’s catalog features well over 150 items. Haydel’s has a staff of twelve people, with over forty independent sales representatives located throughout the United States and Canada. Haydel’s products are also sold in Russia, Australia, New Zealand, and throughout Europe. Haydel’s Game Calls products are marketed through catalog sales, dealer/distributor sales, and the Internet. The company’s founder and his sons have been featured on national television programs such as ESPN, Cabin Country, Outdoors in the Heartland, GAR Outdoors, Northwest Hunter, Louisiana Outdoor Adventures, and Outdoor Tips and Tales. Haydel’s constantly seeks feedback from customers, dealers, and sales representatives. This feedback, together with their own experience as hunters and outdoorsmen, helps support commitment to producing the finest game calls available today.
Situation
The initial contact between Haydel’s Game Calls and the MEP of LA was due to Joshua Wheat, MEP of LA Project Manager in the Northwest territory of the state. Wheat contacted Haydel’s for a general Business Assessment of their company and suggested the possibilities of training and project assistance, if needed. During the first meeting, the MEP of LA learned that Haydel’s Game Calls only had seven employees. The company, like many others, had received negative impacts from the pandemic. Haydel’s experienced disruption in their packaging supply chain due to the clamps they use to house their products during shipment. This disruption resulted in a rise in cost of shipping and eventually the company had to seek alternative suppliers. Luckily, the company did receive positive impacts from the pandemic too. Because of COVID-19, activities that could be done in isolation became popular, such as hunting. During this time Haydel’s saw a tremendous increase in their online sales, especially those on the Amazon platform. Before the end of the meeting, a Business Assessment was conducted and collected a few of the following results: Haydel’s internal training process could benefit from a Lean training class, the company had loosely defined job descriptions, and additional structure could result in higher productivity and reduced costs.
Solution
Due to the results from the Business Assessment, representatives from the MEP of LA suggested that the company needed both a LEAN Assessment and a Cybersecurity Training and Assessment. Wynn Landry, Project Manager for the MEP of LA, along with Gordon Marshall and Joshua Wheat attended a meeting at Haydel’s Game Calls to give a general overview of the training to employees Pam, Rod, and Kelly Haydel. During the training, a LEAN walk-thru of the facilities was conducted to make observations on LEAN tools, knowledge levels, and implementation status. Haydel’s is located in Bossier City, which is included in what is known as the “hub of cybersecurity” in the state. The main goal of the Cybersecurity Training and Assessment is to keep sensitive data secure and protect it from theft or attacks. The Cybersecurity Training and Assessment was conducted onsite and will be performed regularly to maintain the health and security of users, devices, networks, and data in the company. Finally, the MEP of LA recommended that Haydel’s Game Calls participate in a “LEAN Six Sigma White Belt Training.” This training covers the basics of Six Sigma and how to apply them in the workplace environment with hands on training exercises. Those who participated in the Six Sigma training received a better understanding of Six Sigma, and were awarded a Six Sigma White Belt Certificate upon completion. Members from Haydel’s attended the training held at the Bossier Parish Community College campus. The class was for the public and a total of three Haydel employees attended and received certificates.
“We are still seeing the benefits from what we learned with this program. I know we will be able to save more money and create more products in the near future with the concepts that we learned and are still learning.”
—Pamela Haydel, Office Manager & Co-Owner
Results
As a result, Haydel’s has witnessed great progression that stemmed from the multiple trainings and assessments. The company has seen positives impacts in areas that include new products, better investments, and an increase in jobs and equipment.
Cost savings
Increased/retained jobs
Increase in New Products
Increase in Equipment
Investment in IT
Savings on Investments