MiMfg Magazine
INDUSTRY
22
September 2019
Member
Spotlight
Denise Carlson
DENSO
Member since February 1988 • Employs 4,361 Michigan workers • Learn more at www.densocorp-na.com
Without manufacturing’s creativity, out-of-the-
box thinking and trendsetting technologies, Michigan
would be a far different place. In order for innovation
to thrive, manufacturers need people with different
backgrounds, different perspectives and different
strengths. If people had the same uniformity as
manufacturing’s assembly line, the ability to
innovate would be lost.
“When we talk about diversity and inclusion,
those aren’t buzzwords to us; studies show that
companies with greater diversity & inclusion
(D&I) also have greater diversity of thought. That
can fuel innovation,” explained Denise Carlson,
vice president of DENSO’s North American
Production Innovation Center (NAPIC) and
executive lead for diversity & inclusion.
As a leading Tier 1 automotive parts supplier
since its inception, DENSO is now redefining its
mission, vision and culture to become a global
leader in mobility. To accomplish this, DENSO’s
team needs to have a finger on the pulse of where
the world is headed — including manufacturing as
an industry, the needs of its customer base, new
market opportunities, and technology trends.
“If we are suffering from sameness, we’ll never be
challenged to think differently. We lose that ability
to look to the future and imagine what’s possible,”
said Carlson. “It’s important for all manufacturers
to encourage diversity of thought. When people work
where they feel accepted, it can promote greater
output, better attention to quality and higher
productivity — it really is all wrapped together.”
The journey toward better D&I is a continuing
multi-stage process for Carlson and her team.
Beginning with anonymous engagement surveys
and in-person conversations — and aided by
Denise Carlson and her team at the North American Production
Innovation Center help optimize DENSO’s manufacturing
processes through continuous training and support
third-party consultants — every effort is taken to
ensure employees feel at-ease with the process,
trust they can speak honestly, and understand the
company’s long-term goals.
“When you discuss D&I, it can lead to uncomfort-
able conversations. We rely on anonymity and some
general separation in our advancement of these issues,”
Carlson said. “In some cases, our in-person
conversations occur between a well-trained leader
and employees who don’t report to that leader.”
DENSO also has several cross-functional, internal
organizations that primarily focus on workforce
development, but also uplift D&I more implicitly:
• North American Production Innovation
Center (NAPIC): An underlying support
system for all of DENSO’s North American
production, NAPIC helps to optimize and
align existing skillsets, tools and talent
resources, including identification of specialists
that can be utilized across multiple facilities to
advance enterprise-wide manufacturing
• North Technical Training Center: Located in
Battle Creek, the brand-new, $1.95 million
technical training center acts as an innovation
and training hub for nearly three-quarters of
DENSO’s Michigan talent and employees from
across the company’s North American network
DENSO’s philosophy is that employees are the
heart of its manufacturing business. By providing
training to enhance talent and using cross-functional
organizations, DENSO can increase diversity of
thought and improve the health of the company.
“Advancing a D&I-mentality throughout our
company culture is very important,” Carlson
explained. “My hope is to eventually create a work
environment where diversity and inclusion is no
longer a topic of discussion because it’s ingrained
in our mindset and how we do business.”
Getting there won’t be easy, especially given the
size and scope of DENSO’s global footprint. If
she could give advice to manufacturers looking to
develop a similar mission, Carlson would say not to
wait on this and start while your size is manageable.
“When you get to a certain size, coordinating a
company-wide change becomes much more difficult,”
Carlson acknowledged. “If diversity and inclusion
are important to your business, start planting the
seeds today. That way, as you grow, it becomes as
natural a part of your brand as the products you make.”