The Colfax Business System.

Our unique business-management system guides the way we operate. It is a repeatable, teachable process that allows us to create superior value for our customers, our shareholders, and our associates.

How it works.

The Colfax Business System (CBS) provides the tools, techniques, and values that ensure we are continuously improving our ability to meet or exceed customer requirements each and every day.

Tools.

We identify the right tools to define and solve problems, apply lean practices, promote growth, and improve business operations.

Process.

We drive improvement by applying our core CBS processes, learning from the results, and adapting as needed.

People.

We foster collaboration to build a deep culture of continuous improvement across all our business teams.

Voice-of-customer research.

Each year, Colfax associates in each of our companies develop strategic plans based on customer research. We know listening to our customers is the best way to provide them with the world-class quality, delivery, and growth they require. This voice-of-customer research allows our businesses to have a clear picture of our market realities, our threats, our risks, our opportunities, and ultimately, our path forward.

CBS at work.

ESAB used voice-of-customer research to learn what fabricators were really searching for in a welding helmet before designing one with a look like no other. The huge success of Sentinel^™ is a testament to the way our companies work under the Colfax Business System.

CBS at work.

In 2020, Colfax evaluated the packaging process at our Bogota plant to improve efficiency and safety conditions while meeting daily production demands. After evaluating the use of an operator who used a tool to align electrodes, Colfax improved this process with an automatic device. Colfax also decided to move devices such as printers, computers, and trays closer to the operation areas where they are used, which improved efficiency. Other improvements that were made included the adjustment of pathways to avoid incidents, the removal of exposed anchors in the floor, and the elimination of accumulated product in the electrode inventory line. The results of these enhancements included increased productivity and improvement in ergonomic conditions.

Establishing a foundation for success.

Over time, the Colfax Business System has allowed us to maintain a key focus on our customers, set aggressive targets, and grow organically. The systematic methodology that CBS provides helps ensure we can execute and sustain every business long-term by keeping continuous improvement at the center of everything we do.

Discover what drives us.

Read more about the core components of our vision, the values we hold, and the behaviors that help us keep creating better.

Learn more