How Mueller Water Reduced Injuries by 20% and Scrap by 60% with Dozuki

Mueller Water is a leading manufacturer of water and gas distribution products used by municipalities, utilities, and contractors. With more than 3,500 employees and a legacy that spans over 160 years, Mueller’s work supports the safe flow of critical resources to millions.

Mueller operates machining and casting operations. The stakes are high: failure of a single valve or fitting can disrupt service to entire communities.

The Challenge

Safety risks were rising, and critical knowledge was walking out the door.

As Mueller transitioned from its century-old foundry to a modern, state-of-the-art facility, leadership faced more than just a construction project, they were undergoing a massive shift in institutional knowledge.

Many longtime employees, including multi-generational workers, retired during the move, taking decades of hands-on expertise with them. Their replacements were often new to manufacturing and unfamiliar with the risks of working in high-hazard environments, from molten metal to heavy machinery.

Standard work procedures existed but were fragmented. Some lived in Word documents, others in outdated PDFs, and much of it was passed down verbally. The result? Inconsistent training, rising injury potential, and high scrap rates due to variable execution on the floor.

“A robust standard work system was critical to keeping our people injury-free. And Dozuki helped us do that, fast.”
— Riley Kerestes, Plant Manager

The Goal

Mueller saw the facility upgrade as a turning point. With a fresh start, they made a strategic investment in frontline knowledge, choosing Dozuki to document, deliver, and enforce operational standards in high-risk processes.

Tablets were deployed across stations. Video-based training became the new norm. And frontline utility workers were cross-trained to function like "infielders," confidently rotating between roles with clear, on-demand guidance.

To reduce injury risk, the team implemented job aids that placed safety first, directly at the point of use. Onboarding for new hires was completely restructured around repeatable, video-led training, ensuring every employee received consistent guidance from day one. Experienced operators were cross-trained to step confidently into new roles, helping reduce bottlenecks and build workforce resilience.

Mueller didn’t stop at delivery, they focused on validation. Every training interaction included embedded checkpoints and skill validation quizzes, enabling managers to track comprehension and confirm readiness before employees hit the floor.

Beyond formal training, Mueller embraced continuous improvement. They launched quiz-based courses with automatic progress tracking, deployed interactive troubleshooting checklists to support warranty and RMA workflows, and activated the Dozuki commenting features, allowing union employees to contribute to guide development. That feedback loop wasn’t just welcomed, it became a catalyst for trust, ownership, and bottom-up improvement.

The Results

With Dozuki, Mueller was able to drive measurable impact in safety, quality, and training outcomes, without sacrificing production speed:

• 20% reduction in injuries in high-risk zones

• 60% reduction in scrap waste through standardized execution

• Hundreds of operator comments captured, fueling ongoing improvement

“The new workforce is tech-ready, and Dozuki lets us meet them where they are, without compromising safety.”
— Sean Cunningham, Training Lead

What’s Next

Scaling success across the enterprise.

Mueller’s success in Decatur is now serving as a blueprint for expansion. Plans are already underway to roll out Dozuki across additional U.S. sites, covering machining, assembly, and global manufacturing partners.

As their teams grow and evolve, Dozuki continues to support safer, smarter, and more resilient operations, wherever the work happens.