Griffin\u2019s Food is one of New Zealand\u2019s largest branded food companies, with annual sales over NZ$300 million. Founded in 1864, the biscuits and savory snacks maker employs 800 people nationwide.<\/p>\n
After a major capital investment at its biscuit factory at Papakura, Griffin\u2019s needed to address several variables impacting overall conversion cost. The site was struggling with high waste, high downtime, and planning deficiencies; and overall workflow was not conducive to producing at the lowest possible conversion cost.<\/p>\n
Griffin\u2019s turned to Kepner-Tregoe (KT) for help making rapid and sustainable step change improvements. KT has worked with manufacturing facilities world-wide to achieve dramatic improvements in operational efficiency by resolving issues affecting plant uptime, cycle time and quality. The model used at Griffin\u2019s Foods, was a three-phase process:<\/p>\n
Phase 1:<\/strong> Detailed Analysis and Project Selection. Through a combination of operational data analysis, personnel interviews, plant studies and observations, the potential improvement projects were identified and quantified for financial return. The projects were prioritized to determine the critical few with the biggest return on investment (ROI). KT and the Executive Team selected projects and set an ROI goal of 5:1.<\/p>\n Phase 2:<\/strong> Capability Development and Project Planning. Key project managers and other personnel from Griffin\u2019s completed a KT Problem Solving & Decision Making (PSDM) work session with a heavy emphasis on project application. Using a \u201cLearn and Do\u201d approach to the KT Project Management methodology, Griffin\u2019s Project Managers were able to develop robust project plans.<\/p>\n Phase 3:<\/strong> Project Implementation and Monitoring. The Griffin\u2019s Project Managers and the KT team worked together to strictly follow the tasks of the project plans, successfully completing the necessary systems, process improvements and knowledge transfers needed to achieve the targeted objectives.<\/p>\n KT left us with the skills and practical experience to sustain improvements and effectively implement step change projects ourselves. We now have a highly performing Continuous Improvement Team \u2013 Andy Fuge, Griffin Foods, Operations Manager<\/p><\/blockquote>\n For overall results, Operational Efficiency (OE)\u2014the measure of line performance relative to a theoretical maximum achievable throughput rate\u2014was used to measure success. To achieve an OE of 100%, the line must run at its maximum theoretical throughput rate with zero plant downtime and product waste. At the conclusion of the KT engagement the plant achieved:<\/p>\nResults<\/h3>\n
\n