Learning lean techniques and developing skills in problem solving and effective changeovers helped to identify continuous improvements and increase productivity at Dewar's.
The challenge
During recent years, John Dewar's and Sons Ltd has implemented changes within their management programme. The company recognised that continuing changes and improvements could only be realised through skills development and the engagement of its employees.
The company
Dewar’s is a revered whisky distiller owned by the Bacardi Group. It employs a workforce of over 230 - including 100 operational staff - and has sites in Glasgow and Aberfeldy.
How SMAS helped
Following a SMAS manufacturing review, it was established that there was an opportunity to support Dewar’s as they adopted their parent company, Bacardi's, operating system.
The system resulted in a range of ongoing improvement initiatives being identified. These brought progress in culture, efficiency and profitability within the business. In terms of productivity, recognition of lean and engagement of staff in improvement projects was essential.
To assist, SMAS delivered training to pilot project teams by organising Effective Change workshops. Production teams were then able to correctly identify non-value add activities within operations and bring improvement actions to the fore.
Further workshops designed around Effective Changeover were also delivered, followed by a hands-on study of equipment and changeover practices within the factory. The group was then able to determine what activities were wasteful and non-value added.
Work was subsequently undertaken to suggest improvements that could contribute towards the overall goal of reducing the time taken to change over machines from one process to another.
Outcomes
Dewar's now benefits from training tools that can be used to deliver improvements across the company. Working with SMAS, the project team were quick to grasp the concepts behind problem solving and effective changeovers. These innovations have since been used to great effect within the business.
One important improvement was the use of Lean techniques which have brought benefits to the following areas:
- Machine availability
- Overall equipment effectiveness
- Workspace utilisation
- Working environment
- Customer service
Significantly, the confidence that staff gained allowed them to “make a difference” to areas other than their own business unit. Importantly, the skills delivered matched the development objectives set within Bacardi's operating system - showing the adaptability of SMAS's training programmes.
Production manager Hugh Monkhouse explained:
Our SMAS practitioner was able to teach our project teams about the best practises to facilitate Effective Change and Effective Changeover. These techniques have since been embraced by our workforce to bring continuous improvements across the site. Overall, SMAS assistance has led to a very positive period for the business. Looking forward, we will seek to build on these recent achievements.
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