CAREERS & TRAININ

Lean thirling offers insights ate the production areaL. " ^ ^

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Firms love to learn

Lean techniques are nothing new, but the present climate is generating a much keener interest in them, says Rod Addy
aizen, 5S, BIT. The language of lean training is a little like blending a martial arts class with civU service memos. It's easy to be cynical, but if you're willing to persevere, strip away Ihe jargon and distil it, you'll arrive at principles that save companies thousands of pounds. That's got to merit a closer look, especially in today's wintry economic climate. Yep, lean, which at its most straightforward is about eliminating as much flabby inefficiency as possible, is taking off right now. But. .Itistine Fosh, director of the National Skills Academy (NSA) for Food & Drink Manufaciture reckons there's more to il than just the economy. "I don't thijik it's just dowii to the recession - it's partly down to the consolidation that's been

happening in the industry. There's only so far you can take things before it becomes about driving value in the companies purchased," It's not Just the small to medium-sized businesses that are catching on. Lean specialist Business Impact UK's cents include everyone from General Mills lo (reencore. Fosh quickly dismisses the misconception that firms with the most complex production processes benefit the most from lean thinking, "In one example I know of, a company that slices and dices leeks - you would have thought you can't get less complicated than that - saved 5150,000. Don't be put off lean because you don't have the classic manufacturing profile." So what, exactly, ai-e some popular areas of Iran training, and how does it v^ork in practice?

Loads of examples revolve around how do you do a changeover, where is there downtime or wastage?

"The main areas that tend to benefit from lean are engineering ;ind automation," says Melvyn Parr, o]ierations director for the southern region at Business Impact UK. Often this revolves around whether companies are using the best kit for a job or are operatii\g it at optimal levels. In fact, Fosh says lean boosts the whole production process, "There are benefits around how raw materials come in and the logistics at the other end, but 80% are around how (;oinpanies operate tlie production area. "Loads of examples revolve around changeovers - how do you do a changeover, where is there downtime or wastage?" Parr says: "There are many styles of leaji,5iS for food is key, wlch is about making sure the working environment is clean, everytiiing has its place and waste is removed." The acronym is derived from Japanese words, translated into English as Sort, Set, Shine, Standardisation and Sustain, The tirst stage. Sort, determines the optimum operating layout. The second stage implements it, the third cleans up the area, on the basis that a shiny workplace encoui'ages better working. The fourt.h stage ensures systems are in place to keep up the first three steps and the last step concerns the discipline of sustaining the other stages.
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62 March 2009 FOOD manufacture

CAREERS & TRAINING

REASEHEATH EXPANDS SERVICES FOR PROCESSORS
Reasebeath College, Chesbire, is beefing up services for processors in nortb west England, having applied for funding through the North West Regional Development Agency (NWRDA) to build a 'business incubator unit'. Derek Allen, food commercial manager at Reaseheatb, says the cash could either be used to build development kitchens or - more likely - a miniature processing plant. The facilities could then be used by small start-up businesses, farm businesses looking to diversify or larger businesses exploring different processing techniques. "What's missing in the public sector is the ability to make small production batcbes, for example, for test marketing, " says Allen. He says larger businesses often found this too disruptive to their standard production runs and not vtforth their time. The college is also working with tbe NWRDA to set up a Food & Enterprise Hub, for which 1M has been allocated over three years. The hub will look particularly at technology transfer and innovation projects. A further scheme concerns setting up a body linking food processors to training providers with the rigbt facilities for their food science and technical projects. Reaseheatb College, Chester University, Liverpool John Moores and the University of Central Lancasbire are involved, aiming to team up to form Food Science & Technical Solutions. "We're trying to place projects businesses want done with the most appropriate institution and are developing a framework that would enable us t o d o that," says Allen. Commercial tie-ups could include anything from product development and reformulation to testing new processing methods. For example, says Allen, Reaseheath bad advanced steam infusion facilities for treating milk and dairy firms have already expressed an interest in using this equipment. "We're cJoing a lot of ingredients application work, including trials for firms pursuing bealtb and nutrition claims." The college, whicb is the dairy cbampion within the National Skills Academy for Food & Drink Manufacture, is already involved in product development with companies ranging from Robert Wiseman Dairies to HJ Heinz. Allen says he expects Food Science & Technical Solutions to be launched in the early part of this year, pending further meetings between those involved. Reasebeatb was ranked as 'outstanding' in ail criteria at its last Office for Standards In Education, Children's Services and Skills (OFSTED) inspertion. It has also been declared a Beacon College for offering outstanding teacbing and learning.

"i^rocess tlow - the way products are taken through the line - is always key," adds Parr. He gives one example where workers were constantly having to walk back and fort.h through one production area to take products to a door. Moving the door to a more logical place m ie production process stopped tliis from happening. "It cost S800 to move the door, but the time saved trimmed off S15,000S16,000ayear." Kaizen is literally translated from the Japanese 'change' and 'good'. It's a form of continuous improvement that aims to encourage groups from different stages of production, sometimes even from different industries, Lo collaborate, offering fresh perspectives to solve problems. The hope is also that by involving everyone in the production process, employees are empowered by taking ownership for the part they play. True, all the fancy terms amount to is common sense and the ideal of how every business should be operating. Nevertheless, the strength of so much lean training lies in the fresh, objective perspective and the level of detailed analysis it provides. NaturaUy, deci.sion makers will be concerned about the money and time lean training involves,
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In the first, instance, Fosh says: "One of the complications larger companies [operating in sites across the UK] come across is that most fundijig is dispersed on a regional basis. We will work with the company and the traiiiing provic 1er to identiiy hmding streams. Potentially up to 100% ' some types of training is subsidised." Among its vride portfolio of courses. Business Impact UK specialises in Business Improvement Techniques (BIT) Level II NVQs, which are fully funded through the government's Train to Gain programme. A surprisingly small amount of staff time is involved, given the returns. Business Impact UK, for example, takes groups of 12 through 16 hours of lean tecluques in a format to suit them, possibly two eight hour sessions or

We will work to identify funding streams. Potentially np to 100% of some types of training is subsidised

four four hour ones. In this way it ha.s recently dealt with more than 100 staff at two Bernard Matthews processing sites. In the process it has tackled everyt.hing from reducing weigh check times by relocating layout and check stations to redesigning a packaging macfiine spindle to stop slipping and wasted material. "We take groups through three projects linked to what they want to look at, such as the causes of machine down time," says Parr. "You're talking about five days in total, but that could be stretched over 12 weeks," Levels of administration are kept to a minimum. "People hear the words NVQ or training and tJiink, 'oh my god, what about, all the paperwork?' What we do is very hands on." As Food Manufacture went to press, the NSA published 'Lean Times Call for Lean Solutions', providing an overview of lean concepts for businesses. Given all the hype, it would be perverse not to review the literature. The NSA is directly linked to three major lean training providers, Peter Rowley in Grimsby, CQM Training & Consultancy in Sheffield and Industry Forum in Birmingtiam. The NSA website, http://www,foodanddrink. nfacademy, co.uk, provides a detailed list of lean courses available from these and other consultancies and providers, FM
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