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The Best Factory Awards
celebrating
manufacturing
excellence
PARK LANE SHERATON, PICCADILLY, LONDON
●
30 SEPTEMBER 2011
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Contents
Introduction
3
Cranfield School of Management’s Dr Marek
Szwejczewski says this year’s high achievers are fuelling
the manufacturing sector’s resurgence
CareFusion
23
This specialist manufacturer of infusion technologies is
ably demonstrating its fitness credentials among UK
factories, proving itself a very healthy specimen indeed
Foreword
4
No guts no glory, says Works Management’s Max Gosney
as he applauds the winners and urges others to take this
opportunity to measure up against the competition
CooperVision
25
With innovation, investment and management prowess,
anything is possible, as this south coast manufacturer of
contact lenses is proving
Sponsors
H C Starck
27
This Wiltshire-based manufacturer of ultra-flat discs for
semiconductor applications is insulating itself from the
competition with its unstinting drive for improvement
4-5
Parker Hannifin Manufacturing
7
From products to people and service to strategy, this is a
high performance plant in every sense. The pride of those
that work here filters through everything they do
Fujifilm Speciality Ink Systems
13
Faced with a market in terminal decline, this site
developed new opportunities and is ensuring long-term
success through a sharp focus on quality
Carl Zeiss NTS
15
With the move to an economy based on high value
manufacturing, this site shows just what excellence
looks like – a benchmark from which others can learn
Camfil Farr
17
Few factories can product standard and non-standard
products with equal speed and quality. This plant does it
every day, thanks to superb engineering skills
Aimia Foods
19
The best just got better. It was pretty good in 2008 when
it won two awards. Today it’s three – a tribute to the
meteoric progress of this factory that refuses to stand still
Barfoots of Botley
21
With a newly constructed anaerobic digestion plant,
green waste is a thing of the past at Europe’s largest
processor and packer of fresh sweetcorn products
Brüel & Kjaer VTS
29
This factory in home counties Hertfordshire certainly has
the X-Factor and is, you might say, shake, rattle and
rolling all over the world
Arla Foods UK
30
Many companies claim they put their customers first –
few have been challenged like this plant, or won through
against such odds
ConvaTec
31
Here is a site that’s driving change deep into every
aspect of its operation and using lean to reinvent itself as
the manufacturing showcase of the future
Gurit
32
A short ferry ride to the Isle of Wight finds this composite
materials producer that’s oceans apart from its
competitors thanks to quality products and quality people
Robert Bion & Co
33
A special process – perforating – and a special company
make for a worthy highly commended in this year’s
Judges’ Special Award
The Awards
34
Published by Findlay Media, Hawley Mill, Hawley Road, Dartford, Kent DA2 7TJ T: 01322 221144 www.findlay.co.uk
Editor: Laura Cork Winners’ stories: Max Gosney, Annie Gregory, Ken Hurst and Steed Webzell
Photography: Jon Arnold, Charlie Milligan and Dean Smith
2-BFA
www.bestfactoryawards.co.uk
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BEST FACTORY AWARDS
Introduction
A win-win situation
Dr Marek Szwejczewski says UK manufacturing’s resurgence is being fuelled by the
factories we see today – the winners of the 2011 Best Factory Awards
M
anufacturing’s importance is yet again being
and waste. The experience of the managers points to the
recognised as the need to rebalance the
fact that recycling is not a cost burden, but in fact the
economy hits the headlines; making products is back in
opposite: if an organisation focuses on recycling, it can
fashion. Now is a good time to recognise excellence in
actually make money from this activity.
this country – and we find it in abundance in the UK’s
best factories.
This year’s shortlisted companies are continuing to
As we have seen in the past, and again this year,
investing in the people and the process yields significant
results. Investment in automation leads to increased
improve and grow in what has been another difficult
productivity and improved quality. Several of the winners
year. They compete in tough markets, many exporting
attest to the importance of continuing to invest, even
products across the globe.
when times appear uncertain. If the emphasis of these
Reviewing this year’s winners, it is possible to see
factories on investment is a reflection of the wider
some common traits and trends. As in previous years,
manufacturing sector, then it bodes well for UK plc.
they have a clear manufacturing strategy, which is
The finest factories have continued to invest in their
cascaded down the organisation to the factory floor. The
employees and they have benefited from taking up NVQ
winners are customer focused, they listen to the voice of
qualifications. They have also upgraded the skills of their
the customer and have a good understanding of the
employees with specialist training.
market and the competition.
In the winning sites, we found that the traditional
The factories have successfully introduced lean
management style was absent – instead, the managers
manufacturing and some are also adopting Six Sigma.
have a different approach. They are shopfloor focused
The combination of the variability reduction tools from
and customer focused, with an emphasis on people and
the latter, with the waste elimination approach of lean,
a commitment to continuous improvement. They also
has improved quality, generated material cost savings
have a good understanding of modern management
and improved productivity – with the resultant positive
philosophies and techniques, so can lead or support
effect on the bottom line.
improvement activities. They have an influential role in
There has been a fear that the purchase of a UK
creating a climate that ensures greater employee
manufacturer by a foreign company means the closure of
participation – ensuring everyone uses their brain as well
UK-based factories. However, that is not always the case
as their hands.
in reality, as a number of the Best Factory Award finalists
As always, the Best Factory Award winners are
illustrate. Several have been purchased by foreign
placing a strong emphasis on continuous improvement
companies and, through the efforts of their management
(CI), which is an integral part of the manufacturing
and workforce, have become exemplars against which
strategy. Employees are trained in CI techniques and
sister plants are compared.
encouraged by managers to make suggestions for
Several of this year’s winners also demonstrate that it
is possible to turn around a manufacturing business
through the pursuit of operational excellence. Adopting
improvement – and, just as important, to become
involved in developing the solutions.
The winning factories show that manufacturing
lean, empowering the workforce and pursuing
excellence is achieved through strong leadership, hands-
continuous improvement – not brutal, unfocused cost
on management, introduction of lean, commitment to
cutting – is the intelligent option.
continuous improvement, investment in automation and
One message that emerges from visiting the
shortlisted companies this year is that you can
new technology, investment in training and increasing
the involvement of everybody in the organisation.
manufacture products in the UK and make a healthy
profit. In fact, several of the plants have been able to
attract production to our shores, because of the
improvements they have made which, in turn, boost their
competitive position.
The best factories are concerned about
environmental issues, notably the management of energy
www.bestfactoryawards.co.uk
Dr Marek Szwejczewski
Director, Best Factory Awards
Cranfield School of Management
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Foreword
Stand up
and be counted
Toyota Material Handling is very proud
to be sponsoring the Best Factory
Awards. Home to the world’s
bestselling Toyota counterbalance and
BT warehouse trucks, we offer a single
There’s no doubt that it takes determination and guts to measure your factory
against those of your rivals, but you have to be in it to win it, says Max Gosney
point of contact for all your materials
handling needs. Whatever your size of
business, from a single truck user to
some of the biggest names in
manufacturing, we have the product
and support services to be a strong
W
So how would the
e may be applauding 14 award-winning factories, but
class of 2011 match up
there are 15 winners. Team UK Manufacturing once
business partner.
As a direct organisation Toyota is
again scoops the bonus prize this year, as it has done at
to the first winners in
able to offer unrivalled levels of
every staging of the Best Factory Awards since 1992.
1992? Well, they have
support, consisting of world-class
more in common than
products, fleet management, short-
study. The bonus prize is pure prestige. And these awards
you might think. A look
term rental, operator training, genuine
offer that in droves to a sector short of confidence on the
at the 1992 stories
parts and unbeatable sales and service
national stage.
shows manufacturers
support tailored to your business
fixated on driving up
needs.
There’s no trophy, no inscription and no benchmarking
Leaf through this awards brochure and it’s impossible not
to feel a warm glow. Our winners’ stories demonstrate
product quality,
intense professionalism, guile and downright determination.
investing in skills and
Success has not come without trials and tribulations. Many
working collaboratively
with the shopfloor on
have faced closure, redundancy or relocation. Yet those
factories and their teams refused to quit in their darkest
continuous improvement. Of course, today’s factories would
hours. Instead, adversity became the launch pad for
have far more advanced ERP systems and other technology
spectacular improvement journeys that have taken them all
to help them schedule production and workforce
the way to the Best Factory Awards rostrum.
management. And our class of 2011 would also be able to
These awards mean such stories go beyond the factory
gates and, through the work of Works Management and
Cranfield School of Management, into the newsrooms of
www.toyota-forklifts.co.uk
call on a mature understanding of 5S, Six Sigma and other
lean methodologies.
But at heart what makes a winning factory is the same
IOSH was founded in 1945 and is the
only chartered body for health and
the national press and corridors of Westminster. The
now as it was then. A clear strategic vision championed by
safety practitioners. With more than
process helps boost the reputation of UK manufacturing
middle management and enhanced by everyone on the
39,000 members, we’re the world’s
among the powers that be. All the signs are the message is
shopfloor through kaizen. It’s fascinating how many of the
largest health and safety professional
starting to sink in, with policymakers and the media making
awards in the early years praised finalists for fostering “good,
membership organisation. We are the
gushing statements about manufacturing over the past 18
motivated, involved people” or “good management, to give
guardian of health and safety
months.
direction, devise strategies and provide vision”.
professional competence and the
And about time, too. If M&S, Tesco or JD Wetherspoon
Another interesting trait of champions is the confidence to
‘voice’ of common sense in health and
had pulled off some of the feats of these Best Factory
benchmark. Measuring your business against those of your
safety. IOSH is a registered charity and
winners, we’d be erecting busts of their CEOs in Parliament
rivals is not an easy decision. It’s nervy and potentially
the first European safety body to be
Square.
demotivating to discover you’re not as good as others in your
awarded non-governmental
This year’s awards mark a significant milestone for our
field, or you weren’t quite good enough to reach the Best
organisation status by the International
sector. It’s the 20th staging of the Best Factory Awards and a
Factory final shortlist. However, everyone who takes the
Labour Organisation. With over 13,000
quick flick through the annals reveals two decades worth of
plunge is a winner. At the very least, it gives you a reference
chartered safety and health
trailblazing British factories.
point for some serious improvement activity. No guts, no glory.
practitioners, we have more certified
The anniversary throws up an interesting debate about
In contrast, all those who opt out lose out. So, to all the
health and safety professionals than
how this year’s winners might compare to those of
armchair experts who believe their factory can beat this
any other organisation. As a chartered
yesteryear. Certainly it’s a favourite game in the sporting
year’s crop of winners, we say get up and prove it in 2012.
body, we significantly influence the
world, where pundits muse on pitting the current Barcelona
direction of health and safety policy,
stars against Busby’s Babes, or England’s all-conquering
Max Gosney
both in the UK and internationally.
cricketers against Viv Richards’ West Indies.
Editor, Works Management
www.iosh.co.uk
4-BFA
www.bestfactoryawards.co.uk
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BEST FACTORY AWARDS
Sponsors
Works Management and Cranfield School of Management greatly appreciate the
support of the sponsors of the Best Factory Awards 2011
This year, ABB is the proud sponsor of
The root causes of nine out of 10
DHL Supply Chain is delighted to be
EAL is the specialist employer-
the Energy and Environment category
operational problems are due to gaps
sponsoring the Supply Chain
recognised awarding organisation
of the Best Factory Awards.
in the fabric of management. This
Award. We offer a full range of supply
providing a flexible range of industry
means that 90% of the issues that
chain solutions and understand the
qualifications suitable for the
Discrete Automation and Motion
constrain quality, cost and delivery
unique logistics challenges posed by an
engineering, manufacturing, building
business, which provides products,
performance (the hidden factory) are
ever-changing manufacturing landscape.
services and related sectors.
solutions and related services that
within the grasp of the management
We support customers at each stage,
increase industrial productivity and
team.
such as raw materials management,
with the Best Factory Awards, as
manufacturing, warehousing and
proud sponsor of the Skills
distribution, including reverse logistics.
Development Award.
This category symbolises ABB’s
energy efficiency. Its motors,
We work with you to identify the
EAL is delighted to be involved
generators, drives, programmable logic
full potential of your operations, align
controllers (PLCs), power electronics
priorities with business drivers and
and robotics provide power, motion
develop a route map to build on
enables customers to manage their
Programme, EAL has a tradition of
and control for a wide range of
existing good practices and deliver the
supply chain efficiently with complete
supporting causes that highlight the
automation applications. The leading
full potential of your operations.
visibility. Our processes, technology and
importance of skills as a contribution
people drive cost and capital out of
to manufacturing success. Contact
position in wind generators and a
Contact us today to find out how
Our global scale and local insight
Through its Industry Support
growing offering in solar and marine
we can help you to accelerate the
customers operations and by working
EAL for more information on how you
renewables complement the industrial
gains from your lean, TPM or Six Sigma
with our customers we help them
could benefit.
focus, leveraging joint technology,
improvement programme.
achieve their business objectives of cost
channels and operations platforms.
control, improved productivity and
customer satisfaction.
www.dhl.co.uk/en/logistics/
www.abb.co.uk/energy
www.dakconsulting.co.uk
industry_sector_solutions
www.eal.org.uk
With customers in over 50 countries
PP Business Improvement is the former
Schaeffler UK is a proud sponsor of this
We’re always looking for new ways to
and recognised as a thought leader and
training arm of multi-award winning PP
year’s Best Process Plant category and
help protect manufacturers. As a leading
innovator in workforce management,
Electrical Systems, now spun out as a
congratulates all the finalists.
UK corporate insurer, we work closely
Kronos has unrivalled reach with more
separate business.
than 30 million people using a Kronos
PP Business Improvement helps
Schaeffler produces precision rotary,
with brokers and their customers to
linear and plain bearings for all major
share knowledge, anticipate trends and
solution every day including Caterpillar,
businesses to uncover the things that
industrial sectors, and engine
provide the best possible insurance
Coca-Cola, Cadbury, Hozelock,
stand in the way of their productivity
components and systems for the
solutions to the manufacturing sector.
Kellogg’s, Nestlé and Vaillant Group.
and profitability, giving them the tools
automotive industry. Employing over
We’ve been helping to protect
and techniques to change. We work with
70,000 people in 180 locations around
manufacturing companies against risk
workforce performance by closely
major names and small companies alike
the world, the Schaeffler Group prides
for over 135 years.
aligning labour resources with
to raise their performance to a new
itself on its manufacturing expertise,
customer demand, and by collecting
level. Unlike conventional consultancy,
with process positioned firmly at the
changing rapidly and with
accurate real-time shopfloor activity
we don’t use one-size-fits-all training.
heart of the business. Its Industrial
manufacturers vulnerable to increasing
data to deliver improvements in
Instead, we give people the specific
Aftermarket division actively supports
regulations, our insight helps you to
productivity and quality. Kronos helps
technical, analytical and managerial
manufacturers to improve machine
understand current and emerging risks
you take control of employee absences
skills their own organisation needs to
availability, minimise plant downtime
so you can better safeguard your
and leave, typically reducing
grow. This approach helps the entire
and cut maintenance costs by offering
business. Benefit from manufacturing-
unscheduled absence by more than
workforce develop the confidence and
maintenance products and condition
specific protection including: expert
30%, and provides up-to-the minute
attitudes to actively seek improvement
monitoring equipment and services
strategic and operational risk
unit labour costings to effectively
in every aspect of the business for
designed specifically to achieve
management; supply chain insurance;
manage margins and productivity.
themselves.
operational excellence.
and advice on mergers and acquisitions.
www.kronos.co.uk
www.ppbusinessimprovement.com
www.schaeffler.co.uk
www.zurich.co.uk/expertise
Kronos for Manufacturing optimises
www.bestfactoryawards.co.uk
In a complicated industry that's
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Toyota Material Handling UK
Headline Sponsor of the Best Factory Awards 2011
Toyota Material Handling is the world’s number one manufacturer of
materials handling equipment. Our renowned Toyota Production System
(TPS) is based on just-in time delivery, quality control and a strong team
culture and is the acknowledged reference among manufacturers.
It is no surprise that Toyota Material Handling UK are proud to be
associated with the Best Factory Awards 2011.
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BEST FACTORY AWARDS
Parker Hannifin Manufacturing
Winner: Toyota Material Handling Factory of the Year 2011 Winner: Best Household & General Products Plant
Journey from good to great
From products to people and service to strategy, this is a high performance plant in every sense.
The pride of those that work at this year’s Best Factory filters through everything they do
“A
ll you need is the plan, the road
map – and the courage to press
on to your destination.” So said that great
US broadcaster and motivator, Earl
Nightingale – and he could have been
speaking about this plant. For years it has
systematically and thoughtfully assembled
the building blocks of lean success; no part
of its business has escaped scrutiny. The
majority of companies claim to have the
vision. But, unlike so many, this plant knows
exactly how that translates into firm goals,
and the actions it has to take to reach
them. No Big Bang, no grandiose claims or
false optimism – instead, a steady record of
solid achievements that have taken it step
by step from good to great. This year’s Best
Factory is Parker Hannifin Manufacturing’s
Domnick Hunter process filtration plant in
Birtley, Tyne and Wear.
Birtley’s business is filtration solutions;
its products are used to keep microbes
away from your yoghurt, filter contact lens
solution, help prevent the spread of
infection in hospitals, remove yeast and
bacteria from sparkling wine and help beer
Called – unsurprisingly – ‘Win’, it focuses on
taste like it’s intended. It serves sectors as
three primary goals: customer service,
diverse as pharmaceuticals, healthcare,
financial performance and profitable
food and beverage and microelectronics,
growth. It provides a set of clear strategies
and numbers major players like Abbott
for meeting those goals through things like
Laboratories, Diageo and Nestlé among its
quality and on-time delivery, value-added
customers.
services, innovative products, strategic
Originally established in the 1960s as
The foundation for achieving them all is the
acquisition until it was acquired itself in
development of empowered employees at
2005 by Parker Hannifin, whose motion and
every level. More of this anon – it is the
control business employs 50,000 people
single most compelling reason for Birtley’s
serving 500,000 customers in 50 countries.
success. All sites conform to the same
Unlike many global players grown by
balanced scorecard, reporting on a monthly
acquisition, Parker does not force square
basis. It is a disciplined and consistent
pegs into round holes; it has a reputation of
framework that has influenced every
fostering entrepreneurship in its
aspect of the corporation.
subsidiaries. It has developed a clear
www.bestfactoryawards.co.uk
procurement and – vitally – lean operation.
Domnick Hunter, it grew through
It obviously works: Parker Hannifin has
strategy that provides the bedrock for
just reported a record year with over 23%
building on each business’s strength and
growth in sales. And, even more to the
individuality while ensuring it is aligned
point, so has Birtley. It has grown its sales
with corporate values and objectives.
by more than five times its target,
»
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sharing
manufacturing excellence
The Best Factory Conference
Chesford Grange, Kenilworth
27-28 March 2012
Headline sponsor:
Sponsored by:
A unique opportunity to fast track your way to higher productivity by
learning how the winners of the 2011 Best Factory Awards transformed
their businesses.
The winning manufacturers in the 2011 Best Factory Awards all showed
how a dedicated approach to continuous improvement and innovation
can achieve amazing results. They succeeded by listening to their
customers, working more closely with their suppliers, innovating their
products and processes, and harnessing the potential of their people.
The Best Factory Conference has been created to share the knowledge,
skills and experience of those winning companies. It is the only event at
which you can hear, in depth and first hand, what strategies, tools and
techniques the winning companies adopted to become the UK’s best
factories.
Whatever the size of your company and whichever manufacturing sector
it operates in, you can only gain from investing two days in this
exceptional conference.
Organised by:
Supported by:
To register your interest and for further details,
call Jackie Hall on 01234 754505
or email jacqueline.hall@cranfield.ac.uk
www.bestfactoryconference.co.uk
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BEST FACTORY AWARDS
Parker Hannifin Manufacturing
Winner: Toyota Material Handling Factory of the Year 2011 Winner: Best Household & General Products Plant
productivity has increased by over 11%, it
opportunities to improve them and to drive
has reduced inventory by 10% over two
down costs. It even has a team that will
years (having already been chipping away at
write end-users’ own standard operating
it since 2005) and customer service levels
procedures for cleaning its filtration systems.
stand at 94.2%. Operations manager David
Pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals
Coatsworth believes the Win strategy was
make up a large percentage of its customer
transformational: “We would be in an entirely
base. So it has invested heavily in clean
different place without it.” Take the goal of
room manufacturing as well as in
customer service: it translates into action at
laboratories and support teams. A lot of its
so many levels. For example, it prompted the
equipment has been custom-built, especially
building of a road map for increasing
in test areas, supporting innovation and
differentiation in its new products. The
competitive edge. It even works to GMP
division also remapped its core markets to
(good manufacturing practice) standards
address customer requirements more
itself, providing customers with pre-validated
directly. And the focus on bringing more
filtration systems and partnering them in
value to the customer actually changed its
developing their own process validation
nature: “We used to have a lot of engineers.
strategies. Four pharma and three drinks
bigger factory, or a high rise or to go lean.
Now we have a lot of microbiologists and
companies brought senior management
This early experience explains why the plant
chemists because that’s our market,” says
teams to the plant to examine its success in
was so keen to accelerate its lean adoption.
Mike Brailsford, divisional general manager.
marrying GMP to lean processes like single
“We don’t do lean to get rid of people,”
piece flow – a challenge which much of this
exclaims Coatsworth. “It’s all about
the extra mile does. Take just one example:
sector still maintains is impossible. “It can be
improving processes and making
an insulin manufacturer with production
done,” says Coatsworth, “but you have to
opportunities for growth.”
issues for this life-saving hormone. A
take your head off and put it back
competitor said: “Here are our products, try
differently.”
Cheap doesn’t win in this market: going
a few.” Birtley sent scientists in, then
It is, however, in its adoption of lean that
Parker operates an unambiguous
assessment of its plants’ lean journeys
although each is free to move at its own
produced a fully validated solution within
Birtley really stands shoulder to shoulder
pace. The scale runs from absence of lean
five months. It subsequently became part of
with the best. It had already laid the
(level 0) to approaching world class (level 5).
its core range. Parker is committed to
foundations before it joined Parker Hannifin
Birtley started redesigning its own processes
working with customers to understand
when new products, long runs and a major
in 2008, moving to cell-based manufacturing.
what’s driving their business. By taking this
hike in inventory levels left it bursting at the
It introduced the concept of value streams
fully on board, Birtley adds value to its
seams. Operations manager David Smith
which act as mini-business units, each with
products while also spotting early
recalls pointing out they either needed a
their own targets and plans for achieving
www.bestfactoryawards.co.uk
»
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Continuous improvement for UK manufacturing
WMMC 2011 offers a unique learning experience combining case studies, factory visits and workshops
all designed for organisations keen to learn about and implement continuous improvement techniques
One event.
Two days.
Three ways to learn.
• Listen to leading manufacturing case studies
• Visit exceptional factories to see the theory in action
• Learn from experience in workshop sessions
Confirmed programme details include:
Keynote Speaker:
Grant McPherson,
plant manager, Jaguar Land Rover
Factory tour
Case studies from:
Aston Martin
Gaydon
CI Workshops facilitated by:
Factory tour
All inclusive price £595 per person
Britvic
Rugby
Factory tour
Jaguar Land Rover
Castle Bromwich
Partners
Cummins Power Generation
Eaton Group
Gestamp UK
DAK Consulting
Oneflow
For full programme details and booking visit:
www.wmmc.co.uk
sora
Factory tour places are strictly limited. Delegates can indicate
preference at time of booking. Places allocated on first come,
first served basis.
G ROUP
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BEST FACTORY AWARDS
Parker Hannifin Manufacturing
Winner: Toyota Material Handling Factory of the Year 2011 Winner: Best Household & General Products Plant
them. They unite mainstream production
to ensure that quality checks are performed
with traditionally separate functions like QA
and standards are maintained. The boards
laboratories, which also report to a value
are audited weekly and it is a powerful aid
stream manager. Maintenance technicians,
in keeping everyone in tune with the
too, work in the cells as part of the team.
factory’s performance.
Planners work within the shopfloor team to
None of this could have happened
decide product flow, pull materials, fill the
without what is probably Birtley’s greatest
heijunka box and deploy operators.
strength: its high performance work teams
Assembly and packing happens entirely
(HPWTs). Birtley’s credo is clear: it looks to
within the cell.
create an environment where everyone can
By 2009, two of its three manufacturing
work semi-autonomously, with the
value streams had reached level 3 on the
responsibility and authority to make
lean journey assessment (results becoming
decisions for their teams and their jobs, and
visible) and by the start of 2010 were at
who actively seek to play their part in the
level 4 (results at most levels). It is
drive for greater productivity and efficiency.
evident across the entire plant. Value
exceptionally rapid progress. The focus is
Like everything else at Birtley, the HPWT
stream teams now actually write their own
now on one which started later but will
programme has been handled
charters, deciding on the behaviours they
benefit from the experience already gained.
systematically and considerately, with a
value in themselves and their colleagues.
The whole process is tightly monitored
steering committee setting clear goals and
The results have been dramatic – a
through clear, visual management and
regular measures for achieving them. It has
project on the pleating process upped
weekly team reviews which set priorities
taken an enormous training effort in
productivity by 32% and improved
for constant improvement activity. A weekly
everything from basic culture and
downtime by a mighty 54%. Walking round
summary is issued for the entire business,
behaviours to new problem-solving
Birtley is a real pleasure. People don’t just
broken down into value streams, giving a
techniques. Team leaders have had to
look you in the eyes – they almost grab you
profit and loss account for each, scrap
develop a whole new range of coaching
by the lapels to show you what they are
figures and total utilised hours. Birtley also
and mentoring skills to foster the culture of
doing. It is the surest sign of the success of
uses kamishibai boards as a visual control
engagement and active participation that is
a remarkable plant and a worthy winner. ■
www.bestfactoryawards.co.uk
BFA-11
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Health Check
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BEST FACTORY AWARDS
Fujifilm Speciality Ink Systems
Winner: Best Process Plant
Print quality
Faced with a market in terminal decline, this Kent coast factory developed new opportunities
and new customers. The site is ensuring its long-term success through a sharp focus on quality
I
f Charles Darwin was present at this
digital, which has very strict viscosity
year’s Best Factory Awards ceremony, he
control.” Fujifilm had to go back to the
would be cheering to the rafters when
Fujifilm Speciality Ink Systems collects the
drawing board on quality control.
The site drafted in Yoshi Sata, a Fujifilm
Best Process Plant award. This Broadstairs
quality guru, who focused the team on
factory epitomises Darwin’s theory that
boosting right first time (RFT), which stood
survival is achieved by those who respond
at just 40% for the analogue ink
best to change.
manufacturing process. The site also used
The site was merrily producing
commercial screen ink products used on
CDs, T-shirts and billboard posters as it had
Kepner Tregoe, a data-driven problem
solving tool, to help it drive up quality.
New mixing machines and barcoding
done for 40 years when the world changed
helped ensure adherence to tight
in 2005, explains Colin Boughton,
specifications. “Our previous formulations
operations director. “Digital was still in low
were on a page of A4 and said things like
volumes at that time, but we started to
‘add ingredient slowly by
realise that it wouldn’t remain a niche area
stirring’,” reflects Boughton. The
for long. Analogue ink was struggling; digital
prescription is more like a novel
was the commercial print material of the
now, he says: “It lists the
future.”
amount of material to use, the
The plant had to face up to some stark
RPM for stirring and the number
The leap in
truths about the new medium. With screen
of seconds after which you
ink, Fujifilm supplied large commercial
should turn the stirrer off.”
printers with the ink but also pre-press
Batches are tested rigorously with constant
aided by a 5S programme and visual
products such as cleaning chemicals and
feedback to the teams.
management. The shopfloor is divided into
emulsions. Digital did not involve any pre-
Fujifilm also had to re-educate its key
quality has been
cells around boards displaying RFT data for
press work, so all the printer needed was
suppliers to stamp out variations in raw
daily debriefs. But the continuous
the ink.
materials that could distort digital batches.
improvement has been largely organic
Suppliers signed up to notification of
according to Boughton – evolving to
change. Analogue printing had been
change agreements, handing Fujifilm
support the RFT improvements.
dominated by large commercial printers
another element of manufacturing control.
That wasn’t the only fundamental
because of the heavy processing involved.
Five years on and the results have
Waste reduction has been a key focus
for this factory. Gary Burgess, now lead
The simplicity of digital meant a
proved spectacular. RFT in digital has
facilitator for lean development, was
proliferation of smaller printers.
soared from 30% to 97%. Digital ink sales
seconded to a waste management role in
contributed £20m towards Fujifilm’s £50m
2006; since then, landfill has fallen from
loss of volume and established customers,
turnover last year, despite accounting for
53% to 10%. Waste materials are shredded
Fujifilm reacted positively by seeking
just 23% of production output. Fujifilm can
and reprocessed, re-emerging as animal
strategic partnerships with digital printing
now command a premium on digital goods
bedding and even car bumpers.
pioneers. But it was internally where the
where the complexity of production means
biggest changes lay.
competition is light.
Faced with the possibility of a sweeping
Digital inks demanded a different level
of precision manufacturing. “Producing
Analogue does remain a key market,
accounting for more than half of turnover.
The decision to empower Burgess to
drive the changes is indicative of the
Fujifilm way: “Every employee is an expert
in their own square yard,” says Boughton.
screen ink is a bit like
However, margins are low, competition is
And there will soon be more square
making high viscosity
high and revenues are in terminal – albeit
yards to fill as Fujifilm adds a new 1,800 m2
paint,” says Boughton.
slow – decline. Fujifilm has vowed to be the
manufacturing facility to Broadstairs.
“The quality
“last man standing” in the sector and has
requirements are
boosted analogue RFT from 40% to 78%
assured. The Best Process Plant prize is
much broader than
since 2006.
well deserved. ■
www.bestfactoryawards.co.uk
The evolution of this species seems
BFA-13
P014_WMSP_SEP11
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Page 1
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P014-15_CarlZeiss.qxp:Layout 1
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BEST FACTORY AWARDS
Carl Zeiss NTS
Winner: Best Electronics & Electrical Plant Winner: People Management Award Winner: Health & Safety Award
A close-up view of excellence
With the UK moving towards an economy based on high value manufacturing, this site shows just
what excellence looks like – a benchmark from which others can learn
O
ver the years, about three in 10 of the
product lines entrusted by the German-
(5S plus ‘second nature – the Japanese
hundreds of companies that
owned Carl Zeiss Group to the Cambridge
way’) and visual management abounds.
reckoned they were good enough to pick
subsidiary that is a part of its
up a Best Factory Award have actually
semiconductor technology division. It
underpins people management at the plant;
made it to the shortlist, hosted a visit from
enjoys a heritage that goes back to Charles
there are regular Gemba walks – daily by
the judges and walked away with a trophy
Darwin, includes custodianship by the
team leaders, weekly by managers and
or a highly commended certificate. So it
Cambridge Institute and ownership by the
monthly by the managing director – and
takes quite some outfit to get to the
world’s most famous lens maker, Leica.
daily escalation meetings to ensure that
winners’ rostrum – but to be nominated for
NTS? That stands for Nano Technology
The tiered daily meetings principle also
show stoppers get swiftly pushed right up
consideration in five categories and chalk
Systems and gives rise to the company
to MD level. Skills development features
up outright wins in three is an achievement
strapline: ‘Enabling the Nano-Age World’. Or
leadership and technical ladder
with few precedents. That is the magnitude,
to put it another way, ‘at one million times
advancement programmes that ensure
if you’ll forgive the pun, of Carl Zeiss NTS’s
magnification, cough and you’ll see it on
employees have the opportunity to reach
achievement this year; one made all the
the screen’.
their full potential.
sweeter by lean manufacturing manager
And the global demand for seeing
“There is a commitment to training and
Chris Warner’s observation when Carl Zeiss
things up close, particularly from the
education for all the employees and a
took its first tilt at the awards in 2009. “Our
emerging economies, is growing apace.
management team working on getting
journey has only just started towards world
Sales and orders have almost doubled since
everybody actively involved in improving
2009: unsurprisingly, China heads the
the business, not just in manufacturing but
destination board with a 20% slice of the
in other areas, too,” the judges said.
market. It’s a figure that will reach 30% by
2015.
Strategically and on the shopfloor, the
minor incidents are conscientiously
factory is doing all the things you’d expect
monitored, no reportable injury accidents
of a 21st century manufacturer making a
have occurred there since at least 2006.
21st century product. Or, as the BFA judges
This is an all-round performer that fully
summed it up, it is “an excellent example of
justifies its treble achievement this year. ■
the implementation of lean manufacturing,
well-deserved but more modest Judges’
especially one piece flow and visual
Special Award commendation.
management, by a low volume, high value
manufacturer. The factory has seen good
wins for its manufacturing prowess, it has,
results, with cost down, manufacturing lead
says MD Bob Taylor, a bigger prize in mind;
times slashed, delivery performance
one that may be as many as 10 years down
significantly improved and, importantly, a
the line before it is won. At Harvard
healthy and growing order book”.
University, the Cambridge company’s Sigma
The manufacture of some key
scanning electron microscope (SEM) is
components are outsourced (to Hungary); a
deploying advanced analytical microscopy
lean project for the whole company that
to map the brain of a fly, a mouse and, the
began in June 2008 is now deeply
biggest challenge of all, a human. The
embedded; daily 10-minute quality Pareto
prize? Cures for diseases like Parkinson’s
table meetings between key process
and Alzheimer’s.
personnel iron out quality problems that
Alongside the Evo HD, the workhorse –
are holding up the flow line, while similar
if such a finely engineered thoroughbred
set-ups at all key suppliers have solved
can be called a workhorse – of the SEM
getting on for 100 quality issues over two
world, the Sigma is the high end of two
years. Workplace organisation is through 6S
www.bestfactoryawards.co.uk
itself, the fact is that while near misses and
site that looks more like a laboratory than a
class,” he prophesied before collecting a
But however many prizes Carl Zeiss NTS
And while it may be dangerous to ever
say that a plant’s safety record speaks for
BFA-15
P016_WMSP_SEP11
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Page 1
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BEST FACTORY AWARDS
Camfil Farr
Winner: Best Engineering Plant Highly Commended: Health & Safety Award Highly Commended: Energy & Environment Award
A clean win
Few factories can produce standard and non-standard products with equal speed and quality.
Thanks to its confident, skilled workforce and superb engineering skills, this plant does it every day
Y
ou may well be breathing clean air
that’s passed through a Camfil Farr
filter. They are found everywhere from
offices to cleanrooms, mines, factories,
hospitals and nuclear power stations. This
world leader has 23 production plants
internationally. And its 203-strong plant in
Haslingden, Lancashire is among the very
best.
Haslingden doesn’t have the luxury of
churning out the same thing each day. Over
30% of its output is non-standard and it
takes superb processes and a multi-skilled,
committed workforce to cope. It has both of
these in spades. It wins through a strategic
focus on time to market. Although complex
both machine and operator performance
the point of making quality products, only to
bespoke assemblies can take up to 40 days,
but the cost of buying the media in was
have them thrown around and damaged in
average lead time for its major products is
more than the cost of production. So a team
transit? The customer doesn’t care who did
four days. In its fastest moving area, 96% of
drawn from operators, maintenance and a
it – only that it happened.” The concept is
today’s orders will go out tomorrow – when
supervisor set itself the challenge of
simplicity itself; the execution another
competitors often quote in weeks.
meeting demand and reducing cost within
matter entirely. Once products are loaded,
normal working hours. The results were
they are not handled again until they reach
spectacular, reflecting both the ingenuity
their final destination. Vehicle keys change
confident operators. Many
and the superb engineering skills that win
hands, not their contents. Vans are routed
variants are customised
Camfil Farr its top accolade. Its ability to
through a countrywide network of drivers,
lineside using stock held near
coax top performances from ageing assets
each making short runs in their own patch,
to the cell. The whole thing is
is truly remarkable. In this instance, adding a
swapping vans on the periphery and mostly
underpinned by comprehensive
reflective coating to the heater drum and
carrying raw materials on the return leg.
lean deployment. Haslingden is
surrounding walls not only stopped the
Logistics manager Michael Bolton controls it
in the vanguard of a group-wide
media snagging but also gave energy
using real-time vehicle tracking – and
lean programme – the Green
savings. Re-engineering rollers, locking bars
quicker reactions than most could show to a
Tornado – using it to drive
and cross wire feeds improved clean-down
charging bull.
Success comes from tight control of
works orders executed by highly flexible,
Safety sits at the top of Camfil Farr’s
continuous improvement across the site.
time and maintenance and accelerated
After visiting Toyota in Japan – to “see what
performance, giving an extra 37% of running
priorities without a single reportable
good looks like” – production director Jamie
time. And set-ups were simplified and
accident in three years. But it also focuses
Kay was challenged to make savings of
documented, cutting out the need for tools
keenly on energy reduction, actively
£30,000. The plant exceeded this target on a
and positioning the next spool ready for a
engaging employees in new ideas,
single project within 12 months. Haslingden
rapid changeover. The plant is now not only
rewarding their contribution through
has seen a steady increase in productivity
self-sufficient in the media but produces
bonuses, and robustly monitoring and
year on year, sustained by thorough
them at 98% quality without overtime –
measuring consumption and waste streams.
competence development and a ready flow
saving £26,000 a year, too.
So far, it has saved over 1,000 tonnes in CO2
of ideas from across the shopfloor.
Fresh thinking extends beyond
emissions and more than £200,000 in hard
production. Camfil Farr took logistics back
cash. It shows yet another aspect of the
frankly pensionable – machine producing
in-house 10 years ago and, according to MD
attitude that pervades the entire Haslingden
wire-backed media rolls couldn’t keep pace
Bill Wilkinson, the result is consistently
team: every day brings an opportunity to do
with demand. There were wide variations in
better customer service at less cost: “What’s
even better than the one before. ■
Take one example. An existing – and
www.bestfactoryawards.co.uk
BFA-17
P018_WMSP_SEP11
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BEST FACTORY AWARDS
Aimia Foods
Winner: Best SME Winner: Most Improved Plant Winner: Skills Development Award
Highly Commended: Best Household & General Products Plant
Small but perfectly formed
The best just got better. It was pretty good in 2008 when it won two major Best Factory Awards. Today
it’s three – a real tribute to the meteoric progress of Aimia, the company that refuses to stand still
F
ounded in 1981, Aimia employs 250
worked in the marketplace but was also
people across three sites, exports to 11
better adapted for its own production lines.
countries and turns over £50m-plus. It
supplies products for vending machines,
It does a lot more than assemble.
Even so, to succeed in this fiercely
food services and retailers, offering a spread
competitive sector, you have to excel in
of services around its core competencies in
filling efficiently and quickly in a clean
food and drink. As well as its own products
environment. Failure could mean penalty
and those manufactured under licence, it
clauses. Not that Aimia is worried – with
co-packs for blue chip brand holders. It built
around 400 SKUs, it still shows a stunning
a dedicated, allergen-free, automated
96.7% OTIF. This is a joined-up business that
facility for one of these.
uses flexibility and pace to its own
Since 2008, Aimia has diversified even
advantage.
further with flair and innovation. It was one
Since 2008, it has invested nearly £2m in
of the first producers to eliminate trans fats
new machinery, unblocking bottlenecks and
from its own label, achieving it in six weeks
speeding packing lines. It has also added
without flavour profile problems. It has
new value to key products
developed the first non-HVO (hydrogenated
through an innovative
vegetable oil) whitener for the vending
agglomerator that improves their
market, made from – and actually tasting of
ability to disperse in hot liquids.
– skimmed milk. It has challenged
Customer requirements
perceptions with the introduction of
inevitably change and producers
15 minutes. It not only gives an
premium products at a premium price for
have to continuously adapt and
instant view of performance
vending machines. And it has introduced the
improve. Few, however, move as
UK’s first triple certified instant coffee –
fast as Aimia.
organic, Fair Trade and Rainforest Alliance. It
Equally impressive is the wholesale
against daily targets, but also
collects data for attacking waste in the
longer term. It takes Aimia’s asset utilisation
to the next level.
exploits niche markets like no one else. For
deployment of its tactical improvement
Aimia, size undoubtedly matters – it’s big
plan. Aimia sets targets for all its production
Success like this isn’t easy: it demands
enough to do things well and small enough
lines and translates them into clear actions,
thorough development of the right abilities
to do them quickly. But it’s exactly the right
displayed in every corridor. Everyone knows
and attitudes across the board. Aimia wins
size to win Best SME.
exactly what they need to do to meet their
the Skills Development Award for its broad
Aimia forges strong, lasting customer
goals. Virtually every workstation and
training and communication programme. It
relationships. For example, a renowned café
packing line displays clear metrics for
aims to create an empowered workforce
chain had spun off products (co-packaged
current improvement projects and
with a lively understanding of Aimia’s
by Aimia) into the supermarkets but
operators take visitors through their
production and commercial issues.
consumer response was slow. Aimia helped
progress with confidence and pride. Aimia
Secondly, the programme equips them with
it develop a different, ‘edgier’ packet that
controls its processes tightly, squeezing as
the tools and techniques to implement
much value as possible out of the working
lasting solutions, including internal and
day. It took two shifts out of one line by
external coaching and mentoring, Lean Six
upping the production rate through a
Sigma training and recognised industry
combination of good OEE and improved
qualifications. It firmly links qualifications to
operator practices.
overall strategy, while providing a clear path
OEE is measured on every line, every
www.bestfactoryawards.co.uk
to promotion and extra responsibility. Most
hour. Aimia has also developed an
of all, it encourages involvement. The
innovative visual management tool,
weekly kaizen hour is a time to listen,
Qlikview. It records vital performance
support and foster the thirst for
metrics like line speed and downtime and
improvement which is the hallmark of the
displays it as a dashboard, refreshed every
Aimia culture. ■
BFA-19
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Page 1
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BEST FACTORY AWARDS
Barfoots of Botley
Winner: Energy & Environment Award
Fresh thinking
With a newly constructed anaerobic digestion plant, green waste is a thing of the past at
Europe’s largest processor and packer of fresh sweetcorn products
B
arfoots of Botley is a family business
to-supermarket in just 48 hours is among
increased supply of electricity to the
providing over 2,000 tonnes of
the latest challenges facing the
National Grid.
product per week to customers which
management team.
This landmark development also
“We’ve stopped worrying about
provides a lifecycle contribution of water
Headquarters is Sefton Farm at Pagham,
externalities; they’ll be what they’ll be.
for irrigation and fertiliser to grow further
five miles south of Chichester in an area
Instead we focus on making everything we
crops, while there are now 5,000 fewer
renowned for having the highest natural
do excellent,” says commercial director
tractor journeys a year on local roads – not
light levels in the UK – perfect for its chief
John Barfoot. “We’re always looking for the
a single piece of green waste leaves the
value stream crop, sweetcorn. But while
next way to add more value.”
site. Ultimately the project represents a full
include all the major supermarkets.
Mother Nature plays her part, it’s the
Process innovation at Barfoots is
cycle of management from field to
creative guile of the firm’s
impressive, making the company a stand-
production, offering an integrated farming
management team that
out among household and general product
production system. To date, the plant has
has helped Barfoots
plants. There are 52-week daily refrigerated
achieved a business CO2 offset of 97%,
achieve double-digit
arrivals to ensure a JIT management
making it a worthy winner of this year’s
growth in the past decade
process, minimising stock residency and
Energy & Environment award.
aided by investment of
increasing quality and freshness throughout
£8.5 million in products,
the chain. This is followed by preparation
corporate and social responsibility now
processes and people.
And there’s more. The company’s
(trimming, de-husking, grading, UV bio-
extends to its global sourcing strategy,
Today the company commands 90% of the
control) in a fully accredited and automated
exemplified by Barfoots’ farming venture in
UK sweetcorn market.
high-care facility, and packing in a patented
Senegal. This consists of converting 5,000
MAP format to extend shelf life.
acres of former sub-Saharan scrubland into
For those thinking it’s easy with a single
product, think again. Barfoots has 26
Improvement is a way of life and as a
the country’s second largest exporter of
products, 28 customers and 103 SKUs
result, measures such as factory unit cost
fresh produce – potentially supplying 95%
across three main value streams – there’s
output are getting better every year. Among
of Europe’s winter demand for sweetcorn.
ample complexity here. Stir in stiff
the drivers is automated OEE (with live,
Established as part of an Ethical Trade
competition (fair and unfair), limited
lineside electronic status boards), which
Initiative with the local people, Barfoots is
negotiating power, customer price pressure,
although in its early days, is already used
investing in local employment, education,
the high cost of technical accreditation and
extensively to help identify problems and
sanitation and infrastructure. Truly, a UK
massive exposure to market pressures and
implement CI. Also evident throughout is
SME to be proud of. ■
force majeure – and the challenges facing
5S, targeted training programmes for
Barfoots are plain to see.
machine operators and mission directed
The answer here is astute risk
work teams. The company is also moving
management and agile manufacturing. The
from punnets to simple film wrap for its
tactics deployed include widening the
produce, a move that’s both value-chain
customer portfolio, developing better
and environment driven.
negotiating platforms through joint
In fact, its commitment to all things
business ventures, engendering quality and
environmental is arguably the biggest step
technical differentiation, and creating a
forward for Barfoots. Impressively, the
more robust, vertically integrated supply
company’s first major sustainable
chain.
manufacturing project has seen it commit
Agile production in a seasonal business
to renewable energy via construction of the
is vital. In a sunny week, demand on
UK’s first sweetcorn-fuelled biogas plant.
Barfoots can reach 2.5 million pieces of
This anaerobic digester now consumes
sweetcorn, compared to 1.4 million when
25,000 tonnes of green waste per annum to
the weather is overcast. The ability to
generate three times the quantity of
switch on new lines and/or a nightshift is
electricity and heat required to power the
critical to commercial success, while field-
site, offering the local community an
www.bestfactoryawards.co.uk
BFA-21
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BEST FACTORY AWARDS
CareFusion
Winner: Supply Chain Award Highly Commended: Best Electronics & Electrical Plant
Fighting fit
A specialist manufacturer of infusion technologies is ably
demonstrating its fitness credentials among UK factories,
proving itself a very healthy specimen indeed
T
o use Olympic parlance, the tag line at
Basingstoke-based CareFusion is ‘going
Those thinking that low-cost global
sourcing provided the solution for
for gold through continuous improvement’.
CareFusion would be wrong. Impressively,
CI benefits all at this innovative infusion
74% of the company’s annual spend is
pump manufacturer: the business, the
retained within the UK. Only around 12%
employees and, of course, product quality.
comes from Asia and this is largely where
The latter is vital as CareFusion’s products
there are no viable sources for production
are designed to safeguard lives. Used
volumes in Europe, such as for
extensively on intensive care and neo-natal
LCDs.
wards, as well as general wards, the
“We’ve tried to focus on UK
These endeavours and others
company’s infusion pumps are intelligent
suppliers by benchmarking against
units able to prevent users administering
the Far East,” explains purchasing
have helped CareFusion achieve
fluids at any rate greater than the
manager Dave Crowther. “As a
supplier cost reduction of 5%
therapeutic range specified within its stored
result we’ve managed to hone
year-on-year (accounting for
database. It’s a market differentiator that
costs. Also, rising freight and fuel
has not only helped preserve the heartbeat
costs count increasingly against distance
to quality. For instance, with its newly
of CareFusion, but also those of countless
suppliers.”
engaged UK toolmakers, increased concept
By way of example, CareFusion recently
patients.
inflation), without any detriment
stage collaboration, tool development,
used competitive tender bids from China to
gauge R&R and design of experiments (DoE)
operations helping to assemble and test
present to an existing supplier of flexi PCBs.
studies have confirmed Cpk of 1.33 or
around 44,000 infusion pumps per year
The upshot was an annual saving well into
above on all key dimensions. All in all,
using seven production lines. Spares
six figures.
CareFusion is a worthy winner of this year’s
At Basingstoke, there are 110 people in
volume is in the region of 650,000 units per
Delivery is typically from buffer stocks
Supply Chain Award.
But there’s far more to this stand-out
annum. In terms of market share, the
to an electronic JIT system, introduced as
company leads its field in the UK and most
part of a Six Sigma black belt project. The
among electronics and electrical plants,
international markets.
company retains two or three suppliers for
which has just announced that every single
key commodities, using open book
employee will commence an NVQ Level 2 in
manufacturing process to a flow line
negotiations, and is working with some
Business Improvement Techniques. Last
configuration around six years ago, a move
others using consignment stock
year the company introduced rolled
that helped improve yields dramatically.
agreements. The company also hosts
throughput yield (RTY) as a metric to drive
Today, like many lean manufacturers, the
‘supplier days’ for its top 15 suppliers to
CI. RTY is similar to OEE and is based on the
biggest cost is materials, which here
help review their operational performance
number of defects per unit, with CareFusion
account for 85% of total product cost. In all,
and ensure excellence.
setting a target of 95%. Furthermore, 5S,
CareFusion transformed from a batch
the company has 128 global inventory
The result is a range of initiatives and
S&OP, regular kaizen events, lineside ‘hot
suppliers and over 4,000 live materials. And
projects that have demonstrated genuine
spots’ looking at operator errors and/or
while CareFusion’s success is based on
supply chain excellence. These include:
improvement ideas, BHAG (big hairy
factors such as product quality, single
dock-to-stock for 60-70% of suppliers,
audacious goals) projects, SAP functionality
source system ‘packages’,
removing incoming inspection; various cost
and self-assessment against a company-
customer training and field
reduction projects such as combining three
wide maturity index, reflect a history of
support, the company realises
previously machined parts into a single
achievement at Basingstoke. In terms of the
that an astute supply chain
moulding; rationalisation of supplier base
index, CareFusion is currently at bronze
strategy helps reduce product
from 123 to 114 during the company’s
level following its 2011 audit. With ‘going for
price, pushing it even further
current financial year; and supplying PCB
gold’ firmly in sight, the company says it is
from the reach of its
vendors with the ability to test entire PCB
already close to silver, which itself will be a
competitors.
functionality.
group first. ■
www.bestfactoryawards.co.uk
BFA-23
P024_WMSP_OCT11
14/9/11
14:28
Page 1
ReleasingYour
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P024-25_CooperVision.qxp:Layout 1
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BEST FACTORY AWARDS
CooperVision
Winner: Innovation Award Highly Commended: Best Household & General Products Plant
Seeing is believing
This south coast manufacturer of contact lenses is proving that with the right combination
of innovation, investment and management prowess, anything is possible
S
ome manufacturers have harder tasks
diamond tooling. Following a hydration
unit has been driven down 10% in the past
than others. Trying to think of a
process, lenses are inspected automatically
five years with approximately the same
product more challenging to produce than
using HD vision technology before being
headcount. But perhaps the most
contact lenses doesn’t come easy, and yet
sterilised and sealed into foil packs.
impressive statistic is CooperVision’s labour
CooperVision has everything in focus.
But innovation here is about far more
productivity trend, which measures the
than the 160 pick and place robots in the
number of lenses produced per employee
many contact lens users will recognise are
company’s UK manufacturing operation.
per year. This has increased some 44% in
Avaira, Biofinity and Proclear. With a 17%
CooperVision is a centre of excellence
the past five years and is described by
share of the global market, the company is
based on lean manufacturing and lens
managing director Kevin Barrett as “the real
the second biggest supplier to Europe and
making competence. Clear leadership and
measure of the company’s CI”. Ultimately,
the US, and is rising rapidly in Asia, where
direction have created a performance-
CooperVision has proven itself a real
China is currently demonstrating market
driven culture fuelled by high productivity,
innovator in every sense of the word, and is
growth of 20-25% per annum.
low cost per unit and relentless CI.
Among the CooperVision brands that
With four sites in the Southampton
This robust CI strategy is central to the
area, the company’s UK output is around
company’s performance. It focuses on a
480 million lenses a year, an average of
business improvement plan that defines
around 1.3 million a day. CooperVision’s
“work priorities for personnel”, and a CI
central manufacturing facility at Hamble, on
framework that defines “how personnel
the east bank of the Solent, employs a one-
work”. The former includes 88 tactics, 26
shot cast moulding process to create soft,
strategies and six key objectives. By way of
flexible lenses such as Biofinity. Here, the
example, one key objective is attracting,
overall product mix is complex, with
maintaining and developing an exceptional
contact lens categories including single-use
team. Beneath this, listed tactics are given
and non-single-use sphere, as well as toric
‘A’ or ‘B’ priority ratings. At present, A-rated
and multi-focal types making up around
priorities here include a first line manager
25,000 SKUs for cast moulded products
development programme and the need for
(multiplied by four with different packaging)
plans to address changes to the Agency
– a typical supermarket only has around
Workers Regulations.
half this number!
Keeping pace with demand is no mean
The company also references an
improvement road map, where new
feat and this is where CooperVision’s
strategies are introduced on a timeline of
automation scores. Lenses are formed
stabilisation, improvement and
between two plastic moulds that are
breakthrough. The initiatives completed or
sandwiched together, shaping a small
ongoing include KPIs, 5S, ideas
the deserved recipient of this year’s
amount of liquid monomer
management, standardised work, process
Innovation Award.
deposited on the concave
characterisation/control, visual
mould surface. As the
management, TPM, Six Sigma/structured
CooperVision describes its purpose as
product moves along
problem solving, value stream mapping and
“improving the way people see each day”, a
conveyorised, U-shaped
design for manufacture.
tag line that surely relates to both its
production lines, curing
In combination with its automated
One further point to consider:
employees and its product users. And let’s
processes, CooperVision’s astute
not forget, the potential here for further
and solidify the lens before the mould
manufacturing management team has
growth is vast. Despite the cost of contact
halves are opened and the lens is floated
helped increase output from the various
lenses being roughly equivalent to replacing
out using hot deionised water. The moulds
business units at the Hamble site by an
a pair of spectacles every couple of years,
are critical, and these are produced from
impressive 27% this year, making it a stand-
only a very small percentage of people who
injection mould tools with surfaces turned
out among UK household and general
need sight correction wear them. How
at 3,000 RPM on special lathes using
product plants. Furthermore, total cost per
about that for an eye-opener? ■
takes place to polymerise
www.bestfactoryawards.co.uk
BFA-25
P026_WMSP_SEP11
13/9/11
16:19
Page 1
”With Zurich’s help we’ve
prevented over 24,000 lost
work days. Because, like us,
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Director of Risk Management
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P026-27_HCStarck.qxp:Layout 1
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BEST FACTORY AWARDS
H C Starck
Winner: Judges’ Special Award Highly Commended: Health & Safety Award
Leaving the competition flat
This Wiltshire-based manufacturer of ultra-flat discs for semiconductor applications is insulating itself
from the competition with its unstinting drive for continuous improvement
T
he Calne facility of H C Starck is a
impervious to some of these material traits,
refuge of technical expertise. This
such as waterjet and electro-discharge
manufacturer of molybdenum
machining. As a technical and capable
semiconductor components – used as
process, from raw material issue to vacuum
carrier and contact plates for silicon wafers
packing, H C Starck is without doubt among
in thyristors, transistors and silicon
the UK leaders.
controlled rectifier diodes – leaves its rivals
However, it wasn’t always this way. In
standing. The key quality measure of its
the recent past, on-time delivery arrears
discs is flatness. Just 12 months ago, a
were significant and growing, there were no
flatness tolerance of 15-20 microns on a
lean initiatives and quality systems were
140mm diameter disc was considered
under-performing. The turnaround came
tough to achieve. But following a rigorous
with the arrival of a new management team
overhaul of its processes, 4 microns is now
with CI as its core focus. Alongside
standard at H C Starck – an achievement
stabilised delivery (through daily
that provides genuine market
production meetings, capacity
differentiation.
planning and kanban), a rewritten
This is no mean feat, so how has it been
quality manual and internal audit
Health and safety is
achieved? Investment in new metrology
schedules reviews, arrived
equipment has played a huge role,
shopfloor restructuring, better
particularly a new form measuring machine
process mapping, visual management, an
company excels. There have been no
that monitors output from the automated
inventory reduction plan, OEE, training
recordable incidents since May 2007 – a
lapping processes. This and other recent
matrices, Six Sigma project teams, an
total of 471,501 working hours at time of
metrology investments have helped reduce
enhanced working environment and KPIs,
visit. Furthermore, job safety behaviour
this site’s cost of non-quality (in-process
five of which are linked to a bonus scheme.
observations are completed with every
On top of this there’s now an
rejects) by 50%.
another area where this
layered process audit to ensure the
established programme of kaizen events
company continues to instil a culture of
semiconductor arena sidestep the issue of
based on 5S, TPM, cost of non quality and
safety improvement. There have also been
tight flatness tolerances by using PVD
SMED/workflow events. H C Starck has also
continued reductions in first aid incidents
(physical vapour deposition) technology, but
started to use this site’s monthly KPI
over the past two years as personnel
H C Starck’s ability to achieve remarkable
cascades to drive productivity and efficiency
undertake frequent refresher safety training
flatness using less expensive electroplating
improvements through the wider business.
and individuals take responsibility for their
Many of its competitors in the power
gives it enormous competitive advantage.
The transformation of processes here
own areas. Commending H C Starck further
In-house plating processes such as rhodium
was vital in the decision of one key
is that potential safety issues and hazards
and ruthenium represent 80% of
customer to offer a new three-year contract
are identified and addressed through a
throughput, although the precise method of
that guarantees 75% of its output will come
weekly action deck review.
successfully plating molybdenum
to Calne, although this is currently 93%. The
(notoriously difficult) remains a closely
business has also had substantial new
implementation of core lean tools and
guarded secret.
contract wins from Chinese customers,
invigorated quality systems, the
while it is further engaged in creating new
transformation of this Calne facility is
challenges, too. Machining of
value streams; its recently introduced ‘Fast
nothing short of remarkable, particularly in
the molybdenum discs, for
Track’ service for raw material sales now
such a short space of time. It proves that by
instance, is difficult as the
represents 13% of revenue – up 100% in the
adopting manufacturing excellence and
material is hard, dense and
past year. There’s also potential in
engaging the workforce it is possible to
subject to delamination. For
subcontract markets for expertise such as
turn things around, retain and add
this reason, complementing
chemical milling and electroplating.
customers, and make a profit! A most
the company’s CNC machine
Innovating at every level is clearly one of
deserving recipient of this year’s Judges’
tools are technologies
H C Starck’s chief business differentiators.
Special Award. ■
There are other technical
www.bestfactoryawards.co.uk
With stabilised delivery, the
BFA-27
P028_WMSP_SEP11
13/9/11
DO
16:25
Page 1
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P028-29_LDTestandMeas.qxp:Layout 1
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BEST FACTORY AWARDS
Brüel & Kjaer VTS
Highly Commended: Best Electronics & Electrical Plant
The X-factory
Brüel & Kjaer’s factory in home counties Hertfordshire certainly has the X-Factor
and is, you might say, shake, rattle and rolling all over the world
I
People as well as processes
t is not often that you come across a
testing, but also include resin casting,
manufacturer that is picking up good
vacuum aeration, heat treatment, shot
are important to the Royston
vibrations all over the world, let alone one
blasting, welding, adhesive bonding and
site’s pursuit of its goals and to
whose influence extends as far as checking
potting.
its successful implementation of
out life on Mars. So meet Brüel & Kjaer VTS,
“We needed to understand our
lean manufacturing through a
whose stock in trade is manufacturing
customers’ needs,” says head of operations
bottom-up approach to business
vibration test systems.
Andrew Turner. He concluded they wanted
improvement training, the
their product faster, and that meant having
application of Six Sigma for
Measurement, the UK business has now
to be more agile. The flexible hours helped,
quality improvement, and work
changed its name to Brüel & Kjaer VTS to
as did improving reaction time for supplying
and organisational structuring.
Known until last month as LDS Test and
The fundamentals of pay are taken care
reflect its ownership by
parts from an eight-week lead time to two,
the global sound and
establishing a two-week turnaround time
of through basic remuneration plus
vibration specialist, Brüel
from receipt of order for repairs, delivering
overtime as required plus an annual bonus,
& Kjaer.
on time and in full, and training staff so that
while the company’s lofty vision is to be
each is competent to undertake three job
both a profitable business and a great place
systems unit makes
disciplines, plus lean manufacturing
to work.
shakers and amplifiers
techniques.
The vibration test
Skills development embraces the
challenge of managing change, performance
and their controllers
But it was the role of inventory in the
primarily used in the
process that led to the adoption of what
management, training and development,
automotive, aerospace,
Brüel & Kjaer calls its X-factory philosophy.
recruitment policy and delivering sustainable
telecoms and electronics
The business had concluded that build
organisational performance. And its people
markets. Straightforwardly put, its systems
to order was too slow for its customers and
management strategy is built around the
can be found ironing out potential vibration
build to stock too expensive for its
pillars of communication, the right policies,
problems in the glove compartment of your
shareholders. The solution? To go for 80%
an appropriate organisational structure,
car or, more critically, in the wheel hub unit-
batch production (standard product) and
good employee relations and a no-blame
axle assembly. They shake things up at
20% job production (special product).
culture in which trust, leadership, ownership
NASA’s jet propulsion laboratory in
Armature build and coil winding and
and empowerment are important. ■
Pasadena and ensure that Mars Rover
electromechanical parts assembly –
robots creep quietly about their business
standard product – is kanbaned from the
seeking out life on the red planet. And
bottom to the lowest cost stocking point
rather more mundanely, they make sure
towards the centre of the X and then
your mobile phone doesn’t give you
configured to deliver the greatest customer
earache.
agility to fulfil order requirements at the top.
Agility is the plant’s byword for
The net effect has been to reduce lead
satisfying customers who, says the firm’s
times from 12 weeks to between four and
Europe & export regional manager Tim
six weeks.
Powell of its products, “if they could do
without it, they would”.
Unusually for a manufacturing facility,
As the judges concluded: “This site’s
customers want fast delivery and through
its X-type factory, it has been able to rise to
this Royston plant operates a flexitime
the challenge and, what is more, be faster
system on a single 38.75 hour shift that is
than the competition. The introduction of
flexible to 57.5 hours. It clearly suits the 105
lean and the reconfigured factory have
staff whose average length of service is a
allowed the company to supply a wide
commendable 11.5 years.
product range made up of standard and
Plant operations handle 16,500 SKUs
customised products in half the time it used
across processes which are primarily coil
to take; a shift in customer lead times from
winding, electromechanical assembly and
months to weeks.”
www.bestfactoryawards.co.uk
BFA-29
P030-31_Arla-ConvaTec.qxp:Layout 1
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Arla Foods UK
Highly Commended: Judges’ Special Award
Cream of the crop
Many companies claim they put their customers first – few have been challenged
like Arla Foods’ Lockerbie plant, or won through against such odds
A
rla’s Lockerbie dairy is the result of an
notably Christmas – and there is no way of
Lockerbie saw that its determined pursuit
£18m investment, initially to supply
padding a fresh product with increased
of lean necessitated coaching as well as
Asda’s Scottish stores. One of the most
inventory. So it runs two lines 24/7 and
technical skills. So it has established
modern dairies in Scotland, it serves the
flexes the third.
programmes for its first line leaders – who
whole Scottish market and employs 96
Only months after the plant started,
are working towards ILM Level 3 – and its
people within the plant. Capable of
Lockerbie spotted lean opportunities.
middle managers. It has also made a firm
handling 200 million litres of milk a year, it
Initially it focused on kaizen blitzes but the
commitment to the Eden educational
provides computerised traceability from
short-term gains weren’t sustainable. It
project, aimed at growing the next
milk intake to the fillers. The majority of its
needed more awareness and education
generation of world-class dairy
milk comes through a partnership of dairy
across the plant, creating an organisational
technologists.
farms which meet Arla’s quality and animal
structure to support long-term lean
welfare standards.
management. Working on its own initiative,
improvement is evident throughout the
Lockerbie’s hunger for change and
it became the first unit in Arla to change to
plant. It shows. On a micro level, by
Since then, it has added two more
a flexible cell structure. Since then, other
changing a default setting, run rate on one
supermarket chains. This is where life gets
plants have followed suit and lean
machine has climbed from 80 to 110
complicated. Lockerbie delivers directly to
initiatives are being deployed across the
bottles a minute. On a macro level,
121 stores, as well as shipping three times
group.
Lockerbie – which was once near the
Production started in December 2005.
a day to its Dundee distribution centre.
In Lockerbie, cell teams include
bottom of Arla performers – is now near
Some customers only want milk from a
engineering, laboratory and despatch, as
the top. It has trebled its volume. It is top
declared geographical location; others take
well as production – all reporting to the cell
for quality and, despite being a smaller
a small percentage of milk from farms in
team leader. People stay in one team to
dairy, produces with less wastage, below
other areas. There are sound marketing
encourage bonding and foster
the sector average and at a price per litre
reasons – regional loyalty is important to
improvement. The support of a dedicated
beaten by only one other site.
some brands – but it undoubtedly makes
coordinator and trainer has been vital in
extra production demands. Three main
raising performance across the site.
in a class of its own. No one living in
regional product identities comprise four
Lockerbie was the first to introduce formal
Scotland will forget the winter of 2010.
types of milk differentiated by fat content,
succession planning for the
Normal life ground to a halt as
packaged in five sizes of polybottle tested
shopfloor. As a result, the
temperatures fell to -17ºC. In
for safety and quality at virtually every
number of trained fillers has
the pre-Christmas rush, food
stage of production. It adds up to over 50
increased from eight to 20 and
supplier after supplier failed to
SKUs and every product runs every day. It
several operators can now
get through – except
has huge peaks in its demand pattern –
handle laboratory work, too.
Lockerbie. It made every single
But there’s more. Its customer service is
one of its deliveries. It took a
superhuman team effort
between production and drivers. Production
manager Jason Cairns vividly recalls
standing outside at 3am pouring hot water
over pipework to keep the milk flowing. The
retail industry isn’t known for its
effusiveness but, on this occasion, gratitude
flowed like – well – milk. Here’s just one
sample: “Arla is being highlighted and
talked about daily internally as an
outstanding example of a supplier who is
doing a stunning job for us.” This alone
would be enough to justify the Judges’
Special Award. ■
30-BFA
www.bestfactoryawards.co.uk
P030-31_Arla-ConvaTec.qxp:Layout 1
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BEST FACTORY AWARDS
ConvaTec
Highly Commended Judges’ Special Award
Dressed for success
Faced with economic challenges, this plant is driving change deep into every aspect of its
operation and using lean to reinvent itself as the manufacturing showcase of the future
A
pioneer in wound therapeutics for 30
also give ConvaTec access to customers’
years, this business supplies medical
opinions at first hand, guiding its own
care products and wound dressings globally
from Deeside, North Wales. Nearly 90% of
development.
Equally importantly, Deeside is
its manufactured output is exported. In
reinventing itself by building new
2008 it was acquired by ConvaTec, a private
competencies in manufacturing. Innovation
equity partnership with 7,000 employees
is part of its culture – it has always been
worldwide and global sales of $1.7bn.
there in its products. Now it is going further.
Deeside employs 510 on its site which it
A major investment in a new, state-of-the-
runs as three distinct facilities, each
art controlled environment will shortly
operating as a business unit reporting to its
mean a step change in process capabilities.
own manufacturing manager.
But this site is also making innovation a
It is the worldwide centre of excellence
pillar of its lean approach – and the results
for woundcare. It competes through a
are readily apparent. Deeside believes
unique, patented hydrofibre technology
challenging the norm should be an intrinsic
supplied as raw material from a sister plant
part of its core behaviours, encouraged
in Rhymney, South Wales. It also makes
across the plant and embedded through
well-regarded ostomy products – and
performance reviews.
herein lies its challenge. Production of
There are tangible examples across the
these is transferring to other sites and,
site. One of the engineers looked at a
which promotes clearer understanding and
without firm action, the loss of volume
folding machine and asked ‘Why do it like
effective standardisation. Everyone has
could have severe implications for Deeside.
that?’ Why indeed – working with the
clear, unambiguous performance
So it has adopted a far-reaching strategy to
integrators, the process was redesigned to
information. The shopfloor records hourly
secure investment and safeguard jobs by
run with one person instead of three at
measures against KPIs on boards by the
growing its wound therapeutics brand,
double the speed, saving a cool £420,000.
line. The data is entered into Deeside’s
positively differentiating itself and its
On a smaller but equally ingenious level, an
bespoke system which generates weekly
operator suggested installing an automatic
and monthly shift-based reports, recast as a
labeller beside a conveyor to reduce
dashboard displayed on the notice board
itself as a showcase
changeover time and eliminate hand
and over the site intranet. It clearly displays
site for lean
labelling. It saved 18 minutes on every
factors such as material and labour
manufacturing,
changeover, freeing up capacity to make
variances, customer service levels, EBITDA
increasing capacity,
nearly 400,000 more dressings a year. This
by percentage, sickness rates and
simplifying and
is one of many improvements that
conformance to monthly plan.
accelerating its supply
originated from the shopfloor through a
chain, and significantly
simple ideas and improvement sheet. Each
training through its own training academy,
reducing costs. It has a
shift leader is expected to encourage these
mixing on-the-job and classroom work to
clear route map for
and – with the support of Deeside’s lean
continually upskill operators. It also
achieving this, driving
practitioner – to see at least two a year
sponsors degrees and management
change deep into every aspect of its
through to completion. A lean control room
qualifications, and forges links with local
operation.
puts order and focus into improvement
colleges for additional skills programmes.
activities, clearly documenting and
The shared understanding of goals is
recently opened an impressive visitor
recording progress on all the projects to
obvious – everyone pulls together to drive
centre with superb presentation facilities. It
tackle costs and reduce inventory. So far,
more value into the business. Deeside wins
aims to build direct relationships with
the site has taken out over £2m in costs
a high commendation from the judges for
healthcare professionals and their patients.
through 30 major and 100 smaller projects.
its tight focus on developing the right
capabilities.
It is positioning
As a clear indication of its intentions, it
Their visits strengthen confidence in the
products and their manufacture, but they
www.bestfactoryawards.co.uk
The whole thing is managed tightly and
well. Shopfloor teams write their own SOPs,
Deeside has put a huge effort into lean
strategy and the subsequent clarity of its
deployment. ■
BFA-31
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Gurit
Highly Commended: Judges’ Special Award
Strong composition
A short ferry ride to the Isle of Wight finds this composite materials producer that’s
oceans apart from its competitors thanks to the quality of its products and people
J
ust as steel began to usurp iron in the
2011), first aid accidents and lost days due
1870s or when aluminium popularity
to work-related accidents; environmental –
soared in the 1970s, so composites are
reducing the volume of site waste sent to
already firmly embarked on becoming
landfill by 21% per annum and energy
industry’s premier engineering materials. The
consumption by 10% (currently down 30%);
demand for composites is rocketing and
customer satisfaction – reducing the number
Gurit has already established itself as a
of customer complaints and maintaining
world leader in manufacturing these
delivery OTIF performance (currently 98%, on
advanced materials, ranking among the top
target); and efficiency, which considers
three players in all target markets.
production variance and post-
The company’s Isle of Wight site at
production scrap. Scrap,
Newport specialises in composites for wind
reportable accidents, complaints
energy and marine applications, exporting
and OTIF are all linked to a
high value engineered products all over
shopfloor bonus scheme.
Europe and the USA. As a result of increasing
functional trained
Gurit also has a
operative to stand
cost pressures, a concerted focus on its
comprehensive CI programme in
manufacturing processes in the past five
place –there are 180 documented
up and be counted. The company uses a
years has yielded some remarkable results.
improvement activities in various stages of
six-stage learning framework based on
progress around the site.
needs identification, determination of
Core business at Newport centres on
both pre-impregnated (prepreg) and
Commencing in 2006, the company’s
performance requirements, training design,
formulated product manufacturing, with the
lean journey and process improvement
training delivery, measurement of achieved
production facility divided accordingly. Most
progressed well until the global economic
levels and evaluation of organisational
of the leading European wind turbine
crisis, which forced many production boat
benefits, typically via an applicable KPI.
manufacturers take advantage of prepreg
builders to close. However, a determination
technology, chiefly for blade spars and roots,
to retain workers during the recession
an NVQ Level 3 and some have the
working with Gurit to develop and engineer
enabled greater flexibility and created the
opportunity to progress to higher
new composite materials to best suit the
position of strength which Gurit enjoys
education, either HNC/HND or even take an
application.
today.
engineering degree at the University of
These are complex materials offering a
Playing their part are many well-
Today, all production technicians have
Portsmouth (two have completed this).
broad range of capability, including:
executed management tools such as 5S,
Every year, Gurit enrols between six and 10
lightweight to heavyweight variants; uni-
OEE, kanban, a reward-based ideas
employees into a technician role. The
directional, multi-axis and woven; glass,
recognition scheme, kaizen events, a
company has also embarked on an
carbon and aramaid (and hybrids). Wind
structured supply chain strategy, flexible
apprenticeship programme, taking on four
energy is a particularly dynamic sector with
working hours and ERP production
promising youngsters last year alone, while
multiple new products launching every year,
planning. TPM is among several strategies
in June this year, it launched
along with typically one step change in
at the introductory stage. Arguably,
Training4Success, a programme that will
technology. Add to the mix the fact that Gurit
however, it is the operations training
deliver 93 courses over the coming three
has just gone 24/7 to service a major new
strategy that sets Gurit apart.
years. These will be delivered largely by a
contract, and managing this culture of
change takes dexterity
use without people to drive success,”
and guile.
states Luke Kerr, operations and training
external provider, outlining Gurit’s
impressive investment in training.
As a basis for business excellence,
manager. “Success through people is one of
Gurit’s environment of development and
key objectives: health
our key corporate values. It’s all about
learning means training is embedded into
and safety – reducing
contribution through personal
everyday life, and as a consequence it’s
the number of
responsibility, capability and teamwork.”
easy to see why the company is highly
Gurit focuses on four
reportable accidents
(running at zero for
32-BFA
“Great processes and products are little
Interestingly, Gurit has no team leaders
on the lines, preferring instead each cross-
commended in this year’s Judges’ Special
Award. ■
www.bestfactoryawards.co.uk
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BEST FACTORY AWARDS
Robert Bion & Co
Highly Commended: Judges’ Special Award
A whole lot better
A special process – perforating – and a special company make for a worthy
highly commended in this year’s Judges’ Special Award
A
Engaging people is vital here. With this
t Reading-based Robert Bion & Co,
within 24 hours (KPI-measured) and can
perforating is a way of life. Indeed,
switch capacity on and off quickly – a third
in mind, the production team, consisting of
the products passing through its factory are
(night) shift can be activated with seven
multi-skilled, transferable operators, has
all around: light fittings, audio panels,
days’ notice, for example. Visibility is short,
the opportunity to identify one key item
baking trays, cooker grilles, microwave
typically around two or three weeks,
per week that it feels will most improve
doors, exhaust tubes and electronics
demanding a flexible manufacturing facility
efficiency.
enclosures, to name but a few. And while
capable of absorbing extreme variation in
making holes in metal or plastic sounds
throughput. For instance, Bion perforates
using an external training organisation for
easy enough, there are many complex
60 billion holes in 4,000 tonnes of material
skills development which is based on the
factors at work here to ensure the barriers
per annum on a make-to-order basis, but
Acas line manager model. It has the goal
to entry for potential competitors remain
May this year saw twice the invoiced sales
of increasing the bonus pool (linked to
high. With a staff of 28, investment levels
of April without any lengthening of lead
uptime, scrap, delivery performance and
run at around £150,000 per employee, for
times.
customer rejects) by making individuals
example. Furthermore, all products are
Responsiveness is part of the privately-
bespoke, a mix of repeaters or unique
owned company’s 3R customer satisfaction
specification, while the varying sectors
strategy, with Reliability and (low) Risk the
served all require different product
other two. Price is also important and
characteristics.
although Bion aims to have the lowest
At Bion, there are three perforating lines
accountable for their actions. Bion also
costs in the market, it sets itself apart with
offering 80, 160 and 250 tonne pressing
added value, production engineering and
force, while further operations can include
quality leadership. All of this bolsters the
notching, levelling, shearing and forming.
company’s rising UK market share, which
Levelling is a particular skill set cloaked in
currently stands at 10-15%.
secrecy. It’s notoriously difficult to predict
Additionally, the company is currently
Other market differentiators
how material will react to perforation
include in-house tooling design
without contravening flatness tolerances.
and manufacture, allowing Bion
But by using Bion’s expertise together with
to react quickly to convert a
specialist levelling equipment costing
tool from 0.6mm thick mild
operates an open-door
around £300,000, it’s possible to anticipate
steel to 2.0mm aluminium, for
policy and a suggestion
and prevent unwanted effects such as
instance. What’s more, skills
curvature. Other contributing factors include
such as these sometimes allow Bion to find
that the average length of service is an
special tooling alignment methodology, and
means of producing high quality products
impressive 11.5 years.
a partnership with Brunel University to
from cheaper and/or more readily available
develop software that models the
material, giving further competitive gain.
is better business performance. Earlier this
perforating process, enabling understanding
Other systems deployed include TPM,
year, a shift team leader gained a Six Sigma
of factors such as cutting clearances, slug
process planning, OEE, SMED, SPC and an
green belt following a project funded in
retention and hole distortion.
energy use reduction programme, making
conjunction with MAS. The participant
this an engineering plant of distinction.
championed a team involving setters,
In this market, business responsiveness
is vital. Accordingly, Bion provides quotes
www.bestfactoryawards.co.uk
As well as being passionate about
scheme. No wonder then
The ultimate goal for all Bion initiatives
toolroom and maintenance staff to reduce
perforating, Bion is also passionate about
scrap around one of Bion’s largest
its people. New starters are carefully
customers, from 4.8% to 2.5%, largely by
nurtured, with an appraisal after 13 weeks
reducing process variables. In fact, last year
followed by quarterly reviews. A
Bion won a regional best practice award
comprehensive induction and roll-out
from MAS, with meriting factors including
training plan offers continual development
visual management, the company bonus
via internal and external providers. There’s
system, SMED and Six Sigma. This is a
also a profit-related reward scheme.
distinguished UK SME in every sense. ■
BFA-33
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Celebrating manufacturing
Factory of the Year 2011
Sponsored by Toyota Material Handling UK
Best Household & General
Products Plant
Winner:
Parker Hannifin Manufacturing
Sponsored by Works Management
Best Process Plant
Highly Commended:
Aimia Foods
Winner:
Parker Hannifin Manufacturing
Sponsored by Schaeffler
Winner:
Fujifilm Speciality Ink Systems
Highly Commended:
CooperVision
Best Engineering Plant
Best SME
Sponsored by Totally Engineering
Winner:
Camfil Farr
Sponsored by Zurich
Best Electronics & Electrical Plant
People Management Award
Sponsored by New Electronics
Sponsored by Kronos
Winner:
Carl Zeiss NTS
Winner:
Carl Zeiss NTS
Highly Commended:
Brüel & Kjaer VTS
Skills Development Award
Winner: Aimia Foods
Sponsored by EAL
Highly Commended:
CareFusion
Organised by:
34-BFA
Supported by:
Winner:
Aimia Foods
Headline sponsor:
Sponsored by:
www.bestfactoryawards.co.uk
P034-35_AwardListing.qxp:Layout 1
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Page 35
THE AWARDS
excellence
Supply Chain Award
Energy & Environment Award
Sponsored by DHL Supply Chain
Sponsored by ABB
Winner:
CareFusion
Winner:
Barfoots of Botley
Most Improved Plant
Highly Commended:
Camfil Farr
Sponsored by PP Electrical Systems
Winner:
Aimia Foods
Judges’ Special Award
Sponsored by Cranfield School of Management
Health & Safety Award
Winner:
H C Starck
Sponsored by IOSH
Winner:
Carl Zeiss NTS
Highly Commended:
Arla Foods UK
Highly Commended:
Camfil Farr
Highly Commended:
ConvaTec
Highly Commended:
H C Starck
Highly Commended:
Gurit
Innovation Award
Highly Commended:
Robert Bion & Co
Sponsored by DAK Consulting
Winner:
CooperVision
www.bestfactoryawards.co.uk
BFA-35
P036_WMSP_OCT11
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Page 1
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