Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank Donations
Nonprofits Lean on Efficient Training
Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank donations used to sit for 92 days before being provided to those in need. With Lean Six Sigma, Akron-Canton now gets donations into the hands of those who need it within 39 days. While the Operations Manager believes more time can be cut, this is a huge improvement over the past 12 months! The process includes sorting, inspecting, packing and delivering the food.
Brasil Canasul
Lean Leads to Sweet Results for Brazilian Sugarcane Supplier
Brasil Canasul, a Brazilian sugar-cane supplier, was tasked to introduce a third shift in order to fulfill a client’s production requirement. After a few months, they noticed several issues including poor productivity, high downtime level, increased staff turnover, and customer complaints. Introducing Lean methodology helped evaluate their process, increase efficiency, and ultimately boost their production.
Crossroads Kombucha
Keeping Crossroads Kombucha Lean and Clean Using Six Sigma
In Fort Wayne, Indiana, Robert Johnson and Tom Brookshire, a 10 year practitioner of Six Sigma, look to put Crossroads Kombucha on the map and aim to compete with its west coast rivals. Johnson, suffering from tendinitis shares his story on how kombucha helped end his pain, “I couldn’t afford to buy bottles for all of us (his family).” So he found a recipe and went to work. Three batches later came success!
It wasn’t long before he partnered with Brookshire with one goal: Take MillerCoors in America’s title of most efficient bottling line in the U.S. Over the past few weeks both Johnson and Brookshire have been installing equipment in the warehouse. “We designed it with it being as efficient as possible,” Johnson says. From eliminating steps in movement to improving transporation time of their flavor tanks by mounting wheels on them, The 8 Wastes stand no match. With targeted growth of $20M by 2022, we’re wishing Crossroads Kombucha the best of fortune in their future!
Deschutes Brewery
Brewing beers in Oregon and distrusting to 21 other states, Deschutes is a craft brewery founded in 1988. During an operations walk through in 2013, it was determined that there was a problem in box cutting and packaging. Technical director, Kris Scholl, stopped the line and questioned how the problem could be stopped. With Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma quality systems, the brewery now has consistency and the once small company now has big buy-ins!
Food Packaging
Encouraging News in Food Packaging Safety
“There’s welcome news from packaging material converters that have received formal certification of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP-based) food safety programs in their manufacturing facilities.” HACCP uses similar concepts to Lean and Six Sigma. The certification applies a team-based approach to analyze all aspects of processes, identifies and clarifies possible hazards and controls with monitoring and evaluation.
Importance of Food Packaging in Food Industry
Living standards are on the rise in developing countries and while daily living standards rise, so are food safety and health standards. Software applications play a huge role in advanced food packaging and that’s when Lean Six Sigma is called to help track performances.
Improving Operations Can Save Real Dough
“The food industry is under constant pressure to reduce operating expenses, shorten lead times, improve flexibility and increase throughput.” In this industry, ready-to-eat food, packaging and shipping needs to “do more with less.” Many food industries are now realizing they can benefit from the tools used in Lean and Six Sigma methodologies.
Kids’ Food Basket
Tapping Local Champions Drives Fundraising Success for Kids’ Food Basket
Kids’ Food Basket is a nonprofit organization attacking childhood hunger in West Michigan. Kids’ Food Basket averages 175 volunteers each day and engages more than 20,000 volunteers yearly. In 2009, to accommodate the support and growth of Kids’ Food Basket, Jay Ertl, who serves as the board treasurer and CFO at the nonprofit, brought Lean Six Sigma to the baskets to help identify and remove waste from its business processes.
Jubilant Foodworks
Jubilant Networks Deploys Six Sigma to Limit Food Inflation to 5-6% Per Annum
Ajay Kaul, CEO of Jubilant Foodworks (which operates Domino’s Pizza in India) discusses how he has deployed Six Sigma on a large scale to keep food inflation in check. This limits food price increases to no more than 5-6% in a single year, important in a country with a 7% consumption-drive economy.
Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods – Impact of Cost Management Decisions
Kraft Foods implemented a Lean Six Sigma program two years ago and has recently upped its commitment to the Lean Six Sigma program. The company is presently facing hurdles in a competitive environment. A focus on improving efficiency and eliminating waste will allow Kraft to cut costs from within the production chain rather than closing plants.
LeanPath
Eliminating 20M Pounds of Food Waste With LeanPath
Not only has LeanPath helped save over 20 million pounds in food waste since 2014, he’s also creating a platform for food providers to approach food waste on a more strategic level. And that all starts with the conversation.
Mondelez International, Inc.
Mondelez (MDLZ) to Invest $24M to Expand Plant in Turkey
Mondelez International, Inc. will invest $24 million to expand manufacturing to Turkey. With a new plant in Turkey, the production capacity will increase 20%. In addition to the expansion plans, the supply-chain reinvention plan will include Lean Six Sigma plans to improve driving productivity.
Mondelez International Opens New $30 Million Manufacturing ‘Line of the Future’ in Poland
Earlier this month, Mondelez International opened a new $30 million state-of-the-art chocolate production line here to capitalize on growing demand in its European confectionery business. The plant in Skarbimierz, Poland has been operating for over 20 years and is the first Polish plant to implement Lean Six Sigma to “develop team capabilities and drive a high-performing culture.”
Nestle
Nestle USA: Manufacturing That Sustains
Complying is resource-intensive, so Nestle set out to consolidate its way of managing its standards and all management practices. A new program called Nestle Continuous Excellence (NCE) is being implemented across all plants. It’s a management system that consolidates the principles of Lean Manufacturing, Total Productive Management, Six Sigma, 5S and other methods familiar to followers of the Toyota Production System and other quality and productivity disciplines.
Pal’s Sudden Service
The Secret Sauce in Pal’s Sudden Service’s Success? Streamlining.
Pal’s Sudden Service was a Tennessee-based, burgers-and-fries, drive-thru-only fast-food chain, founded in 1956. The chain grew to 26 locations and had one focus: the customer. Founder Pal Barger and CEO Thom Crosby were said to be obsessed with using Lean techniques to eliminate waste, reduce human error, and simplify processes. During peak hours, cars and trucks pulled away from Pal’s, bag in hand, every 14 seconds. The success came from efficient design, simple menu offerings, and the nonexistence of electronics.
Red Fire Farms
Lean Farming Techniques Help Farmers Expand Efficiently
For the past 27 years, Red Fire Farm owner Ryan Voiland has tried everything to keep his 200 acre farm alive and well. When large cooperate growers began to put pressure on produce prices, Voiland turned to lean farming to help keep his business afloat. While implementing lean principles, Voiland was able to remove muda – excess waste – and improve turnaround time.
