Driving a culture of manufacturing excellence
Context and Challenge
Plant in operation since 1952 and was acquired by Group in 1999
Additional major capital investment was required, but could not be justified at current operational level
There was inconsistent production (OEE ~70%) which resulted in high costs and damage to market reputation
There was a significant threat of dumped cement, but company unable to make case for protection without demonstrating ability to reliably meet local demand
The Group had a very specific production challenge across its three regional plants, and this one plant bore a significant part of that challenge—7% increase over best-demonstrated practice
Plant had very strong embedded unionized culture that was resistant to change and outside intervention
Results Delivered
Approach
Evolve supported a one-year manufacturing excellence program with two Evolve consultants and 8 internal consultants
The program focused primarily on the following workstreams:
Plant Management: Installing a business management system to provide the platform to manage overall business performance
OEE & Energy Improvements: Delivering an annualised increase in production of clinker. Delivering an additional electricity and fuel benefit
Maintenance: Delivering an improvement in availability and installing an effective maintenance management system to provide the maintenance platform to deliver the production improvements
Statistical Process Control: Installing an effective SPC system owned by Production to provide the platform to deliver the production improvements
Leadership & Communications: Delivering an effective communication plan to ensure engagement of local businesses and communities. Delivering a competency framework to drive improved technical and management capabilities for the production & maintenance teams.
“We have been trying to achieve this for two years. With this approach we completed it in four months”