| Client: Major Canadian Brewery Engaged in Bottling of Beer Products |
Client Success Stories
Charles Brooks Associates, Inc
| BACKGROUND: The Packing area had just completed a major machinery change and production line redesign project. The production line workforce was decreased by 50%. Employee morale was very low because of a poor union/management relationship. Efficiencies and overall productivity on the bottling line were below expectations and requirements to meet sales and on-time customer deliveries. There was significant operator and maintenance variability in set-up, changeover, operating techniques and work management. Preventative Maintenance routines were found to be substandard due to the lack of detailed procedures. ASSESSMENT by CBA: Charles Brooks Associates conducted a brief analysis which revealed: • Average production efficiency below 67%; • Specific records of machine downtime were not available; • Lack of management, supervisory, operator, and maintenance training; • Inconsistent operator set-up, changeover, and operating techniques; • Several opportunities for safety and housekeeping improvements were discovered. ACTIONS: CBA assisted in developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) for operators. CBA developed a process, that through the use of Crew Manager check sheets facilitated detailed manager/operator communication. CBA established a process to monitor, categorize and react to machine downtime. CBA assisted in developing action teams to resolve issues identified in daily production meetings. CBA developed startup and shutdown procedures for the bottling line. CBA developed Defined Equipment Standards for all of the equipment on the production line and established training techniques to deliver the information to maintenance personnel. RESULTS: Eight percent improvement in bottling efficiency performance (72% vs 66%). Sixteen percent increase in bottling output (8.8 HL/manhr vs. 10.3 HL/manhr). Because of the improved efficiency and output performance, the need for additional employees normally required during the busy summer season was eliminated |
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