JULY 2021
SUMMER
InSite
Change for everyone If you are looking to improve the way a factory runs, not just once, but continually, then you need everyone to be involved, because you always need new ideas.
Artur Hilmi: Improvement in practice
You need people focused on how each job is done and thinking that there may be a better, faster, safer way to do it.
Artur Hilmi became Site Manager at Pollington earlier this year after joining H+H as a Shift Manager in 2018.
Those people probably won’t have “identifying risk” or “implementing improvement” in their job title. Instead, change comes from someone who thinks about their job, is prepared to make a positive suggestion, and is listened to.
Artur and his team have implemented new processes to improve the reliability of machinery, provide more opportunities for career progression and improve communication across the site. The management team now start the day with a site walk-around. They visit each workstation which gives operators the opportunity to discuss any issues. It also means managers are more aware of what is happening on the factory floor.
What I am trying to do is to make sure that H+H gives everyone the opportunity to do just that, encouraging people to use their talents and contribute. I firmly believe that the way to build a dynamic, resilient and forward-thinking business is to allow individuals to realise their potential. This is a double win: the factories operate better and the people get the opportunity to progress.
New processes have also been put in place to help those keen to progress their careers. Employees are given the chance to develop new skills and take on more responsibility where possible. Under Artur’s direction, the new steps implemented at Pollington are supporting reliable production and consistent results.
A programme of Reliability Centred Maintenance has begun to reduce unplanned downtime. Using failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA), all the possible ways a machine could fail are identified, and then measures put in place to prevent those failures.
Changing, from the ground up In this edition of InSite, we want to talk about change. It’s all too easy, particularly when you are a market leader, to believe that continued success is guaranteed by simply repeating what has been working so far.
As a result, operator care points were created on the packing line in P1. Checks are now carried out and recorded on each shift improving the reliability of the machinery and reducing the risk of breakdown.
But I absolutely challenge that way of thinking. No organisation is perfect, and improvements involve change. Anything that does not change will eventually become obsolete. Continued success requires us to embrace change and the possibility of continuous improvement.
Future thinking We have some spectacular examples of people who are grabbing their opportunities: improving their own experience and qualification by being open to a culture of change. Ultimately there will be two ways to measure the success of a Continuous Improvement programme. One is in the success of business goals and the second is in the degree to which your workforce make the most of their opportunities.
On the first measure we are looking at ambitious growth plans. Can we increase production from existing lines by 10%; can we reduce our operating costs and therefore increase our margins and our profitability? On the second we are equally ambitious. Can we embed a real career path for those with the desire and potential to take it? Can we foster an environment of teamwork and shared ambition? 2
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So far my experience at H+H has been hugely positive. I can honestly say that I have never encountered a group of people so receptive and ready to drive the business forward. Yes we have ambitious targets, but there really is no point in being half-hearted and we are making excellent progress. Phil Ball Operations Director
Neither is world-changing on its own, but every incremental improvement contributes to the overall success of our operation. And incremental improvements tend to be suggested not by executive managers, but by the experts: the people who do the job every day and are in the best position to suggest how it might be done better.
There is a balance needed, of course, and changing something just for the sake of it is a waste of energy. A mindset of positive change simply recognises that: “because we’ve always done it that way” is never a good enough answer on its own.
H+H UK Ltd Celcon House Ightham Sevenoaks Kent, TN15 9HZ
This InSite is therefore about how we are introducing a culture of positive change by getting everyone involved. Keep reading, this really is relevant to you.
When I am asked what positive change looks like, I will point to issues such as the re-organisation of our Pollington yard to improve safety; or the changes to the programming of the mixer unit in Borough Green that reduced downtime.
hhcelcon.co.uk +44 (0) 1732 886444
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Calum Forsyth, Managing Director
1 17/06/2021 11:33