Covid-19: Food supplier rapidly increases output by 30%
Food sector demand increase
Our client is an award-winning food manufacturer for the healthcare and complementary markets. They produce meals for customers and patients. A trusted partner to the NHS for patient and restaurant dining they also operate in the private healthcare, education and care markets.
Background
The Covid-19 pandemic of 2020 led to an enormous and rapid strain on NHS capacity. This resulted in additional temporary ‘Nightingale’ hospitals being established in several locations within the United Kingdom. As a key food supplier to the NHS and private healthcare sectors and therefore a business of ‘Key Workers’, our client needed to scale up to satisfy a sharp increase (over 30%) in demand for its chilled and frozen products.
In order to meet this demand increase, special intervention and action was required. In a time where all employees were understandably concerned for their own wellbeing, this intervention would require strong situational leadership, ensuring that the ‘team’ were fully supported in every way.
Solution
Spitfire were engaged to undertake two specific roles:
1. Project Manage the delivery of ‘quick win’ capacity improvement actions across the Value Stream key process areas:
Decant
Kitchen & Bakery
Chillers
Packing
with focused improvements also in Production Planning and Engineering.
2. Directly support the Manufacturing Manager through the implementation of best practice performance management processes and governance focusing the cross functional management team on the tactical actions required to achieve the increased production rates in order to meet customer demand.
Key Deliverables
Through a 6-week period of both on-site and remote support, Spitfire directly delivered:
Implementation of the process and Governance to manage and deliver 31 improvement actions.
Implementation of Short Interval Control process and 2 hourly production decision making governance.
Implementation of Minimum Job Role for the Factory Manager to drive the right balance of daily actions and behaviours.
Development of the leading and lagging KPIs and the Visual Management Centre to support improved focus to the Daily Operations Review.
Supported the Operations team in the delivery of the required increase in customer demand.
Supported the Operations team in maximising productivity through the period of high demand.
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