There was plenty of food for thought for delegates who attended the Improving Efficiency in Food Manufacturing event, which took place in Chipping Campden on Thursday 18th October. There was a great deal of discussion and exchange of ideas for implementing lean principles, as well as an emphasis on the importance of complete and total commitment to process improvement and monitoring.
A key point was the role management should play in the whole process improvement strategy. A profound knowledge of the product, the processes and what makes the company tick is imperative for enlightened and successful leadership – that means you don’t make a statement or make a move without the data to back it up. Management must take the time to assess the current situation and find out where the inefficiencies are before formulating plans for improvement. Following on from this theme, The Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) gave a lively presentation which was reminiscent of the lectures led by the late, great quality guru, W. Edwards Deming.
