Reliable Manufacturing Helps Bakkavör Achieve Rapid Transformation
Change management consultancy, Reliable Manufacturing, have been helping food manufacturer, Bakkavör, drive performance improvements at its Lincolnshire plants, with such success other Bakkavör businesses are now considering rolling out the program
Online, February 2, 2011 (Newswire.com) - With the help of change management consultants, Reliable Manufacturing, food manufacturer Bakkavör is driving improvements in output and efficiency at two of its Lincolnshire operations. The company has realised a full return on investment in less than nine months.
Bakkavör is a leading international food manufacturing group, specialising in freshly prepared foods and produce. Its Fresh Meals Solutions division makes prepared meals for the major supermarket chains, and has two sites in Lincolnshire: 'Cucina' in Boston and 'Freshcook' in Holbeach). The economic downturn had put the company under pressure to introduce synergies across the two factories in order to improve productivity and profitability. Bakkavör approached specialist change management consultants, Reliable Manufacturing to implement its Rapid Transformation Programme to engage the company's people in proactive problem solving and improvement action.
The results have been quick to arrive, says HR Manager, Siobhan Richards: "Nine months in to the programme, the payback is already greater than the investment cost, with even more impressive results in the pipeline."
Reliable Manufacturing's Rapid Transformation Programme incorporates a series of engagement workshops featuring The Manufacturing Game, a proven industry-developed simulation for accelerated learning, designed to help drive change across an organisation.
"As well as the impressive financial benefits we're seeing, the workshops have transformed key working relationships," says Operations Manager, Nigel McGinn. "It is a fun and memorable way to learn, which is why it has been so effective."
Reliable Manufacturing Managing Director, Andrew Fraser, says: "The workshops allowed the Bakkavör executive and middle management teams to simulate real-life scenarios from their business and to establish the principles of 'systems thinking' - how the actions of one area impacts another area of the business."
As a result, improvement teams were launched to address a range of specific problem opportunities - from changes in the supply of raw materials all the way through to improvements within the invoicing system. The benefits have already shown through in improved output, better yields and reduced costs.
Following the rapid turnaround in culture and performance, other Bakkavör businesses are now exploring the benefit of the programme for their operations.