The history of process thinking can be traced back to Henry Ford, who improved the manufacturing process of his Ford cars by lining up the assembly steps in process sequences. This revolutionised the manufacturing process and made motor cars affordable for a much wider audience. In the 1980s, the founder of Toyota developed a system for manufacturing and logistics that could improve the way the company worked, reducing waste and improving productivity. This system was the basis for the Lean management philosophy, which has been of great value to many industries – including the liquid packaging industry.
Sidel uses Lean and Six Sigma methodology at all of its production sites to reduce lead times and improve efficiency and quality - all of which benefits beverage producers worldwide.
In pursuit of operational excellence
Simply put, Lean is about minimising waste and working smarter in order to maximise customer value, while Six Sigma focuses on creating consistent processes. In other words, while Lean promotes greater speed and efficiency, Six Sigma focuses on improved quality. Together they allow a company to maximise productivity and improve the customer satisfaction.
A mindset, not just a methodology
Through training courses such as the Lean and Six Sigma Academy, introduction courses and training, more than one hundred Sidel employees have now been introduced to these new principles and methodology and many of them certified as Lean Specialists, Six Sigma “Green and Black Belts”.
Andrea Forzenigo has been pleased to see how the different teams across the global organisation have embraced the challenge to support beverage producers’ different needs. “Lean is much more than training programmes. They are a way of working and a mindset. People at Sidel have been encouraged to see ways that they can improve processes, eliminate inefficiencies and create value for our customers in the beverage industry. Most of the results we’ve achieved are because we’ve turned people’s good ideas into standardised processes globally,” he says.
Continuous improvement
This way of working is far from a one-off initiative and Andrea Forzenigo continues to look at how Sidel can improve its work processes for the benefit of beverage producers everywhere.
Lean principles have been implemented at all Sidel international centres of excellence. The methodology has been used to ensure that all equipment and services meet the needs and demands of beverage manufacturers, both as complete lines and standalone solutions.
