QJS (UK) Ltd: Food Hygiene Systems & Equipment

The Challenges and Clarity’s Workplace Assessment.

QJS engaged with Clarity as they were entering an exciting chapter of their company history. QJS was developing quickly into new markets across Continental Europe and their product range had grown to provide the most comprehensive range the company had ever offered. However, the challenge was to ensure that the Operations team could continue to manufacture and distribute the increased volumes and variety of products, whilst maintaining their market-leading delivery promises, and ensure that this could continue to scale as the company accelerated its growth. There had been previous engagement with Lean consultants, and although this had provided an awareness of some of the constraints in their process, it had failed to engage all levels of the team in a desire to change behaviours and embrace a new way of working to eliminate them.

Clarity conducted an on-site assessment and in addition to observing over-processing, excess inventory, lack of Standard work, lack of clarity between inter-departmental communication and a need for improved 5S Workplace Organisation, we also identified three ‘quick wins’:

1. Review departmental KPIs and targets and enhance two-way communication through daily meetings.
2. Establish a 5S culture with a programme of auditing to self-sustain.
3. Improve hose reel changeover through SMED methodology to increase productivity and engage the team with further Kaizen opportunities.

The Results

In the words of Dan Turner, QJS Managing Director, Clarity ‘changed the culture’ in their Operations department. Easy words to say, but Dan knows this involved a journey which Clarity supported them on over many months and continues today.

Dan knew to change mindsets the Operation’s team needed to know whether they were winning or losing, not in generalised terms, but in tangible KPI’s that were tracked and discussed daily. This was already the norm in the Sales, Marketing and Finance departments, but Operations had been left behind. Clarity worked with the team to identify what should be measured, and then coached them how to manage what they were measuring. Daily ‘start-of-shift’ meetings around highly visual and interactive visual management were combined with coaching to create effective countermeasure actions and Continuous Improvement opportunities.

Clarity went on to work with the team to embed 5S Workplace Organisation, Standard Work, Visual Management, and improved Flow. We also worked with the team to help them identify how they could reduce hose changeover time through the application of SMED.

The tangible results are impressive, such as helping QJS to reduce ‘stock days’ by 34%. However, Dan would be the first to say it is the less tangible culture change of embedding a mindset that wants to continually eliminate waste.