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In-house manufacturing exhibitions, Open Days, Roadshows, events
News Release from: Oliver Wight Europe Associates
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 07 February 2007
Record numbers at Oliver Wight event
72 delegates from more than 50 companies were at the winter convention of the Oliver Wight EAME Proven Path Club to hear business success stories from leading companies across a range of industries
72 delegates from more than 50 companies were at the winter convention of the Oliver Wight EAME Proven Path Club to hear business success stories from leading companies across a diverse range of industries - from utilities and food to distribution and logistics, engineering and chemicals Inspirational case study presentations at the conference's east Midlands venue also had an international flavour with presenters and their subject matter coming from as far afield as Holland, Poland Spain and Brazil, as well as the UK
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 7 Aug 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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The speaker programme included npower, Heinz, CAT Logistics, DSM NeoResins and Perkins Engines.
Gerard de Bruijn from Heinz was presented with two Class A milestone awards by Oliver Wight EAME president Andrew Purton - Heinz's Netherlands and Poland operations achieved Class A for 'Capable Integrated Business Management' this summer, just 12 months after setting out on their Class A journey.
The company which calls its Integrated Business Management programme Heinz Business Management (HBM) is now delivering performance metrics of between 95 and 99 percent right across its Northern European operation.
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Gerard de Bruijn, Heinz HBM leader for continental Europe: "80% of HBM is content and 20% organisation; it's not just a process".
"A 24-month horizon allows us to pre-empt any potential gaps in performance and we now have between 20 and 30 high-end products in development a year".
Meanwhile, Trevor Yeoman, business excellence programme leader at npower says Integrated Business Management has turned the 8,500-employee company into 'retail business with a single agenda'.
Faced with dramatic changes in market dynamics and a new CEO, plus major company restructure and increasing shareholder demands, nPower implemented Integrated Business Management to align its business and raise the bar on performance.
Just six months into the programme, the company's CEO, David Threlfall is already describing Integrated Business Management as "the way we run our business".
Programme manager, Massimo Stanghellini says success has come from deep within the organisation "Individuals and teams have become re-energised; they take ownership and their activities are fully aligned to the company's KPIs".
Engine manufacturer, Perkins - which employs 2,700 staff at its HQ in Peterborough, and manufactures in the USA and Brazil as well as the UK - evolved its Sales and Operations Planning process into an Integrated Business Management process using the Oliver Wight 6th Edition model.
Dawn Dent, Integrated Business Manager: "The Integrated Business Management process ensures we proactively manage risks and opportunities to our financial performance; we can be certain we've got the right product mix and we have much greater confidence in our forecasts all the way down to accountable profit".
At CAT Logistics' Spanish operation, Integrated Business Management is supported by a series of integrated databases for the company's training, planning and CI processes, allowing self-assessment to become a regular, employee-owned activity, underpinning a continuous improvement mentality in the business.
The company achieved Class A standard in September.
Kirsty Braines, European supply chain and business manager: "The 'Wow' factor inspired by the programme cannot be overstated".
"The databases reinforce people's behaviour and we have a totally committed workforce with a very low attrition rate".
At DSM Neoresins, which manufactures additives for paints and adhesives, being 'best in class' is not a matter choice but of survival.
The Dutch company which depends heavily on new product introduction for its market-leading position has achieved Class A in all five chapters of the 5th edition checklist after a 14 year relationship with Oliver Wight; it is now making plans to move onto the sixth edition.
DSM Neoresins recently conducted an independent audit of its company culture and recorded record results.
Human resources manager Stef Wilders says, "It's not individuals but teams which deliver results and that's how people are recognised and rewarded".
"We have created a 'positive culture of discontent,' which allows us to drive continuous improvement".
In 2005 a surge in demand was matched with a sudden shortfall in the availability of raw materials causing the company's usual 95%-plus on-time-in-full (OTIF) performance to drop significantly.
Senior business director Sjack Griffioen says, "Our customers helped us during that period but Class A saved us because the willingness to put things right was already in place".
'Orders-on-request' was restored to a sustainable 95%-plus inside 12 months.
The next Proven Path club meetings are Thursday 8th March and Thursday 29th November, 2007.
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