Bakkavör bids to relieve pressure

Bakkavor, an international food manufacturing group specialising in freshly prepared foods and produce needed to introduce synergies across the two factories in order to improve productivity and profitability. With the help of management change consultancy Reliable Manufacturing, improvement teams were launched to address a range of specific problem opportunities – from changes in the supply of raw materials to improvements within the invoicing system. The benefits have already shown through in improved output, better yields and reduced costs and the company claims to have realised a full return on investment in less than nine months. HR Manager, Siobhan Richards says: "Nine months in to the programme, the payback is already greater than the investment cost, with even more impressive results in the pipeline." The change programme incorporated a series of engagement workshops featuring The Manufacturing Game, a 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 MD, Andrew Fraser (pictured), says the workshops allowed executives 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. Other Bakkavör businesses are now exploring the benefit of the programme for their operations.