SOFTWARE & SYSTEMS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
HARFORD CONTROL
Can Sustainability Drive Factory Performance Improvement ?
Instant , prioritised information , giving end to end visibility of production processes , will help to improve performance and become more sustainable
Sustainability can have different meanings for different people . Some manufacturers actively develop strategies to reduce their impact on the planet , with companies such as Diageo , Unilever and Müller already achieving great success . Other manufacturers are being squeezed in the middle with rising input prices ; raw material and energy prices , plus increased labour rates , yet with little or no opportunity to pass these on to their supermarket customers . Against such a demanding backdrop , it is hard for manufacturers to see sustainability as an immediate priority .
Retailers Re-Evaluate their Suppliers
Retailers are battling for market share , adjusting to changing costs and consumer behaviour . Tesco announced the closure of the remainder of a few areas such as meat , fish and hot deli counters , affecting 2100 jobs while Asda is making changes to in-store Post Office outlets , night shifts and pharmacies , putting 300 jobs at risk . Apart from making internal structural changes , some supermarkets review their suppliers in an effort to discover more affordable and environmentally friendly solutions . Suppliers to supermarkets need to understand that “ more efficient ” manufacturers are always competing for their shelf space .
Manufacturers must look inwards to streamline processes and reduce costs , with sustainability key to both climate change and competitiveness .
Can Sustainability Drive Performance Improvement ?
Leveraging sustainable manufacturing practices helps factories to reduce waste , improve operational efficiency , ensure quality compliance and gain competitive advantage . A Deloitte survey reported that almost half of 750 executives claimed that their environmental sustainability initiatives measurably boosted their financial performance . Andreas Müller , Group CEO
Manufacturers must look inwards to streamline processes and reduce costs , with sustainability key to both climate change and competitiveness .
of Georg Fischer , stated that ‘ sustainability is definitely a driver for economic success .’
Sustainability is such a big area . Where can manufacturers start ?
Sustainability Starts with Visibility - ‘ You can ’ t improve what you can ’ t see ’
Sustainability can ’ t be achieved without visibility . Even though we often talk about Industry 4.0 , many manufacturers still use paper to record production line activity . The lack of visibility of information captured on paper , as well as the time lag between recording and reporting , often lead to unnecessary rework , rejects , wastage , and generally higher production costs . Furthermore , manually recorded data requires a significant amount of paper , hastening the destruction of forests and increasing greenhouse-gas emissions . Food and drink industry is the UK ’ s largest manufacturing sector , accounting for more than 30 % of total greenhouse gas emissions .
Whether it ’ s for improving performance or helping with climate issues , manufacturers need to bring sustainability to their agenda . You can ’ t improve what you don ’ t measure and you can ’ t improve what you don ’ t see ( real time visibility ). Change should begin with a ‘ root and branch ’ evaluation , coupled with real-time visibility of actual performance . In this way , non-conformances , overfills , poor efficiencies and other forms of wastage quickly become obvious and actionable before defective products reach the retailer , where they could become even more costly batch rejections .
Harford Paperless Quality solutions provide instant visibility of actionable information for factories . Managers and operators are firmly in control of the production processes . With Harford ’ s Traffic Lights , operators are able to find out the root cause of downtime with our 5 Whys and Fish Bone diagrams ( Ishikawa ) analysis , in real time . Our in-depth granular ‘ drill down ’ tools provide most of the help required to find and fix the root cause of problems .
More Sustainable , More Profitable
For a sustainable future , manufacturers must become more efficient , less wasteful and reduce costs without compromising quality . We have enormous experience in helping manufacturers to improve their profits and become more sustainable . To find out more , call our team on 01225 764461 or visit www . harfordcontrol . com .
For further information , please visit www . harfordcontrol . com
136 PECM Issue 61