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[November 2004]
H&R Johnson Leads by Example
One of the Potteries’ most celebrated manufactures threw open its doors recently, as part of a special ‘Exemplar’ visit organised by the Ceramic Industry Forum (CIF).
Designed to provide a complete overview on the merits of lean manufacturing, the three-day programme of activities took in a guided tour of H&R Johnson, including a simulation exercise and an energetic address by Roy Hodgkinson, Manufacturing and Technology Director for the company.
Over 14 representatives from Baggeridge Brick, Hansen, Ibstock, Wedgwood and Johnson Matthey were on hand to discover more about the various techniques and tools employed, the benefits of increased communication and the virtues of supply chain management.
Colin Copeland, CIF Engineer, picked up the story:
“’Exemplar’ provides an all round picture of a chosen topic, from developing the right strategy, to identifying measures and final implementation. And what better way to teach it than by using leaders in manufacturing.”
He continued: “H&R Johnson, which was joined on the programme by visits to Robinson Packaging and Nicholls Foods, was chosen because of its company-wide culture to continuous improvement and the significant buy-in of its workforce.”
Delegates were encouraged to put what they had seen into practice by tapping into the Ceramic Industry Forum’s raft of services, including ‘University on the Shopfloor’, Leading by Design and the industry-acclaimed ‘Master Class’ support.
H&R Johnson’s Roy Hodgkinson added his backing:
“The lean journey that we’ve undertaken has transformed the way that we work and, although there have been many hurdles to overcome along the way, we knew that we had to have an ‘all or nothing’ approach to lean, in order to reap the benefits.
“We invested heavily in the best technology that was available in the industry and we changed to running the factory on a 24/7 basis, a practice that was almost unheard of in the ceramics sector. By embracing the principles of lean manufacturing, we’ve now significantly reduced our costs and, as an added benefit, received lots of positive feedback from our customers about shorter lead times.”
Colin concluded: “It is extremely important for the ceramics sector to embrace best-practice manufacturing and genuinely use the skills of its workforce and the latest techniques to retain customers and win new business by becoming more competitive.”
Funded by the DTI, the Ceramic Industry Forum continues to be driven by the needs of the industry and its 800 members from the brick, tile, sanitary and whiteware sectors.
ENDS