Manufacturing Plant Goes From Worst to Best in Division
Organization – James River Corporation, a Fortune 200 Paper & Packaging Manufacturing Company
Issue – This manufacturing site was last in every key performance indicator — safety, quality, productivity, cost reduction, and earnings. If it could not be turned around it was most likely going to be shut down. Directly contributing to low performance was misaligned leadership and a non-collaborative culture built on confrontation.
Outcome – In less than 18-months the site went from last to first in every area:
- Sales: 17% increase
- Safety: 92% reduction
- Quality: 25% improvement
- Productivity: Up by 25%
- Costs: Decreased by 12%
- Profit: 11% increase; the facility became the most profitable plant in the division.
Process – A Powered by The Human Element® methodology was applied gradually to the leadership team and the plant employees, including two different labor unions. The Human Element® was used to introduce and utilize key aspects of leadership development, concordance decision-making and to create a culture of openness and personal accountability.
Consultant/Company – Russ Salzer, Licensed Human Element Practitioner, Owner, 3YG
Country – U.S.A.