Successful Plant VisitPrepared By:Hisham El-TawilCorporate Procurement

Innovation & Development Conference – Alexandria 15 & 16 June 2014

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Content

• Benefits of a successful Plant tour• Reasons & types of plant tours• The Visit framework• Effective tools used in the plant tours• Additional tips• Conclusion & Recommendations

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“ALMOST EVERYONE WHO LEADS, WORK, OR INTERACTS WITH A MANUFACTURING CO. CAN BENEFIT FROM SEEING A FACTORY FIRSTHAND”

David M. Upton

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“TO THE TRAINED EYE, EVEN A QUICK PLANT TOUR CAN REVEAL A LOT ABOUT A COMPANY”

Eugene Goodson

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Benefits of a Plant Tour

Senior Executives• Assess competitors• Company performance &

Strategy• Understand a Site

Performance

Managers• Review Suppliers’

qualifications• Benchmark performance &

Practices• Share Practices

Operators• See other plants & Learn• Application of learned lessons

Consultants• Increase knowledge about the

clients• Enhance experience

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Types of a Plant Tour

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To Learn

To Teach

To Assess

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Learning Tour• Focus on Practice

• Workflow• Work-In-Process levels

• Keep an Open Mind• Most learning is un-expected

• Visit plants unlike yours

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Teaching Tour• When you go to bring knowledge to the visited party

• E.g. Supplier development• Teaching in a different way

• Teaching by asking & challenging• Raising the Morale of employees

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Assessment Tour• Not to acquire knowledge but to evaluate a plant• Supplier evaluation / plant acquisition

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Visit Framework

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Visit Framework

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Strategic Role• Competitive Advantage• Plant /Company Strategy

Structural Alignment• Right Equipment• Hardware vs. Software• ERP System

Day-to-Day Management

Improvement Path

Community•Caretakers vs. Craftspeople

Systems•WIP Level

•Machines Availability

Processes•Scrap / Rework

•Products / Process Variability

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Mini Case: Textile Industry Strategy

Strategy: To Be Responsive to

Customers’ needs KPI: Tons of Fibers Produced / day

11What Do you think ??KPI: Key Performance Indicators

Rapid Plant Assessment RPAA tool for effective plant visit

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Rapid Assessment Process

Assign the team Train the team

• Training about Lean• Training about RPA

Tools• Plant tour in own

plant

Familiarize with visited

plant

• Financial Report• Website• Industry Review

Use RPA Tools

• Tools Usage• Data Presentation

& Visit reporting• Recommendations

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RPA Tools

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RPA Tools

Rating Sheet

Questionnaire

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YesLean

NoWaste

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RPA Categories

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RPA Categories

Customer Satisfaction

Safety, Env., Cleanliness & Order

Visual Mgmt. System

Scheduling System

Use of Space & Material Flow

Inventory & WIP

Team Work & Motivation

Maintenance

Management of Complexity & Variability

Supply Chain Integration

Commitment to Quality

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Customer Satisfaction• Does Workers know their customers?• How are they dealing with visitors?

• Ask Them: “Where does your product go next?”

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RPA Results Presentation

RPA Radar Chart

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10Customer Satisfaction

Safety, environment, cleanliness, &order

Visual Management Deployment

Scheduling system

Product flow, space use & materialmovement means

Inventory & WIP LevelsPeople teamwork, skill level, &

motivation

Equipment & tooling state &maintenance

Ability to Manage Complexity &Variability

Supply Chain Integration

Quality System Deployment

Series1

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Tips for a Successful RPA• NEVER take notes during the tour• Assign responsibilities among team members during the visit

RPA categories• Right down your notes immediately after the visit • Team should meet immediately after the tour• The tour provides visual information not in the documents.• Wear a watch with a stopwatch. • Assessing Waste = Improvement Opportunities

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Other Tools• Material Control / Pull System Assessment Questionnaire• Seven Waste Matrix• Value Stream Mapping

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Visit Tips

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What to wear?• Weather• Customs and Traditions • Safety equipment at plant / Special shoes• Dress Code

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Dress Code Samples

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Useful Dress Code Links• http://www.dba-oracle.com/dress_code.htm• http://www.ou.edu/oubigxii/Excellent%20Dress.pdf• http://

www.glamourdrops.com/posts/2013/07/12/dress-codes-defined-from-white-tie-to-smart-casual

• http://blog.leadapparel.com/decoding-the-dress-codeis-your-business-casual-smart-casual-or-formal/

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What after the tour?• Send a thank you letter.• Share photos & Media coverage.• Report your experience

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Conclusion• A plant tour can result in great benefit to the visitors

regardless its duration• The reason(s) and the target of the visit must be

predetermined• A visit framework should assess different managerial levels• There are different effective supporting tools for Rapid

Assessment• Training the visitors on RPA tools will result in maximized tour

benefits and consistent results

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Recommendations• Preparing a 2-days workshop to train EZDK employees on

Rapid Plant Assessments (RPA) Tools• Workshop can be customized according to managerial level

and/or function• Prepare a booklet about plant tour and visits tips and

guidance

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References• R. Eugene Goodson, TOOL KIT Read a Plant – Fast, Harvard

Business Review, May 2002.• Upton D. & Macadam S., Why (and How) to take a Plant Tour,

EBSCO Publishing, 2003

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Thank You 30

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Safe Landing