TRACC Practitioners’ Roundtables are an opportunity for global TRACC Community members to share continuous improvement best practices and lessons learned. At the Latin America Roundtable, held in Cali Colombia from 19 to 20 June 2019, TRACC leaders, plant managers and TRACC users from leading global organizations, including Cargill, Monsanto, Diageo, DSM, Colombina, Bayer and Coca-Cola Andina came together to network and further their TRACC journeys with fresh insights.
The two-day event consisted of four knowledge-sharing sessions that centered on three key continuous improvement best practices: 5S, Focused Improvement and Leading and Managing Change. Delegates also had the opportunity to take part in a benchmarking tour of the Colombina Biscuits and Pastries factory, as well as an exclusive coffee tasting at La Bodega del Kfe.
Sharing key learnings
The four sessions were moderated by CCi consultants, with clients from Bayer, Coca-Cola Andina and Colombina sharing successes and lessons learned on their continuous improvement journeys. The first session on the agenda focused on 5S, specifically, how to sustain it and ensure that it delivers ROI. Delegates discussed the importance of color-coding work areas; creating visual management boards featuring before and after photos of workspaces; and instituting monthly reviews to encourage teams to sustain results.
The next two sessions centered on Focused Improvement – participants discussed various problem-solving methodologies, including DMAIC, 5 Why and Fishbone diagrams, as well as when and how to successfully apply these tools. Next, participants discussed the value of undertaking loss and waste analyses and improvement projects in the early stages of the TRACC journey. Delegates agreed that instituting these improvement projects early on secures greater buy-in from employees, helps drive productivity and fosters a greater sense of purpose.
The final session focused on how to successfully steer the change initiative with the Leading and Managing Change best practice. Delegates discussed the role strong leadership plays in the improvement process; how leader standard work helps leaders drive efficiency and save time, and how high-performance coaching helps open a dialogue with employees.
The TRACC Community of Best Practice
As members of the TRACC Community, roundtable attendees have the unique opportunity to network, collaborate, innovate and share key learnings with fellow operational excellence leaders from global organizations. As one delegate put it: “Excellent opportunity to connect with other companies with whom we speak a common language of continuous improvement, good best practice sessions”. Another delegate described the event as an “excellent benchmarking opportunity”. To read the event overview and view pictures from the day, click here.