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The Manufacturing Performance Masterclass (held at Accolade Wines) brought manufacturing professionals together to discuss methods for Right First Time manufacturing.

A keynote address from Richard Lloyd, general manager of Accolade Wines, told how the company uses lean tools and initiatives, clear strategy and people to shape its change agenda. Delegates were inspired by a 5S Grand Prix board, displaying (from track positions) which department was doing better in terms of 5S. Lloyd concluded that to bring about change you must inspire and engage with your team.

There were presentations from Yeo Valley,Wrigley UK, Seven Seas, Chivas Brothers, Cardiff Business School and Spirax Sarco, covering their approach to lean programmes and to Right First Time. Dr Nick Rich explored the foundations of Right First Time, and a case study from Grant Forbes of Seven Seas explained how the company involves staff in manufacturing; from marketing to shop floor. The morning ended with 'The Search for Perfection' at Wrigley UK, by lean coach Simon Billett. In the afternoon Steve Welch from Yeo Valley shared his experience of getting a lean programme off the ground. The company initially opted for a Kaizen blitz, and saw results going up and down. They couldn't get people involved, and the outcome was disappointing. They then tried several tools (from 5S to A3s) before finding what was most appropriate for Yeo Valley's needs.

Alan France, operations director of Idhammar Systems explained how accurate real-time shop-floor performance measurement can identify and quantify the large losses which can occur when production runs fail to produce products which are right first time (RFT). Following this, Dave McVittie of Chivas Brothers ran through an OEE system, demonstrating why an automated system is essential for a fast pace manufacturing company.

The main conclusion drawn: It's all very well to strive for Right First Time, but in order to begin to seek perfection, it's necessary to engage with staff at all levels and involve them in the lean journey from the start.