The second wave of Lean at Östrand has now been brought to a successful close. Nearly 100 people participated in the closing event where the results of the seven subprojects were proudly presented.
“This has been a fantastic demonstration and it really feels like we are on the right track. There is great commitment in the organisation and the presentations we have seen today accurately reflect the transformation that is taking place at Östrand. We are challenging ourselves, making decisions and moving forward,” enthuses Bengt Nordström, project manager of Lean Östrand.
Curiosity and commitment relating to the Lean programme permeates Östrand – a phenomenon that is clearly evident at the closing event for Wave 2. Nearly 100 people participated in the guided tour and presentations of the prioritized projects included in this wave.
The seven projects implemented in the second wave are:
- Budget Follow-up, Wood Room
- Target Quality CTMP
- 5S Wet Fibre and Warehouse
- GOA; Procedure and Structure
- Investigation PIA through GOA
- Flow, Wet Fibre and Warehouse
- Target Breakdown
“We can create new procedures for our meetings by using the tools offered by Lean, which has been a clear improvement for us at the wood room. We have developed relevant performance indicators and, in our improvement efforts, we now not only examine the reasons why something performed poorly, but we also look at the positive aspects,” says Erik Sjöblom, department manager Wood Room & Fibre.
“The greatest reward is that we have established a better dialogue and a shared view of what should be done and, as such, have intensified the focus on availability.”
Birgitta Sandström, head of system and method development at the laboratory, has served for the second time as project manager for the 5S Project (5S = sort, structure, shine, standardise and self-discipline). She points out that 5S is about more than just cleaning, sweeping and keeping things tidy.
“The core of the programme is to identify a place for all items and to label these, and to work with checklists, areas of responsibility and procedures. The ensuing result is a more efficient way of working by creating an effective workflow and open spaces where we can work,” says Birgitta. In the second wave of Lean, it has been possible to apply the 5S method to goods reception, all five stories of the bleach plant and the control room.
The Target Breakdown Project involved establishing the conditions and creating understanding for how individual employees can impact the outcome. Based on Östrand’s overriding objectives, a work model has been developed that will be applied in all areas of the organisation.
“We have progressed to the extent that we have established goals for the entire management team and all managers on the level below them. Conducting all of these performance evaluation meetings was quite a task, but we have actually completed more than we originally planned,” says a noticeably satisfied Billy Norberg, purchasing manager.
The well-attended closing event was rounded off by Bengt Nordström extending his gratitude to everyone who contributed to the carefully executed project – and of course the great commitment demonstrated by the Lean Team. He then went on to present the projects that will be included in the third Lean wave at Östrand, the implementation phase of which will commence already in early December.
Timrå, 29 November 2011
SCA ÖSTRAND
Communications
Text: Anne-Sofie Cadeskog Photo: Per-Anders Sjöquist