Heineken cider plant training boosts efficiency

31-Oct-2011 - Last updated on 19-Aug-2020 at 08:34 GMT

Power to the bottle: Heineken says its operator asset care programme is already delivering impressive results

The Bulmers cider plant in Hereford has been through big changes since it was acquired by Heineken from Scottish & Newcastle in 2009 but more are on the way.

Ian Jordan, head of total productive management at the factory, shared the firm's vision for growth and improved efficiency during a recent visit organised by lean manufacturing consultancy MCP. Key to the firm's plan is its operator asset care (OAC) programme.In this exclusive podcast, Jordan tells Rod Addy about important areas of OAC at the factory, which makes brands such as Bulmers Original, Woodpecker and Strongbow.

Best performing

£500,000 has been injected into its training budget. The plant's kegging area has been used as a pilot zone for implementing the beefed up OAC tutoring and this had yielded promising results, said Jordan. "It's actually now the best performing keg line in Heineken UK, which is a great success for the operators that work there."
Operational performance indicators on the line were much improved and the latest annual staff survey showed operator engagement and involvement have increased dramatically on previous years.
For more on Heineken Hereford's efficiency drive, don't miss the November issue of our sister title Food Manufacture. To order your free copy, telephone 0800 652 6512.