Historias de éxito

Continuum Packing Solutions Packs Up a Winning Strategy for Productivity

August Edition 2024

Continuum Packing Solutions is a US-based provider of aseptic processing, filling, and packaging solutions to the beverage and food industries. Having only deployed Redzone in recent months the company is celebrating several milestone wins. 

In fact, just 90 days after deploying Redzone, Continuum set six new plant productivity records. The team running a focus line achieved an impressive 93% OEE, setting a new record for a single shift. To celebrate this milestone the plant’s managers distributed ‘Stacking Wins’ t-shirts to all employees. However, by the time the shirts arrived, the team had already broken another three records! 

Phil Powell, Director of Operations, praised Redzone for enabling real-time monitoring and improving communication, engagement, and collaboration across various teams. Powell said the tool amplified the production floor’s voice way beyond what management had expected. 

The team also recently kicked off their first Redzone productivity Kaizen, tackling post-CIP (clean-in-place) start-up time; which is their leading preventable cause for capacity loss as identified by Redzone. Under the leadership of Brian Harvey, Operations Manager, and Ashley Trunk-Wendt, Redzone Champion and Compliance & Regulatory Specialist for Leahy- IFP (CPS’ parent company), the CPS Kaizen team comprised of cross-functional team members (Batching, Operations, Maintenance, Warehouse, and Quality Assurance) set an ambitious goal of reducing start-up time by 50% and unlocking upwards of 500,000 additional cases of capacity annually! 

After understanding and observing the process, the team identified three main issues they wanted to address: narrow understanding of scope of responsibilities, gaps in communication across departments and inadequate concentration on downline activities during start-ups. To date, the team has completed 66% of all Kaizen activities, resulting in an impressive 4.5-hour reduction in start-up time, and they are well on their way to achieving their goal! 

Reid Williamson, Blending Supervisor, states “Being a part of this Kaizen event has changed the way that I view processes and process improvement. It has also promoted a much more in-depth problem-solving approach with other members of the team, which has helped our shop floor impact positive change in a big way.” 

Robert Martinez, Material Handler, adds “It’s great to see that the actions are making a difference. It’s not just that the start-up has already dramatically improved, but you can see the change in the people. There’s so much less confusion and arguing now.” 

Since deploying Redzone, the plant has seen a dramatic turnaround in communication at all levels: 

• Enhancing communication: Real-time communication tools have bridged the gap between departments, workers and management, facilitating faster problem-solving and decision-making. 

• Improving visibility: With real-time monitoring, the team can accurately track production metrics, quickly identify and address bottlenecks, and optimize workflows. 

• Increasing engagement and collaboration: The tool has fostered a culture of collaboration and engagement, with teams working together more effectively and feeling more involved in the process. 

Here’s what other team members had to say: 

• Albert Martinez Lead Operator: “I like Redzone because it gives me so much information hourly throughout the day. Redzone shows our progress as we go through the day.” 

• Daniela Perez QA Supervisor: “Redzone has made documenting everything easier. It helped keep us accountable and stay on top of all new and reoccurring issues. It has given us the visibility that we all needed.” 

• Ashley Valenzuela Machine Operator: “Redzone is very user-friendly. It’s a great communication tool that makes our job easier. It holds us accountable by improving time management, traceability, and visibility. In addition, receiving high-fives really boosts our morale.” 

Just 90 days after deploying Redzone, Continuum set six new plant productivity records!

Kudos to the Continuum team for: 

  • Improving productivity by 23% 
  • Boosting OEE by 11% 
  • Setting six new production records 
  • Sending 800+ high-fives to a winning team 
  • Creating 157 new activities and closing 119 
  • Developing 271 new plays 

With so much momentum, the team is on track to create a culture of continuous improvement that fuels business growth and employee and customer satisfaction. Keep stacking those wins Continuum! 

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