Continual improvement
Continual improvement, to adapt and stay ahead
Since 2006, the continual improvement approach, which is also called Lean Management, has formed integral part of the strategy of Norske Skog Golbey. All the employees are thus required to work routinely on issues that help improve the overall efficiency of the company.
The continual improvement approach involves working on three areas:
- operational systems,
- management structure,
- state of mind.
Lean management is aimed at five goals: improvement of flows, quality, lead times, productivity and working conditions. Ultimately, the achievement of these objectives will help reduce costs and improve the overall efficiency of the company.
At Norske Skog Golbey, over 90 % of the staff have already taken part in at least one Kaizen project. A project brings together approximately ten employees from different backgrounds, but all concerned by a shared subject with potential for improvement. The members of Kaizen project teams participate directly in working on the objectives sought, the preparation of an action plan followed by its implementation and assessment, and lastly the formalisation of the practices selected as new standards.
Several continual improvement projects have made us winners of ATIP (technical body of the paper manufacturing industry) trophies.
Our watchword: continual improvement, to adapt and stay ahead
In a context of ever-fiercer competition, our sustainability particularly depends on the achievement of highly demanding objectives in the areas of:
- profitability,
- safety
- customer satisfaction (quality, cost, lead times etc.).
The implementation of continual improvement principles in our day-to-day activities helps us get there. The work is all the more fruitful because it enjoys the support of all employees of Norske Skog Golbey.
With the implementation of a first continual improvement programme in 2006/2007, then continual improvement in the form of lean management projects, all the people working in the mill were made very well aware of its basic principles. Since then, the continual improvement approach has gradually made its way into routine work, and regular auditing guarantees the proper monitoring of the action taken.
Every year, internal trophies reward individuals and teams with the greatest merit in three areas: project of the year, player of the year, and enduring project.
Downloads
For more information, download our CSR report