MAS helps Smurfit Kappa leader look the full package

10th Jun 2008

Smurfit Kappa Machine Systems is a manufacturing business which specialises in the design, manufacture and repair of bespoke packaging equipment. It employs 20 people at its base in Bristol.

The company, whose client base includes Kellogg’s and Weetabix, wanted to develop its production manager’s management and leadership skills so he could run the shop floor in a more efficient way, and learn how to lead and manage better in a pressurised manufacturing environment.

The MAS recommended its Operational Leadership Programme (OLP), a 10-week programme which helps build leadership qualities of front-line managers. The OLP consists of formal training sessions and in-company coaching, requiring delegates to manage and deliver a work-based improvement project that enables them to put their skills into practice.

Phil Townsend, the MAS specialist who has pioneered the programme, explains its aim: “The pressures of running a modern day manufacturing business extend to more than just lean. Managers have to look after suppliers, materials and machines, whilst also having to improve their own capabilities, people and processes. Where the real challenge lies is bringing about sustained change and improvements through good leadership skills, and this is where a programme such as the OLP is of great benefit on the factory floor.”

Fundamental to the OLP is the desire to help managers take personal responsibility for improving their business, so Smurfit Kappa’s production manager who participated in the OLP, Mark Hill, was encouraged to think of an area of the business that could benefit from improvements. Mark had recently taken on the added responsibility for the on-site modifications team, a team which upgrades or modifies packaging machines on a customer’s premises. He quickly identified that his newly obtained skills from the OLP could be applied to improve the service, quality and costs of Smurfit Kappa’s on site modification offering. The MAS specialist coached him throughout the ten weeks, providing input and objective feedback.

As a result of the OLP, the confidence and ability of the production manager to lead and manage the team increased dramatically, with overall team working and communication on the shop floor much improved. The on site modification service has seen a 20 per cent increase in productivity, resulting in much improved service levels and enhanced customer relationships.

Mark Hill, production manager at Smurfit Kappa Machine Systems, concludes: “The knowledge and experience I gained from working alongside the MAS specialist has been really beneficial, and the OLP has definitely improved my skills in getting the best from our staff. It’s a development programme which lasted ten weeks, but will stay with me for the rest of my life.”

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