is important. “We
everyone from the
could have just sent
canning line to do the
training in one group, but
we thought that by mixing the
groups the guys can learn from
each other,” he explains. “It’s
good team-building as well: it’s
a chance for the diff erent areas
to get to know each other.
“Of those who’ve undergone
the training you have line
operators, the guys who work
on the various production lines.
There are process operators,
who are responsible for making
the product – everything from
weighing out to quality testing,
before it’s released to line – and
then there are the goods-in
operators and FLT drivers. The
progression plan that we put
in place sees people move up
through the business. We’ve
had fi ve goods-in guys take
on this responsibility of doing
courses like this and move
onto the lines themselves. The
course started that journey. A
lot of them have a warehousing
background and have never
done an engineering job like
this before. Naturally, they will
have had limited exposure to
the more technical aspects of
working in a factory.”
Currently, about 50% of the
production staff are certifi ed
ECO-Warriors, with the aim
for 100% to be trained in the
next two years. The factory
primarily recruits from within,
preferring to reward those who
have shown commitment to
development. Biggs himself
started at the factory fi ve years
ago, and has been promoted,
by his count, six times to reach
the position he is in today.
“I’m now in a position where
I’m responsible for a team of
around 30 people,” he says.
“Those people know that I’ve
worked my way through the
ranks, and have experienced
all of their roles. Who better
to manage them than
someone who’s been
there and done it?”
The course itself
is a whistle-stop
tour of all the basic
maintenance tasks
someone working
on the shopfl oor may
need to know about.
It’s a mixture of theorybased
classroom learning
and hands-on, practical
sessions, culminating in
a 90-minute exam on the
Friday afternoon. With such a
diverse group of learners, the
MARCH 2020 MAINTENANCE
experience diff ers wildly. “Some of the guys
have never seen a spanner before, never mind
having a more technical set of skills,” says
Winnard. “On the other hand, some are a little
bit more experienced and will be able to relate
pretty much to what they’ve done in the past.”
Upon completing the course, each student
will receive their equivalent of a New York cop’s
badge and gun: a fully loaded tool bag, and their
own dedicated locker space on the shopfl oor.
“This shows that we respect – and trust – what
they are doing,” explains Biggs.
The AMIS approach
AG Barr has been working with MCP to develop
training plans for the past four years. The AMIS
(Asset Maintenance Improvement Strategy)
Journey was developed by MCP to measure
manufacturing sites such as AG Barr against a
worldwide benchmark of peer group companies.
The site was fi rst assessed in November 2016, and
an improvement plan was developed. Subsequent
assessments in 2017 and 2018 found that the site
hadn’t just taken MCP’s recommendations to
heart, but had exceeded them, reaching fabled
‘World-Class Performance’ status in just two years
(many other companies take up to fi ve years to
reach this stage). The outcomes of the AMIS
Journey at Milton Keynes speak for themselves:
4–5% OEE increase in the last 12 months;
>98% of assets captured on the CMMS system;
100% Preventative Maintenance Schedule
completion rate;
>30 CI work requests raised per month;
Lean techniques have been applied to
maintenance activities.
The success of AG Barr’s maintenance strategy
is clear to see – and the army of ECO-Warriors on
the shopfl oor will ensure this success continues in
the years to come.
Meet the students
Manufacturing Management spoke to two of the operators taking part in the course:
Simon Lintott, assistant team leader (ATL), Process/Upstream: “This is my fi rst engineering
course. I've tinkered at home with my motorbike and things, but this is something that has always
interested me. Before coming to AG Barr, I was a chef for 18 years, so coming here was a bit of
a change of pace! I'm not a huge classroom person, but once we move on to the practical aspects,
I'm in my element. I hope that by doing the course it'll give me a little bit more understanding of
how the plant and each of my areas work. I like to take ownership of my area and anything I can
fi x I'd rather do it. As an ATL I'd like to be able to know exactly how everything works in my area,
and I think this will give me a good stepping stone to get there.”
Collette Brown, technical operator, M3 PET production line: “It's really interesting; it helps you
think about more than what you're actually doing on the lines and gives you a wider range of
skills. If there's anything we're unsure of, we're encouraged to ask questions. It also helps doing
it in little groups. There are questions that you might not think of that others will ask.”
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