Tshedza Concrete Art – a manufacturer of unique quality paving and building bricks to a wide variety of clients – approached Productivity SA’s Workplace Challenge Programme, with a special focus on Lean manufacturing methodology. Using the Fishbone Diagram to analyse the reasons for under-production, Tshedza Concrete identified various production problems. In the long run the Workplace Challenge Programme was intended to entrench a continuous improvement culture within the company.
Next, Mini Business Units were established to implement the Goal Alignment Toolkit of the WPC Programme in order to streamline and align Tshedza’s strategic objectives with operations. Thereafter the Cleaning and Organising toolkit was implemented to create a working environment that is safe and practices that follow ergonomics principles towards reducing work fatigue.
The results:
• Production has increased three-fold and on-time delivery has increased due to the purchase of new machinery.
• All products have been SAB approved with a quality rep appointed to conduct quality checks. Customer satisfaction surveys are also used to identify any customer complaints regarding quality.
• The overall reject and rework rate has decreased significantly.
• Absenteeism and staff turnover rates have fallen.
• Sales and profit/revenue has seen a drastic upturn.
• In September 2015 Tshedza Concrete Art won the Limpopo Regional Gold Productivity Award, and in October 2015 a well-deserved National Gold Productivity Award in the Emerging Sector Awards category.