In my last article about benchmarking (N&T, May 2001), I introduced you to the world of production improvement through process management. Dirk Schmidtbleicher, an expert in process improvement programs, wrote the following article. His applied process improvement programs have achieved astonishing results worldwide and are worth sharing with you.

Waste and its associated problems are a recurrent theme within the newspaper industry.

Reduction programs and procedures have been developed and implemented according to new discoveries since the beginning of the printing era. In that time, a vast number of reports have been published and a large number of technical personnel have dedicated themselves to analyzing the facts.

What is waste? This seems to be an obvious question. However, it is posed at almost every meeting and, more likely than not, it is followed by utter silence. It is a redundant question, after all, everybody knows what waste is — or do they?

Eurografica is a sister company of MAN Roland, and for the last few years it has been concerned with the subject matter of how to maximize production efficiency by helping various sites all over the world reduce their total waste to a more reasonable amount.

Considering its customers, it has become apparent that there are as many definitions of waste as there are sites where waste is produced.

It is not surprising that there is a need for specific waste reduction programs. One has to be mindful that whenever we deal with such a program we also deal with people who might be at different levels within the company.

Another factor that needs to be taken into consideration is the productivity levels and the status of the company.

To begin with, we look at the company situation, its organization, communication, the manning level, its machinery and equipment. We also look at available statistics and figures. The evaluation of these factors will provide an overview of possible strengths and weaknesses of the company.

The initial meeting ought to be with a dedicated group of people who are willing to listen, are interested in participating and who are keen to change. It is important that a variety of personnel constitute the group, representing management, printers and other operators, and possibly suppliers. This group will become a team that will work together, discussing and evaluating propositions until they are confident in reaching a decision.

Together they define a problem list that entails all the weak points that need to be addressed. They define time constraints during which each problem area has to be sorted and/or settled. They are aware of the importance of prioritizing and setting reachable goals.

Weak points

Every area that is not working or producing to its full capacity may be considered a weak point. Therefore, each step, be it better time management or less waste production, which leads toward higher achievement efficiency, is a step in the right direction.

A printer measures their efficiency according to waste production while a distributor is more concerned with timing. However, both contribute to the overall success of the product.

Waste might be synonymous to efficiency, therefore, it is not unusual that the following questions might be asked: What is waste? Which waste do we compare? How is waste accounted for? Is waste department dependent? How much waste is produced? Is waste paid or unpaid? Which costs are considered?

The list of questions could go on, but one cannot forget that each one needs an answer. The team has to work together and consider all aspects, including the pros and cons of any suggestions prior to reaching a decision on what might be the best approach for each and every situation.

It is paramount that the discussion is open, that various parties listen to one another and that they are flexible enough to accept change.

Technical issues

Printers are often seen as the most extensive waste producers; however, that depends on how waste is accounted for.

In any project in Germany, waste is accounted for in the following manner: editorial, prepress, platemaking, press and mailroom. Thus the responsibility of waste production is distributed among different areas. For example, the responsibility of the press can be divided further into sequences, setting, procedure, creating and maintaining, and training.

It is by posing pertinent questions that new ideas are formed, which may or may not lead to new perspectives and new approaches.

Human issues

I would like to suggest that in all printing facilities the human factor is one of the most important elements contributing to a successful production.

I would also like to suggest that many plants have been operating for many years following specific rules, thus creating an environment of habituation that might be difficult to interrupt. However, progress often depends on innovative ideas, improved communication, changing old habits and allocating or taking responsibility and accountability where it is necessary.

I propose that the ratio of importance and possibilities between the human factor and technical progress is around 70:30. In other words, I suggest that an improvement in any area can be achieved primarily by changing the attitude and/or understanding of the people involved with the relevant issues.

It seems obvious that change cannot be implemented overnight, that it takes time to put into place a waste reduction program. The aim is to achieve the desired results within 12 months.

Results

Start-up waste seems to be the most significant and also the most easily controlled. If this waste can be reduced to an insignificant number, then the overall waste reduction would be 70 percent.

The most significant outcome of the implementation of a waste reduction program is the ongoing process of rethinking new and old approaches within all areas of the company.

Thomas Schonbucher is a consultant in the newspaper and commercial printing industries. He can be reached at tschonb@magna.com.au. Dirk Schmidt-bleicher can be contacted at +49 82.12.17.360 or schmidtble-icher@eurografica.com.