Koch’s Lean Cooking: Enhancing Operational Performance Through Lean Continuous Improvement with Ed Koch
Today, on What the Duck?! Sarah Scudder is joined by Ed Koch, who leads the Solutions Division at CCI. They discuss improving operational performance by implementing lean continuous improvement programs across multiple sites. Ed shares his extensive global experience in operations and manufacturing transformations, having worked in various regions around the world. They delve into Ed's career journey, starting at Unilever and then moving to SabMiller, where he played a significant role in implementing operational excellence programs and standardizing performance metrics across the global business. The conversation highlights the importance of leadership, employee engagement, and the impact of lean practices on supply chain performance and sustainability.
Show Highlights
Unilever to SabMiller
The Industry 4.0 Concept
Lean Operational Excellence
The Measure of Success
Practioning to Consulting
Competitive Capabilities International
MOMENTS TO DUCK AROUND
ED: INCORPORATING THE INDUSTRY 4.0 CONCEPT
“Industry 4.0 is really a term for the digitization of the supply chain, and it was really early days for us. We were experimenting and doing research in this area, but essentially what we tried to do is to try and, with digital technology, connect machines across production processes so that we could surface information and data that enabled operators to make real-time decisions on things like quality, the performance of the line so that we were able to give that information into the hands of the operators. And through that, we then were able to develop digital tools for workflows for specific activities, in shortening full control of the equipment in health and safety for problem-solving.”
ED: LEAN OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE
“Lean operational excellence is a series of practices and methodologies to help improve performance. Really, what are some of the cons? If I'm listening to this and thinking this is something that I may want to tackle, what should I be aware of? Yeah, I think that's a great question. Probably one of the biggest ones is to recognize that it isn't a project, that it needs to be treated as a transformation program, and it's not a quick fix. So it's not something that can be done in six or 12 months. It should be something that's embarked upon with the mindset that we're in for the long term to improve performance systemically across the business.”
Connect with Ed and learn what he’s been duckin’ around with:
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