Key areas where waste was found included excess handling, waiting
time and defects. For example, raw materials, packaging and
finished goods were handled multiple times. Waiting issues included
blockages, idle machinery and trucks being made to wait at loading
bays. The exercise also revealed other areas that could be further
improved. These included label application on bottles, bottle cap
application and finished bottle damage. The final area for
improvement identified was that of water usage. Although the water
bottling factory already has very low water usage in production, there
was the opportunity for continuous improvements to further reduce
this and add to improving the factory’s environmental impact.
Now that these inefficiencies had been identified, Nestlé Waters
used its lean training to plan the new factory design and
production layout to reduce waste in all seven areas of Muda.
Layout, transport and non-value added operations were all
targeted. Planned improvements to reduce waste at the new
state-of-the-art factory included:
• more efficient production line planning creating a more
compact working area, reducing defects and waste water
• more efficient and automated warehouse operations onsite
• improved health and safety practices, separating the area
for forklifts
• relocation of pallets storage and recycling leading to reduced
travel time between operations.
Planning at the new factory also aimed to improve Nestlé Waters’
environmental impact and the working environment for employees.
For example, the new state-of-the-art factory has:
• a glass frontage to the building to provide natural light
• new lightweight bottles using 25% less PET plastic across the
Buxton and Nestlé Pure Life ranges
• external accreditation as a zero waste to landfill site