A Kent manufacturing plant producing power generators and power generation equipment has won two awards at the UK Best Factory Awards 2013.
Cummins Power Generation, which is based in Manston, was presented with the accolades of most improved plant and best export – the first firm to receive this new award category.
The judges were impressed with the new programmes staff had implemented, which had significantly improved shop floor productivity, lead and delivery times, and customer service.
Initiatives particularly highlighted for praise include a process to improve on time delivery (OTD), which now stands at 100%, a robust employee safety procedure that has seen incidents cut to zero, and the standardisation and automation of the manufacturing process which has replaced bay builds with multi-stage flow lines and introduced touch screen work stations.
The firm was also recognised for its investment in optimising its overseas trade operations. In 2012 Cummins Power Generation exported 96.4% of its products to 182 countries, with the Middle East, China and Australia among the prime destinations.
The company communicates with customers in up to 19 languages to make sure high levels of customer service are maintained.
Other areas Cummins Power Generation has focused on to grow its export market include sourcing key products from a number of suppliers to respond quickly to unplanned demand and making the supply chain more efficient.
Marco Carini, plant manager at Cummins Power Generation, Manston, said, “The whole team has been working towards this goal as part of our five year strategy to make the Kent plant world class in all aspects of operational excellence.
“It has taken commitment, focus and passion to deliver. During a time of changing business priorities to meet the fluctuations in the global economic climate, the team in Kent has remained dedicated to the continued improvement of the plant.
“UK businesses still play a huge role in the worldwide export market and Cummins Power Generation Kent beat off strong competition from Fujifilm and Sony to win the inaugural export award. This is a great achievement and highlights our outstanding results in shipping our products all across the globe.
“I am proud of our efforts and I would hope that we can convert 2013’s successes into becoming a future overall winner of the Best Factory Awards.”
