The purpose of this text is to show small changes that have a real impact on improving the entire packing process. Before we move on to specifics, it’s worth taking a moment to introduce the theoretical foundations of Kaizen, a business philosophy based on the continuity of small improvements.
The Kaizen approach originates from the Japanese automotive sector, which was looking for ways to optimize production capacity. The Japanese manufacturers discovered that changes for the better don’t have to be sudden and don’t have to involve large capital investments. On the contrary, they can take the form of small steps that lead to growth over a long horizon. This approach gives an organization concrete data, the ability to monitor progress, and flexibility in responding to the consequences of an implemented change. What’s more, implementing small changes doesn’t require a major effort and is simply cheaper than strategic revolutions.
In Kaizen, changes can affect various aspects: time savings, relationships between employees, work ergonomics, elimination of unnecessary actions on the production line, safety, logistics, communication, and so on. What matters is that every change ultimately increases the value of the product or service in the eyes of customers. It’s also essential to remain open to continuous change and to understand improvement as an ongoing process in which there is always room for another step.
That’s enough theory. Now it’s time for practice.
The universal principles of Kaizen are also successfully applied in the fruit business. Having operated in the fresh produce packaging automation market since 2013, we have repeatedly witnessed how small changes in the production process lead to concrete results. Unfortunately, we have also seen many times that packing companies and growers often miss this “low-hanging fruit.” This happens for several reasons, most often a lack of time, a lack of competence, fear of change, the seasonality of the work, or simply poor communication between production staff and packhouse management. Many improvements don’t require large financial or time investments. The key to success usually lies in integrating the line’s operation through automation, although automation isn’t always necessary.
Given the different working characteristics of individual machines on a line, integration is essential. Here’s an example. Let’s imagine a simple line consisting of a blueberry weigher, a checkweigher, and a tray sealer. On paper, each of these machines reaches a speed of 120 packages per minute (ppm). In practice, the entire line can run much slower (e.g., 60 ppm). This is because the weigher operates in cycles, while the sealer and the checkweigher can reach full output only if punnets of fruit are supplied continuously and regularly. The different working styles of the machines require skillful configuration of the connections between them. This can be achieved through automation (e.g., signal management and micro-pauses sent from the sealer) and mechanical solutions (e.g., a buffer conveyor before the sealer).
A well-configured production line runs smoothly. Unjustified speeding up of the line doesn’t always yield better results. It’s like racing a car from one traffic light to the next – brief bursts of acceleration followed by sudden braking. This kind of operation not only fails to translate into a higher average line speed, but also contributes to machine errors, since high speeds sometimes push the mechanics to their limits. Optimally selected speeds will extend equipment lifespan, cause fewer stoppages, and ultimately yield more packed units per minute.
Positive changes don’t only come from configuring line settings. Sometimes simple changes at the level of work organization come into play. This might mean keeping tool racks needed during changeovers within easy reach, and keeping the packhouse tidy in general. Less clutter means less time wasted looking for items, less frustration, and a higher level of safety. Practice shows that marking out storage zones for different groups of items and walkways on the packhouse floor has a positive effect on employees’ habits. All of these actions are nothing other than the Japanese 5S principle (Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain), which is one of the pillars of Kaizen and ties floor organization together with a lasting change in employee habits.
Another good practice is to define and write down a checklist of the steps required when changing over a machine. Developing such instructions requires little investment, yet significantly reduces the risk of starting a production run with incorrect settings.
A similar practice is to write down the performance standards expected for given production cycles. In the fruit industry, operators change fairly often, and this turnover is frequently accompanied by a lack of understanding of how the line works. Setting performance standards will help less experienced operators understand the target production figures. If the actual numbers differ from these targets, it’s worth investigating where the deviations come from.
A more comprehensive solution is software that lets team monitor the performance of machines and employees and save production recipes. One such tool is our proprietary Libra software, useful in manual packing. Monitoring employees’ performance makes them work more efficiently (by as much as 30%), and losses resulting from overweight packages are reduced. With Libra, operators and production managers can observe production parameters live, and the reporting function allows conclusions to be drawn once a cycle is finished. Libra also makes it possible to save and load recipes (production projects), which makes changeovers between successive orders faster and carries a lower risk of error.
Kaizen activities can also help prevent downtime. Examples of such measures include pre-season machine inspections and keeping a stock of spare parts available at the packhouse. Both improvements reduce the likelihood of interruptions caused by breakdowns and repairs.
Another improvement, this time arising from the specifics of a particular machine, concerns changeover time. In Kaizen, we come across the acronym SMED (Single-Minute Exchange of Die), based on the premise that a changeover can be completed in under 10 minutes. Some of the machines that make up a fruit packing line offer tool-free access. This feature significantly shortens the time needed for daily cleaning and servicing work. Fast changeovers are especially important wherever the specific nature of a machine’s operation requires frequent changes. A good example here is the need to replace the roll on a labeler or the die on a tray sealer. Easy access to components goes hand in hand with a short time spent on changeovers, and consequently with reduced downtime.
Integrating machines, well-matched speeds, a 5S-based organized packhouse, written checklists and performance standards, software such as Libra, failure prevention, and fast changeovers – none of these improvements require a revolution or a large budget. What they have in common is one thing: consistent, small changes that, step by step, translate into higher line efficiency and better financial results for the packhouse. This is precisely what the Kaizen philosophy is about – not a one-time leap, but a continuous search for places where one more step can be taken.
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