Jumex is one of Mexico’s largest and most popular juice producers, operating across four factories and 64 distribution centres. The business was facing multiple challenges related to production efficiency, and with millions of units sold every year, even small improvements would make a big difference. With Operational Cost Guarantee from Tetra Pak, Jumex discovered a variety of ways to boost productivity and enhance efficiency.
Operational Cost Guarantee is a central part of Tetra Pak® Plant Secure and is a long-term commitment between Tetra Pak and the customer. It starts with a deep analysis and improvement plan, and continues with targets that both Tetra Pak and the customer have agreed to, with the key being that all potential risks and rewards are shared. The goal, ultimately, is to improve the customer’s operational profitability. For Jumex, it was essential to take action as the demand for its products, both in Mexico and in North America, was continually increasing, but operational equipment efficiency was going down, and people were leaving their roles. The goal was to get more out of the existing lines while improving internal knowledge and competence, so Operational Cost Guarantee was an optimal solution.
There were a number of potential areas for improvement flagged as a result, but one of the main challenges was the fact that although Jumex employees could use the equipment and technology, there were better and more efficient ways to use it. There was a clear need for everyone to not only work in the same way, but in the right way, and this was highlighted as potentially the single biggest contributor to being able to increase production capacity and operational efficiency.
Prioritising performance
To get all co-workers on board, the team carried out training and workshops, and ensured that optimal cleaning and maintenance procedures were implemented, which helped improve operational efficiency quite dramatically. In addition to this, Tetra Pak also helped Jumex introduce a number of other tools designed to improve operational efficiency, such as the daily management system, and using ePIMS for parts management that helped ensure preventive and corrective parts were more easily accessible.
“Once we started implementing changes and seeing results, Jumex noticed that the spirit amongst the team was also improving,” says Klaus Plenge, Managing Director Southern Africa for Tetra Pak. “They even started running friendly competitions between the lines to see who could get the best results. They were really proud of the achievements.”
Results were not immediate, as in the short-term costs rose slightly, but Operational Cost Guarantee is a long-term commitment where both Tetra Pak and the customer need to be fully committed to the long-term goals. After this initial period, operational equipment efficiency (OEE) rose by 11.4%, operational costs were reduced by 7%, and the productivity improvements enabled Jumex to produce more without increasing costs. This allowed the business to meet consumer demands in a more profitable way.
“We worked a lot with training, operational expertise and maintenance management,” explains Juan Manuel, “and little by little, after having established clear and attainable objectives, we saw improvements on the lines and costs started to come down. Now the lines run in a highly efficient way, and we can fulfill our orders and meet market demands. It was a win-win for us and Tetra Pak, and I highly recommend Operational Cost Guarantee.”
