34%
Improvement in plant packing throughput per 10-hour day
Driving Efficiency, Throughput, and Cost Reduction: Transforming Productivity in Grain Milling Operations
Industry: Food & Beverage
Service: Manufacturing
Service: Operations Strategy and Transformation
Service: People and Organization
Our Client
A contract manufacturer specializing in grain milling and dry bagging, facing low productivity, high overtime costs, unfinished automation projects, and limited throughput capacity.
The Challenge
The company faced multiple operational challenges limiting efficiency and productivity:
- Declining productivity: Operations were running below expected capacity.
- High overtime rates: Inefficient processes led to excessive labor costs.
- Incomplete automation projects: Stalled initiatives hindered throughput improvements.
- Throughput capacity limitations: Production was constrained, impacting customer service and revenue potential.
Real Results Achieved Together
Through operational streamlining, warehouse optimization, LEAN training, and automation project recovery, the company realized significant productivity and cost improvements.
>40%
Reduction in cost per pound of grain processed and shipped
>30%
Reduction in headcount by FTEs, saving $1.3M
Transformation Impact
- Simplified operations through Kaizen events, reducing staffing needs and improving material flow.
- Reimagined production planning to shorten order-to-ship cycles from 11 days to 2 days.
- Optimized warehouse layout, slotting, and inventory management to reduce truck load times from 2 hours to 19 minutes.
- Provided LEAN training to supervisors, promoting proactive waste identification and collaborative improvement.
- Recovered stalled automation projects, aligning them with original timelines and standard operating procedures.
- Achieved measurable cost savings, throughput gains, and operational efficiency improvements.
Our Approach
EFESO applied a multi-pronged strategy to enhance productivity, reduce costs, and restore stalled projects:
Operational Streamlining
- Conducted Kaizen events to simplify processes, improve material flow, and reduce staffing needs.
- Reengineered production planning to link raw materials to production capacity, drastically reducing cycle times.
Warehouse Optimization
- Implemented new slotting strategies and expanded staging areas.
- Improved inventory location management and cycle counting systems.
- Reduced truck load times from 2 hours to 19 minutes.
Training and Development
- Provided LEAN training to supervisors, covering waste identification and collaborative improvement strategies.
Automation Project Recovery
- Revived three stalled automation projects, collaborating with OEMs and stakeholders.
- Clarified floor layouts, material flows, and tooling modifications.
- Accelerated remote Factory Acceptance Tests and developed standard operating procedures.
- Ensured all projects returned to schedule, enabling full operational benefits.
Related Services
Manufacturing
Aging equipment meets rising costs and technology disruption. We transform operations through smart factory integration, predictive maintenance, and workforce capability building.
Operations Strategy and Transformation
Helping organizations rethink how they create value. We strengthen performance, build resilience, and accelerate growth across every layer of your business.
Facing Similar Challenges?
- Improve throughput and reduce costs in your operations.
- Recover stalled automation projects and accelerate efficiency gains.
- Embed LEAN practices and continuous improvement across your production floor
Discover More Clients Results
20%
Increase in productivity
Resources Mining and Processing
Transforming Mining Operations Through Predictive Analytics and Equipment Performance Improvements
A leading mining company improved mine planning efficiency, equipment utilization, and operational performance through integrated planning systems, predictive maintenance, and real-time monitoring technologies.
20%
Downtime reduction
Industrial Manufacturing
Improving OEE and Production Oversight Through Digital Transformation
A die-cast metal manufacturer improved equipment effectiveness, reduced downtime, and increased operational visibility through predictive maintenance, IoT integration, and real-time production monitoring.
20%
Operating cost reduction
Industrial Manufacturing
Resources Mining and Processing
Delivering Sustainable Mining Performance Through Operational Excellence
A mining company reduced operating costs by 20% through improvements in pit-to-plant planning, asset performance, maintenance reliability, supply chain management, and operational accountability.
15%
Operating cost reduction
Resources Mining and Processing
Reducing Mining Operating Costs Through Operational Excellence
A mining company reduced operating costs by 15% by improving pit-to-plant coordination, maintenance effectiveness, supply chain performance, and operational accountability through a high-performance operating system.
60%
Reduction in workplace accidents
Industrial Manufacturing
Resources Mining and Processing
Improving Safety Performance Through Real-Time Monitoring and Workforce Engagement
A leading mining company improved workplace safety and operational visibility through real-time monitoring systems, digital safety management tools, and targeted workforce training initiatives.
25%
Reduction in project delays
Industrial Manufacturing
Resources Mining and Processing
Building a Digitally Enabled CAPEX PMO for Better Project Performance
A major mining company implemented a centralized CAPEX PMO with digital reporting tools to improve governance, cost control, project visibility, and execution consistency across its capital project portfolio.
45K m²
Optimized factory layout (reduced from 52K m²)
Industrial Manufacturing
Restarting a Greenfield Factory Planning Process: Reassessing a Multi-Story Plant Design Under Extreme Time Pressure
Creating a solid, structured plan for the material flow of its production and validated the static forecast, enabling the factory to increase the output with the existing machinery.
$12M
Projected annual savings
Retail
Redesigning Warehouse Operations to Cut Cycle Time by 87% and Boost Throughput by 30%
Redesigned omni-channel warehouse operations, cutting order-to-ship cycle time by 87% and increasing throughput capacity by 30%.