04/07/05 Food processing efficiency, part two

On April 12th at an Idaho Falls workshop food processors will see why 55 percent of all US manufacturers call lean manufacturing the leading force behind operational improvement. TechHelp's Gary Thompson says they're trying to eliminate waste in the manufacturing process. THOMPSON "And that can be either everything from the front office to the back room but it involves time, materials, distance and all that type of stuff but in no way is this intended to displace workers." In fact they show companies how to better utilize their work force for more productivity and expansion. TechHelp instructor Jeff Kronenberg identifies areas where there might be waste, be it motion, travel, inventory, overproduction or processing. KRONENBERG "And one of the big wastes we know exists in a lot of organizations is talent. We don't leverage talent. So when we implement lean manufacturing we don't look initially to laying off the workforce, we look at leveraging their talent." There are variations if you're processing potatoes, milk, or hamburgers because the raw materials and production techniques are different, storage and shipping are too. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott