Meeting patient needs with greater precision and higher quality

Focused effort leads to a 70% drop in wait times for replacement equipment for Production at WCE.

In May, ten dedicated Cook employees from different parts of William Cook Europe (WCE) participated in a rapid improvement event (RIE) project—an intensive four-day workshop with the primary goal of optimizing the maintenance process for delivering spare parts and simple components into production. The project focused on efficiency, implementing only necessary changes to achieve the desired results. Through this approach, the processes became much more streamlined and innovative, eliminating unnecessary time wastage.

Christina Jakobsen took on the role of project leader, which was a new experience for her.

“Even though I am not trained as a project manager, I love a challenge,” she said. “Of course, I was unsure—but it was fantastic to put together our team and discover what we could achieve together in just four days!

“We have long felt that we lacked resources in the PS (Production Support) department, and perhaps our reputation has not always been the best, which has made me sad,” she continued. “But with this project, we managed to reduce the delivery time for replacement equipment from an average of 104 days to about 30 days! A reduction of over 70% is truly something to celebrate!”

The RIE 052023 team made several optimizations in the process, such as eliminating change orders and introducing automation to avoid errors and missing descriptions that previously wasted a lot of time.

“We focused on what was necessary and only implemented what was truly required of us—but we also examined the processes that had dependencies—just to be safe,” Christina explained. “This focus on doing exactly what needs to be done—and nothing else—really saves time!”

The RIE 052023 project demonstrated how focusing on necessary and sustainable efficiency can lead to an impressive improvement in a short period. This example shows how much can be achieved when a dedicated team, with decision making authority, works together to create positive change and optimize work processes.

The central focus of this RIE 052023 pilot project is productivity directly in production. By optimizing the maintenance process for delivering spare parts and simple components, we can effectively assist production in having the equipment ready on time. A more streamlined and efficient process means we can deliver finished products to our valued patients faster and more reliably than ever before. This necessary improvement allows us to meet patients’ needs with greater precision and ensure that we deliver the highest quality products. Our commitment to productivity and quality is a direct reflection of our dedication to delivering sustainable improvements that positively impact our production and ultimately the lives of our patients.

Christina is far from done working in this way.

“There was fantastic energy, and we were completely exhausted after each day,” she said. “Although we were sometimes frustrated and doubted if we could reach our goal, we kept on fighting. We collaborated, people came up with innovative ideas and got them implemented—and we really did it!”

Christina’s exclamation here is the second significant gain from the project: the human development and growth it has brought about. Everyone connected and collaborated to realize new and innovative ideas and implemented them quickly and successfully.

The project didn’t end after the intense workshop days. In addition to an impressive presentation of the results, monthly follow-ups are conducted to monitor outcomes and make adjustments as necessary. This pilot project is a brilliant example of why it’s worth investing time and resources in innovation and efficiency, as it can lead to significant improvements within the organization.

“A huge high five to the entire team behind RIE 052023!,” said Thomas Olsen, director, Manufacturing Engineering. “It’s amazing what you have accomplished in less than a week, and this pilot project is proof of how much we can all change and how it’s worth investing time in making improvements.”

So, from all of us at WCE: Thank you for the RIE effort to Christina Jakobsen, Birgitte Jensen, Søren Kristiansen, Troels Engel Mortensen, Janni Hammergård Tholle, Tommy Olsen, Thomas René Jakobsen, Tine Petersen, Per Nielsen, and Allan Gottfredsen.