Already more than 1.000 tasks and 250 checklists are in Jacobs Douwe Egberts’ EZ-GO app. Its implementation has reduced the number of non-value-adding tasks and improved the process, states Continuous Improvement Manager Julia Lueckermann. ‘The visual form in combination with the digital registration makes sure we perform each task in an optimal way, and we have excellent insight in completion & compliance, which we use to further improve.’
Working more efficient
The primary reason Jacobs Douwe Egberts decided to start working with the EZ-GO platform was the opportunity to work more efficiently, tells Julia: ‘We had a lot of standardized tasks and checklists, but all on paper. And you know what happens with paper: it is often looked at once and then it stays in a folder which is rarely taken out again. Reporting on checks and issues was very time-consuming involving paper, Excel files and a lot of manual steps, which led to a lot of tasks that did not add value.’
Improve current standards
Jacob Douwe Egberts started using EZ-GO in July 2019. The main use is on the packaging lines for Senseo pads. Julia: ‘There are quite some routine tasks and checks on these lines, so there is a lot to be gained in terms of efficiency and effectiveness by using a digital and visual app for that.’
After starting on two packaging lines, the app was rolled out to more lines. By now, more than 1.000 tasks and 250 checklists are in the EZ-GO platform. The implementation was quite intense, but completely worth it, according to Julia. ‘We got a lot of help from the guys at EZ-Factory, which was much appreciated. When we started transferring the paper tasks into the app, we realized many of them also needed an update. So the operators took new photos and videos and together we optimized and improved a number of tasks and checklists. In this process, we included key operators and colleagues of the pilot lines. In this way, they were part of the process and they gave valuable contributions that we used to improve the processes. Today, they are true app-ambassadors.’
“The visual form in combination with the digital registration makes sure we perform each task in an optimal way, and we have excellent insight in completion & compliance, which we use to further improve.”
Julia Lueckermann
Continuous Improvement Manager
Visual focus
One of the main advantages of the app is its visual focus, Julia emphasizes. ‘We already used photos in our procedures, but many were outdated and did not have the best quality. During the implementation we replaced a lot of pictures with new ones, directly taken by the operators. For some tasks, like change overs, a video is more useful, because you can see the sequence of events. The operators also made these videos themselves. Whenever we need to update this material, it can be done in minutes.’
User-friendly and training
‘The usability and intuitiveness of the app are very high,’ says Julia. ‘Operators like to use it, because they experience that this digital tool helps them save time. Additionally, because we updated all the tasks, we are sure that every task is carried out in the most optimal way. The app guides operators through the steps and it makes sure every step is checked and confirmed. If operators signal a problem, they can easily add instructions for the next shift, for example to do an extra check. When additional action is needed, operators report issues directly in the app and assign the action to the proper department or person. Training new people is easier than before: operators happily do this, assisted by the instructions in the app.’
Continuous Improvement
The use of EZ-GO also has significant advantages for Continuous Improvement. ‘I can easily see the data on completion and compliance of tasks,’ Julia explains. ‘If things are not done or if I see deviations, it is easy for me to start the dialogue about why this is the case and what we can do to improve it. In this way, we keep improving the processes.’
Strong contributor overall effectiveness
The results are strong, but not easy to quantify, Julia admits. ‘It is a very user-friendly app which is highly appreciated by the operators. The visual set-up combined with the digital registration is very powerful. Operators need to take less steps, every step costs less time and less paper. Even though the exact improvement in efficiency is difficult to measure, I can tell the app is a strong contributor to the overall effectiveness of our day-to-day processes. To summarize it: EZ-GO is a big step forward into a more and more paperless environment for Jacobs Douwe Egberts.