Organizational Alignment-149

The Situation:

Major fertilizer manufacturer needed to address the rising costs of production associated with a unionized, traditional workforce and aging facilities. 

The Driver Goal:

Reduce the fixed cost per ton by 5%

Actions Taken:

  • Identified $14 million in potential annualized savings
  • Utilized first ever “joint team” approach to quantify, design, and implement practical solutions to long-term barriers
  • Developed and implemented an integrated System for Managing to manage operations, maintenance, and materials
  • Implemented thirty specific initiatives to permanently affect how the business will operate in the future
  • Reengineered and implemented processes to support: operational yield, maintenance costs, materials management, spare parts, integrated supplier management, contracted labor management, and labor costs
  • Designed and prototyped site-wide best practices with the union workforce
  • Involved more than 350 people in the joint team process, setting the stage for additional “team-based” improvements
The Results:
  • Reduced fixed cost per ton by more than 8%
  • Achieved annualized savings of $12 million