Continuous improvement at distillery impresses

The contribution of the local workforce was recognised by management and visitors alike at the MCP Consulting & Training AMIS Masterclass (Asset Management Improvement Service) held at Diageo's Cameronbridge distillery in May 2011.

Cameronbridge Distillery was founded by John Haig in 1824 and was the first distillery to produce grain whisky. Cameronbridge re-opened in 2000 after a £9m renovation and is now capable of producing 30m litres of spirits annually.

The company welcomed a host of peer group organisations including Warburtons, Kraft Foods, Astra Zeneca, Kerry Foods, Mars, Heineken and William Grant, who regardless of the ash cloud and weather conditions, made the journey to Leven (Fife, Scotland) to hear how the workforce at the distillery has dramatically improved performance and equipment reliability through a culture of continuous improvement.

The event was aimed at senior level operational/engineering managers enabling them to share their experiences. This enabled delegates to benefit from Diageo’s knowledge and discuss ideas for operational improvement applicable to their own organisations.

A Diageo representative was keen to explain that “Our commitment to our people is that Diageo is a place where they can realise their potential and achieve their aspirations – we create the conditions for their success, through people empowerment. Furthermore we believe there is a direct link between high levels of employee engagement and great business performance. This is what we have shown today to our colleagues in other industries”

An employee echoing these sentiments explained “Through the continuous improvement programme we are given the opportunity to put forward our ideas and carry them through to completion. It makes me feel that I have personally contributed to the Distillery performance”