Airport Laundry Operations Improvement

• 19% increase in output, with no additional machinery or headcount 
• 25% increase in output available if flow of material from upstream processes is maintained 
• Reduced the impact of blockages by up to 50% through effective product cage management and clearly defined roles 
• Developed and implemented SOPs to operate equipment in the Blankets area to create an efficient and consistent way of working 
• 5 : 1 return on investment

There were four distinct areas of support provided during this programme of work:

Diagnostic: Through engaging the team and value stream mapping, we determined the current levels of performance and created a roadmap for improvement opportunities.

Managing performance: The blankets product line was selected as a pilot project and some of the previously identified improvements were implemented at pace, demonstrating what could be achieved.

End to end planning: Working with the planning team, the current planning processes and tools were refined to smooth production and create greater focus around hourly & daily targets.

Dashboard: A range of visual KPIs were created for different levels within the organization, providing information to make informed, timely decisions.

These four areas of support created a great foundation to build upon, enabling further roll-out in other areas within the operation.

Throughout the support we worked ‘shoulder to shoulder’ with the Heathrow Laundry team, delivering results targeted to achieve cost neutrality within 12 weeks.

The initial pilot project focused on the ‘Blankets’ department, where through the introduction of new tools and approaches we engaged and supported the team in a number of improvement areas.

• Coached supervisors – to take a step back from ‘hands-on’ and better manage the operatives in their areas. Provided a framework to better organise the working day for themselves and their teams.
• Created department working footprints – positioning of machinery and products was defined and documented, creating a standard way of operating across all shifts, with layouts designed to reduce congestion, improve product flow and increase operators time ‘hands-on’ the process.
• Recovery processes – introduced simple processes to improve recovery from, and reduce the impact of machinery breakdown, reducing the impact of blockages through effective cage management and clearly defined roles.
• Standard Operating Procedures – developed and implemented SOPs to operate equipment in the Blankets area to create an efficient and consistent way of working. The SOPs are also now used to train all employees and are in line with the clients’ documentation templates.
• Production planning – reviewed historical data and current trends to predict the requirements for each product. This was used to change the approach from purely order focused to driven by production quantities required.
• Machinery run forecasts – all of the equipment in the area was planned by product, and the production sequence refined, significantly reducing idle time.