The client
Mondoux Confectionery believes in the joy of sharing every bite – it’s been that way for more than three generations. It all began with a big dream and a little storage space in the garage of the company’s iconic founder, “Papi” Mondoux. Nurtured by passion and determination, the dream grew into one of the largest candy distributors in the country.
With more than 200 employees and facilities totalling more than 175,000 sq. ft., Mondoux today serves more than 20,000 retailers throughout Canada with a full line of 3,000 exclusive products.
The challenge
To keep pace with demand, Mondoux Confectionery took steps to modernize the manufacturing process. However, despite the investment in automation, the company was forced to add shifts and increase overtime. It quickly became apparent that inconsistent production was negatively impacting costs and, ultimately, profitability.
Plagued by manual reporting processes and subjective feedback from shop floor operators, Mondoux struggled to understand what was undermining productivity and how to improve.
“The integration of mechanized equipment was a big change and from one day to the next, production on the same product would fluctuate,” explained Lilia Abderrahman, Production Manager at Mondoux. “We were aware that our machines were stopping often but had no visibility as to when and why and, frankly, what our standards should be. Without such information we didn’t know where to focus our efforts.”
While the company had succeeded in becoming the largest confectionery distributor in Quebec, it was now focused on expansion. With new contracts in hand, Mondoux recognized that production had to improve significantly to meet growing commitments.
The solution
After being introduced to Worximity in a webinar, the company quickly became the obvious partner to help Mondoux turn their operations around. Within 24 hours, Worximity’s activation team installed its solution and began collecting production data on three high-volume packaging lines.
“Starting with the packaging line is often the best way to get the fastest results,” says Catherine Tardiff, Operational Excellence Manager at Worximity. “Measuring overall production is where manufacturers can obtain the highest value. From there, you can work backwards to identify problems contributing to lower-than-expected throughput.”
Working alongside Abderrahman, Tardiff configured the software based on the company’s specifications, inputting everything from SKUs and production rate targets to downtime causes for each line.
“I was impressed by how quickly we implemented and trained employees and the speed at which we were able to access data in real time. It took exactly two weeks from our first meeting with Worximity to have the software up and running. The application is constantly open on my computer,” stated Abderrahman.
According to Abderrahman, the integration process was seamless, and the resource requirements were minimal. Worximity worked with the maintenance department to establish where on the packaging lines to connect and what downtime issues to add to the software. Mondoux’s IT department ensured proper connection to the Wi-Fi and purchased iPads and monitors to display production data on the shop floor.
While employees were reluctant at first, Abderrahman succeeded in countering skepticism by clearly communicating that her goal was not to monitor and penalize but rather to improve and reward performance.
“The results speak for themselves. Thanks to Worximity, we were able to boost production by 25% with the same number of employees and equipment.” Lilia Abderrahman, Director of Planning, Mondoux Confectionery
Result
With Worximity’s help, Mondoux was able to identify root causes of excessive downtime and establish benchmarks and best practices to reduce stoppages and achieve production consistency. After only 3 months, machine availability grew by 11% while efficiency improved by 12%, both of which contributed to a 10% increase in overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and a 1.5% lift in profitability.
“The results speak for themselves,” confirmed Abderrahman. “Thanks to Worximity, we were able to boost production by 25% with the same number of employees and equipment.”
Leveraging concrete data in weekly production meetings has allowed management to develop clear objectives that the staff feel empowered to reach. Displaying real-time data on the shop floor also keeps operators mindful of downtime and aware if they are on track to meet or exceed targets. As a result, the team is vigilant to address issues when a machine is down for more than 5 minutes. What’s more, because it demonstrates the company’s commitment to a positive and engaging work environment, Abderrahman finds the solution useful in employee recruitment and retention.
At the center of the operational decision process, Worximity has become an integral tool used by multiple departments including maintenance who leverage data from the software to proactively plan upkeep. In fact, insights provided by the solution have allowed Abderrahman to justify the purchase of another line to fulfill expansion efforts. Moreover, Mondoux has extended the use of the software into a second factory with plans to scale as the company continues its growth trajectory.
“I no longer need to be on the shop floor to monitor production performance. Because of this, I’ve been able to take on a new role as the Director of Planning. Worximity achieved in 3 months what a manager achieves in 3 years,” concluded Abderrahman.
