Linden Foods have invested in, and are reaping the rewards of, Lean Manufacturing. This well-known management philosophy was developed initially in the car industry and in recent years has been integrated into many others.
In theory it encourages an open style of operating and leadership. All issues are researched and staff and management at all levels are encouraged to “find the root cause & clearly communicate”, instead of jumping to conclusions.
Danske Bank recently visited Linden’s Dungannon retail site as part of their “Aspire!” programme, which is a core part of their management development. There was an intense day of shared learning and both teams took on new ideas from past experiences. The key focus for the day was to learn about leading high performing teams. The group heard about Linden’s journey during the last few years. They faced the challenges of rapid expansion to become an organisation at the forefront of their industry, winning many awards for the quality of their products in both national and international markets.
To show their appreciation to Linden for hosting the ASPIRE! Day, Danske Bank generously donated £500 to Action Cancer, Linden Foods’ charity of choice. Aspire! participants Angela Rowan, Team Manager Customer Direct Sales, and Danielle Harper, Business Process Analyst, joined Elaine McGibbon, HR Business Partner, to present the cheque.
“We were delighted to host Danske Bank and their ASPIRE! participants on-site and to share our best practices in Lean Manufacturing management. We thoroughly enjoyed listening and learning about how the team performed in the banking world. To receive a generous donation towards our designated charity from Danske was very much appreciated,” says Andrew Morrow, Linden Foods
Commenting on the day Danielle Harper said, “It was fantastic to have the opportunity to better understand how high performing teams work in other areas of business. This has given me some valuable insights. It is clear that regardless of industry there are some key takeaways that are very relevant in business – focus on value for the customer, improve your internal processes in order to
be more efficient, allow more value adding time for your customers, and focus on your people. A highly engaged, motivated team go hand in hand with excellent customer service.”
Pictured (L-R): From Linden Foods: Victoria Millar – Manufacturing Manager, Andrew Morrow- Continuous Improvement Manager & Richard Carson – Operations Manager. Presenting the cheque from Danske Bank: Angela Rowan, Elaine McGibbon & Danielle Harper