SUCCESS STORY
€2M Saved and 46% Efficiency Gained
FMCG Operational Excellence: A Post-Merger TPM Case Study
- This lean manufacturing case study shows how a post-merger TPM transformation helped an FMCG site achieve operational excellence with €2M+ in cost savings and long-term productivity gains.
Outcomes
Short-term impact
(2016–2018)
- OPI: Improved from 38% to 67%
- Productivity: +23.86%
- Water Efficiency: 5.2 HL/HL → 3.6 HL/HL
- Production Conformance to Schedule: 62% → 95%
- Safety Culture: Strong foundations established
Long-term Impact
In 2024, we returned to find that what we set out to achieve had not only sustained itself but also grown.
- OPI: +46.6% overall improvement
- Productivity: +45% sustained growth
- Changeovers: 56% to 78% reduction on pilot lines
- Safety: Maintained a ZERO accident rate
- Savings: € 2M+ in structural cost savings, with continued returns
background
When our client, a regional FMCG brewery, was acquired, the challenge was clear: align operations with the parent company’s global standards without losing sight of efficiency or sustainability.
The transformation journey focused on more than just process alignment. It aimed to achieve operational excellence through productivity gains, lean manufacturing systems, and a culture of continuous improvement that would last well beyond project close.
the challenge
The post-merger integration presented a complex operational landscape. The site faced the dual pressure of aligning with its new parent company’s global standards while improving efficiency, capability, and performance across a high-volume FMCG environment.
Key challenges included:
-
Misalignment with global quality and operational standards
-
Outdated systems leading to inefficiencies and excessive downtime
-
Limited internal capability to manage frequent changeovers and production complexity
-
Skills and competency gaps across teams, impacting ownership and problem-solving
OUR APPROACH
We worked with site leadership to implement a long-term transformation, introducing foundational systems, building capability at all levels to embed ownership, and establishing routines that enabled the site to sustain and scale improvement independently.
This included:
Strategic Alignment:
Defined KPIs around safety, quality, OPI, productivity, and changeovers
Core TPM training:
Rolled out 5S, autonomous maintenance (AM), and structured problem-solving
Changeover Optimisation:
Streamlined processes to reduce downtime and increase throughput
Sustainable systems:
Embedded continuous improvement routines and knowledge transfer to reinforce long-term performance
This was more than a performance upgrade. It was a shift in mindset. Teams didn’t just execute the change – they owned it. By aligning leadership, culture, systems, and assets, the organisation continues to deliver sustainable performance long after the initial programme launched, a clear example of change that sticks.