US firm DuPont has announced that it is making significant ongoing investment in its staff at the Kevlar plant in Londonderry despite the current global economic downturn.
The investment, worth £250,000, comes in the form of the training and involvment of its staff at Maydown in its most recent programme of continuous improvement know as the DuPont Production System (DPS).
"The Kevlar plant at Maydown has a traditio
n of continuous improvement stretching back for twenty years", said Tom Bollaert, Maydown Plant Manager.
"DPS offers us a great opportunity to build on our success and learn from previous experiences. It is a great sign of trust and confidence in the Maydown plant that DuPont is investing in DPS here and can only be good for the local economy. I know that the staff will take this opportunity to make our plant even better."
DPS is an integrated way to quickly transform operational capability by getting the best out of processes and people at all levels and find new and creative ways to make the best use of assets and eliminate waste as far as possible.
"I have very energised since the introduction event", added Mr B. "The fresh approach of the DPS team in explaining some of the key concepts contributed to the active participation of everyone and the openness of the discussions afterwards."
The DPS model consists of four main areas of action.
They are: Managing Process - focusing on what really matters; Technical Model - the right tools and practices to solve the right problems; Capability Building - the right skills and coaching; Mindsets and Behaviours - people instinctively doing the right things.
"DPS engages and empowers people and develops leadership skills", concluded Mr Bollaert. "All the processes within the programme are forward-looking and positive. We at Maydown believe that by working together like this we will continue to thrive."
