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182 days off a year, up from 104, while meeting demand
Sargento Foods
Food & Beverage
182
minimum days off per year, up from 104
2 lines
moved to 24/7 first
0
weekend warrior crews
The problem
Demand for shredded cheese had Kiel's 9 lines running weekend overtime plus a costly 'weekend warrior' crew that failed after two years. Recruiting, training, retention, quality, and skill balance all suffered. About 40% of workers had 20+ years of tenure and were used to their schedules.
What we did
- Reimagined raw materials, supply chain, sanitation, equipment, and storage to support continuous running
- Facilitated planning between plant management, logistics, and corporate schedulers
- Ran confidential surveys, finding 20% of workers wanted an alternative schedule
- Moved 2 of 9 lines to 24/7 first, with a plan to flex more lines up or down
- Identified training gaps and placed people for best coverage
The results
- 182 minimum days off per year, up from 104
- Eliminated the costly weekend warrior crew
- Less overtime paid, with overtime now voluntary
- 7 lines left intact for employees not ready to change
Sargento had implemented a weekend warrior schedule to increase capacity. After two years, the effort failed. CCG worked with management and employees to make up and increase plant capacity.
Frank Pereira, Managing Partner, Coleman Consulting Group
Is your weekend crew a costly band-aid? Get a 30-minute workforce diagnostic.
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