On November 24th EMC Members from the London/Oxford Consortium absolutely packed Kellogg Canada in London for the final SIG Session of 2010.

Kellogg has a long and impressive history in the region...

The Kellogg Canada manufacturing plant in London began as the Canada Corn Company, a manufacturing facility with the rights to produce Toasted Corn Flakes for Canadian distribution. 1n 1924 W.K. Kellogg, the founder of the Kellogg Company, bought the plant and took over production to supply all Canada with Kellogg cereal.

Thanks to a $223 million expansion that started in 1984, Kellogg Canada's 106,000 square meter London Plant is one of the most technologically advanced cereal manufacturing facilities within the Kellogg Company. 

The London facility uses computer automated machines that perform all the steps of production, from mixing the grains to packing the boxes in cartons. A monorail system carries in-process food through out the plant and equipment is washed by high power jet sprays called COP (clean in place) technology.

Kellogg London is implimention a program called "Narrow and Deep". The concept is to pick a very narrow focus in your plant to begin your lean transformation, dive deep into it and conplete the changes. Then you move to another section of your plant...this process keeps repeating itself until the plant is completed.

At this session the team from Kellogg's presented the program to the group. The concept is fairly simple focusing on one area of the Plant/Process at a time. They have developed a defined process to succeed at "narrow and deep" implementing the strengths and insights of all staff involved in a particular area. Shop Floor personal and Supervisors play a big role in the program and its success.

Th full Powerpoint detailing Kellogg's "Narrow and Deep" lean implementation program will be posted on the London/Oxford Consortium home page.

The group spent a good chunk of the morning right on the production floor. Even venturing into the monitoring area where we could see Fruit Loops passing by on a conveyor by the millions! That is not something you see everyday...also the smell was amazing!

After the tour Members participated in a Group Continuous Improvement exercise. Breakout groups of 4 or 5 members were formed and they discussed 3 things they saw that they really liked and may take back as ideas that perhaps could be implemented at their facility. They also detailed 3 things they saw that might be opportunities for Kellogg to improve on. These observations were all presented to the Kellogg team.

Thanks Kellogg's! Great session...thanks for all the great cereal and snack bars also provided. Samples are awesome!

Jason Bates

Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium London/Oxford