Heinz - The Secret Ingredient

One of the world’s largest food producers, the H.J. Heinz Company, has signed a multi-year agreement for a global roll-out of the TRACC Continuous Improvement Management System across more than 65 operations.

According to Gary Thomas, Global Director of Continuous Improvement, Heinz researched over forty consulting firms around the world in search of a system that would allow global standardization of their continuous improvement processes, while allowing regional flexibility for implementation. “After a rigorous search we found that TRACC could provide us with a system that enables best practice management across multiple plants and integrates all our improvement initiatives such as Six Sigma, Lean and TPM, while simultaneously engaging and mobilizing change through our people. TRACC will help us sustain performance and culture change” Gary said.

“TRACC provides us with a tried-and-tested CI system, expert support and specialist training. In these times, it is important to have the right system, and it is critical that this system enables people to do the 'right thing' in order to get the 'right results',” Gary explained. He added that Heinz was not only looking for a World Class CI process, but also a partner that would help them develop the skills internally to lead and manage the entire program with internal resources.

Heinz has been developing a process over an 18-month period that would focus on delivering world class practices and performance called Global Performance System (HGPS). This includes, inter alia, integrating its $6 to $7 billion global supply chain by better leveraging direct and indirect procurement, rationalizing the manufacturing footprint and driving continuous improvement initiatives.