Cargill Corn Milling (CCM) North America received a Baldrige site visit in October 2008, four months after the Cedar River crested at 20 feet above flood stage and caused an estimated $100 million in damage to its facilities.

It was ready. Despite having to remove and recondition 600 motors, 500 pumps, and more than 100 blowers, CCM was up and running in September and operating at full capacity in November—the same month it learned that it had received the Baldrige Award.

In “Watershed Moment” (Quality Progress, August 2009), CCM President Alan Willits credits his organization’s fast recovery to its process-oriented business culture. “We didn’t need to go back and ask how we were going to manage this project,” said Willits.” We had all the processes in place. We were simply able to use them to react to a very significant and difficult event.”

In the summary of its award-winning application, CCM describes how it uses its Best Practices Model to improve work processes. The model is a variation of Plan-Do-Check-Act or the DMAIC model that has four stages and nine steps:

• Plan: Identify opportunity / identify key measures / standardize measurement system / evaluate and identify best practices

• Evaluate: Document best practices / Implement best practices

• Analyze: Measure and communicate best practices / Audit best practice compliance

• Refine: Refine best practices

Through systematic deployment of its Best Practices Model, CCM achieved world-class results:

• Earnings after taxes tripled from 2003 to 2007
• CCM’s cost of doing business improved from 35% in 2005 to 30% in 2008
• CCM maintained an error-free delivery rate of 99% or above from 2005 to 2008
• From 2006 to 2008, CCM saved more than $15 million from employee-generated ideas
• Overall employee engagement increased from 37% to 65% from 2004 to 2008

To find out more about CCM’s Best Practices Model and the processes that have made it a business role model, read its complete award application summary.

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...