2010/710 Mater Class Series: Minimising waste and maximising profit through process efficiency

By Bob Fleming, Mark Setterfield and Emily Mantilla

This master class introduced participants to basic concepts of improving productivity in the seafood sector, with emphasis on small to medium enterprises (SME's).

A total of four Master Classes were delivered in Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne, from the 8th to the 12th of February 2010. A total of 43 people participated and were trained in basic process mapping techniques (SIPOC, core process mapping, defect mapping and bottleneck identification), concepts of the value-adding process and Muda and concepts of performance measurement (measurement families, linkage of strategic goals to process measurement and measurement for control).

This master class also introduced participants to strategies, tools and techniques used for identifying waste and inefficiencies in their own processes, utilising case studies to demonstrate how the new knowledge will improve productivity, long term viability and finances of seafood businesses. The case study selected was based on real-life consultancy work carried out by the Grimsby Institute in Ireland and was chosen to cement the concepts to:

• Ensure a highly participative style for the delegates
• Portray credible scenarios in the seafood sector
• Promote debate and discussion
• Enable achievement of the learning outcomes

Overall the module was generally very well received and feedback shows a weighted score of 87.2% for satisfaction across all venues. This master class has also offered the Seafood CRC scope to investigate the interest and suitability of a Diploma in Seafood Processing qualification and program for its participants.