Interview with Rügenwalder Mühle
This is an interview with our next partner Rügenwalder Mühle conducted with the lean change agent Jochen Jendrusch. The company performes in the food processing industry and employs 820 employees at the moment.
Which approaches and measures concerning Operational Excellence are already implemented at your company?
Jochen Jendrusch: In the field of production and packaging we are using a MES-System for planning and guiding the production. Furthermore, our company’s processes are adjusted to a supply chain structure and we’re investing in professional and managerial staff to further promote the development and intensification of the lean production.
Are there further actions planned to be undertaken in the future in this field?
Jochen Jendrusch: We are actively involving our employees in change processes and further developing our value creation processes together with them. Here, we are using methods like shopfloor management, warehouse management, standardization/systematization, job engineering and far more.
Does your company offer advanced trainings to the topic Operational Excellence for your employees?
Jochen Jendrusch: With the help of our internal academy we are training our employees to relevant topics and are going to include themes around Operational Excellence. Additionally, there is the possibility to attend external advanced training.
What are your expectations on this initiative?
Jochen Jendrusch: The common ground which unites the members of this initiative is the will to continuously develop and improve. We’d like to have a cross-industry exchange (about experiences) as well as best-practice solutions to this.
To which themes do you wish to exchange thoughts and know-how?
Jochen Jendrusch: We are especially interested in lean production and logistic concepts, the application of lean methods and the sustainability as well as the digitalization in the supply chain management.
Are there specific aspects which are extraordinarily interesting for you? (for example, for networking-meetings or best-practice trips)
Jochen Jendrusch: The application of lean methods and their sustainable implementation in the company.
Are you interested in workshops during our networking-meetings?
Jochen Jendrusch: Yes, as long as the workshops are focused on supply chain management and/or the lean production and if they are practically oriented.
Which challenges do you see your company being confronted with in the future?
Jochen Jendrusch: The need of plant-based ressources is increasing rapidly world-wide and will further grow. A huge challenge is going to be the supply with enough and high-quality raw materials as well as the saving of new ones. As another challenge the required fast capacity expansion of the Rügenwalder Mühle has to be named. Here, new processes have to be established and existing structures have to be adjusted to the new requirements.
Do you see a fundamental change within your sector in the next 5 years?
Jochen Jendrusch: Yes, the sector will definitely change. Especially in view of plant-based products and alternatives to meat a lot of research is done. The technical possibilities and the taste of these products are going to evolve strongly.
Thinking about the north-western region, what do you think is mostly needed by the region to challenge the ongoing as well as future changes?
Jochen Jendrusch: The political recognition of the food processing industry being a driver of innovation. Furthermore, the continuous exchange and the technical interconnection within the value chain as well as the creation and transfer of knowledge.
In this context, how do you value the potential of initiatives like ours?
Jochen Jendrusch: Initiatives as this one are offering a platform for enterprises to network across sectors and to create possibilities for an active exchange. Hereby, new ideas, impulses and best-practice solutions can develop.
We would like to thank Jochen Jendrusch for the open exchange and are very happy to welcome the Rügenwalder Mühle as a member of our initiative.
If you have further questions to the company or to aforementioned topics, you are delighted to contact Jochen Jendrusch via mail: jjendrusch@ruegenwalder.de.
