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Harvesting Success: Toyota Kata and Lean Manufacturing at Bayer Cropscience LP
With the help of: Puerto Rico Manufacturing Extension Inc. (PRiMEX)
About
Bayer Crop Science has been a proud member of the Puerto Rican business community for nearly four decades. Headquartered in Juana Diaz, the Crop Science division focuses on advanced assisted breeding research and development. Corn, soy, and cotton seeds are developed for superior performance for farmers. The seeds produced in Puerto Rico are then sent to other Bayer sites for additional testing and for large-scale seed production, supporting our global breeding and product supply.
The Challenge
Knowing the new business challenges that lie ahead, which include new clients/breeders, the optimization of their current processes and training for employees on continuous improvement topics, Bayer Crop Science contacted Puerto Rico Manufacturing Extension, part of the MEP National Network™, to start an education process on continuous improvement topics and also start an assessment of the company's current state scenario to develop an action plan for implementation. As a long-term goal (three years) Bayer Crop Science established an overall of 50% reduction in process time and 30% increase in production capacity in general, starting with the seed processing and discard areas of the site.
Our company has consistently prioritized delivering superior products to our customers while maintaining our mission of health for all and hunger for none. To help us enhance operational efficiency and increase production, we adopted the Toyota Kata methodology. This initiative marked a shift in our organizational approach to improvement, extending beyond process optimization. Through iterative coaching cycles, we are cultivating a culture of awareness and collaborative problem solving. The entire team actively engages in identifying and addressing challenges through experimentation. This transformation demands significant commitment from our team, but it is yielding substantial benefits. Our partnership with Puerto Rico Manufacturing Extension has been instrumental in this journey. Their guidance and support, from introducing lean manufacturing and Toyota Kata principles to providing ongoing coaching, have been invaluable. This collaboration is helping us create a culture of continuous improvement while helping us create an environment of sustained growth for our operation.
MEP's Role
After several conversations with Puerto Rico Manufacturing consultants, Bayer Crop Science decided to start lean and Toyota Kata trainings and implementation processes in the Juana Diaz site. The purpose was to begin a systematic way of moving forward to achieve the organization's goals. Puerto Rico MFG performance consultants delineated and helped the management team in the trainings and in the the construction of a Kata Improvement model for the plant (both areas). The four-phases Toyota Kata model was the main frame to start the continuous improvement journey to obtain better results for the organization.