Tork is committed to preventive maintenance to optimize productivity

Tork, an Essity brand, has presented “Equipped to Improve”, a new project developed for the manufacturing sector, in which it is committed to preventive maintenance to optimize productivity. The main axis is the publication of a guide, based on the Kaizen method, which aims to help companies implement a culture of continuous improvement.

The Kaizen method is a Japanese management system, which emerged during the 1950s, as a result of the country’s need to reach the level of other Western nations in order to compete with them. Advocates for all employees to be involved in the improvement of a company. It offers important lessons for industries looking to increase productivity and is supported by a study conducted among machine operators.

The new guide to optimizing productivity, the core of the entire project, can be downloaded at www.tork.es and contains five concrete steps on how to easily implement a culture of continuous improvement to create a sustainable competitive advantage.

To develop the new guide, Tork worked with Kaizen expert Jonas Svanäng. Jonas learned and studied Kaizen firsthand when it was applied to Toyota’s factories and has since replicated it in more than 100 companies internationally. Today, Jonas regularly shares his knowledge of Kaizen and operational excellence at international conferences.

“The objective of the Kaizen method is to implement a culture of continuous improvement through behavior change. When your company adopts a Kaizen mentality in which employees are given the opportunity to positively influence their workplace, it increases their motivation,” says Jonas Svanäng,

Machine operators often work close to areas where unnecessary problems or obstacles arise (in Kaizen parlance, Muda, meaning company / process waste). Therefore, they play a fundamental role in preventing and improving productivity within the company.

Recent Tork research shows that 89% of machine operators believe that “improving preventive maintenance routines is important in the business” while 87% agree that “preventive maintenance reduces machine breakdowns and downtime in production.”

“We want to help companies improve preventive maintenance routines, especially those moving towards autonomous maintenance, contributing with smart and innovative products that can optimize efficiency and reduce waste. Because we know that small changes as part of improvement initiatives can have a significant impact on quality, cost, and delivery,” says Jenny Turner, Industry Marketing Director for Essity’s professional hygiene business.

Tork offers a broad portfolio of professional cleaning products as part of the Tork Performance system, to help optimize autonomous cleaning routines in industrial environments. The system includes both a variety of cleaning cloths and dispensers that are robust and offer a unique range of mounting options to place them within easy reach of the operator. Up to 89% of machine operators agree that “having professional, robust industrial cloth dispensers placed exactly where I need them would contribute to effective cleaning and preventive maintenance.”