York Timbers Management made the decision in February 2015 to embark on an engagement with Alexander Proudfoot. The purpose of the partnership was to assist in taking York Timbers to the next level of operational excellence. Project Evolve was officially launched on 2 March 2015.
The following sites were included into the scope of Project Evolve:
- Jessievale Mill
- Sabie Mill
- Driekop Mill
- Nicholson and Mullin Mill
During the initial engagement, all staff were prepared for the journey ahead by being trained in various change management sessions. In excess of 1049 man hours were spent training 328 York Timbers staff and equipping them with the necessary skills to better manage their areas. As a sustainability strategy, all Human Resource and Training staff were “trained as trainers” to allow York Timbers to sustain the excellent training results attained thus far.
Following the operational engagement, excellent results were realised across all the mills and the overall improvements in the selected sites were encouraging to see. Sustainability was again driven by the selection of a sustainability champion from within the ranks of York Timbers. The sustainability champion has been tasked with ensuring that the successful installations are driven by management and staff going forward.
Following the excellent results of Project Evolve, a decision was made to immediately continue with Project Evolve Phase 2. This phase of the project will focus on the S&OP areas of the business, the launching of the York Timber Training Academy and the implementation of the York Action System. Regular updates will be published to keep you abreast of the progress and to celebrate our successes.