Case Study: Operational Excellence Transformation at a Plant-Based Food Manufacturer
Improving Efficiency, Reducing Costs, and Embedding KPI-Driven Accountability
Overview
A mid-market plant-based food manufacturer partnered with LCG to address rising operational costs, inconsistent performance visibility, and a need for stronger management routines across production, warehouse, and logistics. Through a focused Operational Excellence program, LCG introduced KPI-driven accountability, streamlined critical processes, and delivered measurable financial and cultural impact.
Client Context
The company produces a wide portfolio of plant-based food ingredients and products. As market demand continued to shift quickly, leadership needed greater agility, improved planning, and stronger daily management discipline to ensure production quality, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.
Challenges Identified
Limited visibility into performance drivers
Inefficient daily and weekly management routines
High overtime and double-time labor costs
Transportation fees and penalties due to planning gaps
Lack of standardized KPIs across production, loading, and warehouse
LCG’s Approach
KPI-Driven Management System
LCG introduced structured daily and weekly follow-up routines supported by standardized KPIs. Supervisors were trained to identify issues early, escalate quickly, and track corrective actions.
Enhanced Reporting and Visibility
Twelve custom business intelligence dashboards were developed to improve decision-making and performance transparency across shifts and departments.
Labor and Scheduling Optimization
LCG redesigned labor models and scheduling processes to reduce unplanned overtime. Production, loading, and warehouse resource allocation was improved for optimal throughput.
Cost and Waste Reduction Initiatives
Transportation costs were analyzed and corrected through improved planning and accountability. Additional savings were achieved through reductions in overpack, inventory write-offs, and unnecessary spend.
Results
Operational Improvements
Transportation penalties reduced by 78%, delivering annual savings of $155,000
Overtime reduced by 24%
Double-time reduced by 64%
Twelve BI dashboards deployed across operations
Financial Impact
3:1 Return on Investment (ROI)
3.9% increase in production output
Additional savings from labor optimization, transportation improvements, and mitigation of overpack and inventory write-offs
Cultural Improvements
Stronger accountability across teams
Consistent use of KPIs to guide decisions
Supervisors better equipped to manage proactively rather than reactively
Value Chain Alignment
Production: KPI routines, scheduling optimization, supervisor capability development
Supply Chain: Reduced penalties, improved planning, lower transportation costs
Warehouse: Labor optimization, reduced write-offs, improved reporting
Leadership: Accountability systems, enhanced visibility, ROI-focused governance
Impact Summary
This engagement demonstrates how operational discipline, clear KPIs, and strong management routines can significantly improve performance in a plant-based food manufacturing environment. By combining process optimization with accountability systems, the company achieved measurable operational improvements, substantial cost reductions, and a foundation for long-term scalability.