Operational Excellence
News update at Cicor: Creating Together for Operational Excellence!
Dear Colleagues,
In June, as part of our commitment to continuous improvement, we shared an update on the initiative launched this year, “Creating Together for Operational Excellence”.
Since September, eight training sessions have been delivered. This initiative, and the development of the training sessions, has only been possible by the collaboration and efforts of a group of colleagues from across the Cicor Group from different functions, sites and positions.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has participated, on behalf of the Operational Excellence Council, and to acknowledge the effort and contribution made to ensure the development of the training to expand on the Group-wide learning and development offering.
In December, the Council, and all colleagues involved in the initiative, joined meetings to complete a review of 2025 and to look ahead to 2026! It has been quite a year, as you can see from the incredible participation below:
Thank you to all participants for registering for the Operational Excellence Training and for your contribution to the training sessions. As part of the Cicor Group Learning and Development Strategy, feedback on all training delivered is an important part of the process and all participants received a short feedback survey. The feedback has been collected and will be used to continue to further develop and improve the training content.
In 2026, we will continue to offer this training, with dates to be made available in Q1 2026. As a reminder of the training sessions available please find details below:
Key Initiatives in Detail:
- Kaizen and 5S (Continuous Improvement and Workplace Organisation): Process of continuous improvement, where each one of us actively participates in enhancing workflows. 5S helps maintain an organised and safe working environment, leading to improved productivity.
- SIOP (Sales-Inventory-Operations-Planning): Aligns supply and demand, ensuring efficient use of resources, optimum inventory levels and improved customer service.
- One Piece Flow and Line Layout: Reduce waste, increases the speed of production and optimises workstation layout to further enhance productivity.
- Quality Management: Ensures the highest standards of quality while minimising internal defects. This applies to both our products and our internal processes.
- Problem Solving: As issues arise, we apply structured, problem-solving techniques to identify the root cause and implement solutions to prevent future occurrences.
- Shopfloor Management and Visual Management: Ensures all employees are aligned on production goals and performance, allowing us to identify issues quickly.
- Value Stream Mapping (VSM) and Factory Design: Helps improve the flow of materials and products through production processes, ensuring more efficient and streamlined operations.
- Health & Safety Management: Ensures a safe working environment by proactively managing risks and ensuring compliance with relevant health and safety regulations.
What are the next steps?
Workstreams will be confirmed in the New Year, for colleagues who continue to be a part of the Op Ex team, and possibly additional, new members who would like to be involved in the further development and delivery of the content. We will continue to keep you updated!
We would like to take this opportunity, again, to thank all colleagues who are making this initiative happen and “Creating Together”. This training is an integral part of our long-term strategy and the contribution of colleagues to this, their engagement and support, is invaluable.
This is an exciting time for Operational Excellence and, with the collaboration and engagement of colleagues, we look forward to continuing to share progress and celebrate successes.
Tracy Squires
Vice President Human Resources