Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1110343
21 COMMERCIAL maltatoday | SUNDAY • 28 APRIL 2019 A team of key managers from Si- monds Farsons Cisk plc recently visited a range of companies in Porto, Portugal to gain first- hand experience of lean manu- facturing principles and prac- tices in action. Led by Michael Farrugia, Ex- ecutive Director for Operations & Business Development, and organised in partnership with Kaizen Institute, the purpose of the visit was to continue to in- vest in a culture of continuous improvement and manufactur- ing excellence. Following an intensive multi- million investment in the com- pany's operation carried out over this last decade, Farsons has in parallel focused and intensified its LEAN programme through its partnership with the Kaizen Institute, which is now running into its second consecutive year. Commenting on the pro- gramme and investment, CEO Norman Aquilina said, "the key objective of LEAN management is that of continuously improv- ing and relentlessly working on eliminating waste from our pro- cesses to add maximum value for our customers. In these two years we have already witnessed positive developments under- taken in our Beer Packaging and PET departments, as well as within Logistics, which have led to encouraging results." During the benchmark tour, a total of five companies were visited ranging from a bever- age supplier and an auto parts distributor to a retail chain and food and wine producer. "Each company visited," said Michael Farrugia, "demonstrat- ed a variety of Lean principles and practices including 5S, vis- ual management and problem- solving tools, a focus on safety and standardisation, intelligent automation and much more. ''Apart from the learning ex- perience, it was also an oppor- tunity for the team to travel together, bringing added ben- efits, by energising and aligning management and strengthening teamwork and cross functional cooperation. ''This should lead to further motivation to implement Kai- zen, through fresh ideas and breakthrough innovation." Lean manufacturing is today synonymous with world class manufacturing and fundamen- tally tied to the systematic elimi- nation of waste in all aspects. While its origins lie within the car manufacturing industry of post-war Japan, it is today widely applied across the globe in an ar- ray of industries and sectors. Farsons continues to move forward with lean manufacturing and Kaizen Members of the Farsons management team led by Michael Farrugia, Executive Director for Operations & Business Development, during the visit to Porto PRACTICALITY and safety, economy and reliability, as well as comfort and versatility: these are the keywords used to describe the Fuso Canter. For your daily work in an urban environment, you need more than a light truck. You need a specialist. Or better: a whole specialist unit. A team that relieves you. In the hard work. And while driving. A team that takes you further. Even if it gets tight. Efficient, comfortable and versatile. In the five weight classes 3.5t, 6.0t, 6.5t, 7.49t and 8.55t, with three differ- ent cabin types, three engine variants from 96kW (130hp) to 129kW (175hp), six wheel- bases from 2,500 to 4,750mm and body lengths up to 7.2m - the right Canter is ready for you. The frame concept offers you excellent bodywork solu- tions with high payload in all weight classes. If you're after a truck with a body that's tailor made to your exact specifications, Canter's range of cab chassis' are a good place to start. On the other hand, if you've got a straight forward job and need a quality truck and body as soon as possible, Fuso's Built Ready range will have you sorted in no time. Packed with class leading features, the light-duty Fuso Canter can be configured to suit almost any business need as you can pick from over 50 body variations! Canter is the only light-duty Japanese truck to offer 30,000km service in- tervals. And with its class leading tare weight, you can carry more with Canter. Further- more, the Fuso Canter was the first in the market to offer a Duonic dual-clutch trans- mission. The Fuso Canter is also available with a start/stop function, as an optional extra, with both the Duonic dual clutch and manual transmis- sions. The heavier models also have an Electronic Stability Program (ESP), available as an option. For further information please visit; Kind's – Auto Sales Ltd, contact 21433601 or visit www.autosales.com. mt Fuso - The Canter: made for business DURING the month of March, 10 employees from MAPFRE Group helped out at Dar Papa Frangisku, a shelter home that provides meals and/or tem- porary shelter for persons in crisis, including those who are rendered homeless due to un- fortunate and unforeseen cir- cumstances. Dar Papa Frangisku is one of the largest houses in Fleur-de- Lys Road and is run by Caritas in partnership with the Gov- ernment and the Alfred Mizzi Foundation. Those persons who are experiencing difficul- ties in their lives, or who feel lonely or lack the basic neces- sities such as food and a place for shelter, are referred to this home. The shelter is open to those in need 24 hours a day and seven days a week, whilst guaranteeing a good and well balanced daily meal for both day residents and the homeless. As of now, there are approxi- mately 20 beds accommodat- ing men and women, and in case of day meals, there are 36 seats to accommodate the day residents. The 10 full time care workers at the Dar Papa Frang- isku received the necessary training on similar home mod- els that Caritas have in Rome in order to help those individuals in need to the best of their ca- pabilities. MAPFRE Group had made arrangements with the care workers at the home for us to help out in their kitchen and serve food to the day residents. "It was a memorable experience to give a helping hand at Dar Papa Frangisku. Such experi- ence made us realise how much we should appreciate and be thankful for what we have" said Jessica Deguara, Head of Man- agement Control at MAPFRE Middlesea. MAPFRE Group will con- tinue to sponsor such activities throughout 2019. MAPFRE Group helps out at Dar Papa Frangisku