 Corey Hensel DDL Inc. Director of Operations Visit Website |
Corey Hensel has more than 14 years of experience in the package and product testing industry. As Director of Operations, he is responsible for DDL’s processes and operational efficiency across all three of DDL’s facilities. He is also responsible for ensuring all tests are performed in accordance with the most current industry standards and meets the quality standards established through DDL’s ISO 9001 certification. Hensel is Chair of the ASTM D10.23 committee, a member of the Institute of Packaging Professionals (IOPP) and TAPPI.
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Package Testing Q&A
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Asked June 5th, 2009
Consider the following for developing a protocol for executing a time or labor study for a thermal shipper:
1. Develop a protocol or work instruction and seek review and approval from a few key stakeholders. Those with industrial engineering experience, manufacturing, cost accounting, quality engineering (product integrity) and package engineering responsibilities.
2. Make sure all of the packaging personnel are trained. Review/reread (if needed) the SOP.
3. Identify and inventory fixed assets such as freezer size and conditioning capabilities. This will impact the time for preconditioning as well as identify if any special assets will be required (such as a dedicated freezing and/or refrigerating capabilities). Determine your projected conditioning time and throughput based on your thermal package design.
4. Have all of the components readily available, this includes applicable labeling. If gel packs or dry ice will be used, ensure that they’ve been preconditioned as required and specified.
5. Establish a mini production line that mimics the actual or proposed production setup. Consider whether an operator is performing the packout from beginning to end. Consider that they may be taking gloves on and off, doing transactions on a computer, and possibly generating labels.
6. Test in “live” conditions. For example, if they’re in an uncontrolled warehouse in Minneapolis in the winter or Phoenix in the summer, replicate those conditions. This includes not only the ambient temperature and humidity but manufacturing conditions such as an automated line or other processing steps that will be part of the production process.
7. Evaluate several personnel, or a good representative population from the potential operator “pool.” This may point out those who are really good and efficient and those who require more training. You generate a bell curve of performance and determine how to optimize or maintain performance excellence.
8. Perform the evaluation, several times, over the course of a rolling 12 months to determine variations over time and/or possibly adjust the labor standard. You can set the standard at time “X,” however, a few more data points may compel you to more accurately adjust the labor standard.
