Aztec Event Services is celebrating the success of its seven operational staff who were awarded their certificates in NVQ level 2 Business Improvement Techniques, on January 28th at the Aztec offices in Mitcham, Surrey.

These qualifications are the final piece in the jigsaw for Aztec’s recent adoption of the principles of the Toyota Production System (TPS) and the opening of its new warehouse unit. The new warehouse and processes have yielded a dramatic 89% reduction in Non Value-Added (NVA) lead time for equipment preparation.

The 3500 square foot warehouse has been designed from the ground up, following extensive analyses of warehouse workflows and processes, and has undergone an extensive refurbishment including reinforced doors, CCTV and energy efficient lighting. The trained operational staff, working in the new warehouse and using the TPS principles plus the 5S system (Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardise, Sustain) have seen increases in speed and efficiency, reductions in wastage and the establishment of an excellent working environment.

TPS and the new warehouse system enables Aztec to increase its capacity and to make long term savings. But the benefits are not limited to measures of efficiency, as the ‘Toyota Way’ also puts Aztec’s employees at the centre, recognising the importance of encouraging teamwork and professional support and development.

Aztec’s warehouse manager, Graham Farmer, was impressed with the results of the new methods and warehouse configuration, “The techniques of waste-walk analysis and careful refinements we have applied to the warehouse layout have allowed us make dramatic improvements warehouse efficiency, giving us quicker turnaround times and increasing our capacity as a result.”