Thomas Katane, Group Quality Manager, and Gerald Wheeler, Divisional Manager, from BBF Safety Group, presented at ODI’s 2026 Conference, held at the Premier Hotel, O.R. Tambo, Johannesburg. Their presentation was titled: The BBF operations excellence story: a multi-dimensional approach.
The 2026 Astral Foods’ 20 Keys Conference brought together leaders and teams from across the business to share practical experiences of operational excellence, continuous improvement, and the results being achieved through 20 Keys.
Operational excellence involves more than just tools, techniques, and projects. True sustainability requires aligned processes, standards, structures, capabilities, and behaviors, all driven by leadership that recognises the importance of continuous improvement.
The article explains how Industry 4.0 and AI are transforming lean manufacturing, especially through ODI’s 20 Keys system in South Africa. It highlights AI’s role in improving key areas, supported by case studies and business benefits.
First-line Managers have the most important role in the business, as they can switch on and switch off productivity on the shop floor.
On Thursday 26 October 2023, ODI hosted – Operations Excellence: A Never-ending Journey, at the Premier Hotel, O.R. Tambo, in Johannesburg. Recognition was given to some people who have played outstanding roles in their companies and the Top Achiever Awards were announced.
In business, we aim to be the best, the fastest, and the lowest cost producer of a product or service. It takes constant improvement of products, processes and service to remain an industry leader and provide the best choice for customers, regardless of where we are in the process.
Operations excellence is a framework for businesses to focus on growth and execute their strategy better than their competitors. It enables an organisation to do more with the same staff through better employee engagement and streamlined processes.