Client: Dairyworld Foods
Industry: Food Products
Responsibilities
Overview
Before its acquisition by Saputo Inc., Dairyworld Foods had annual sales of $1.4 billion and employed 3,200 people at 24 plants across Canada. The company produced milk, yogurt, cheese, butter, skim-milk powder, juices and food ingredients. Dairyworld Foods was Western Canada’s largest food manufacturer, marketing an extensive array of dairy and related food products under such well-known brand names as Dairyland, Armstrong, Pacific, and Orchard Hill.
Problem
The company had made a huge commitment to a quality process. However, the results were mixed and future plans needed better results. “It just wasn’t clicking. We were missing some essential glue which was basically teamwork,” said the president and CEO. “People had to understand… that they didn’t have the luxury anymore of waiting for orders and following them through without taking responsibility or being accountable. With this participation side comes the whole accountability side. You can’t get one without the other
Responsibilities
Solution
The president continued, “It really wasn’t until we introduced Grid at Dairyworld that we got the teamwork to take off because then people understood what was expected of them.” An innovative management team took the “leap of faith” to apply Grid solutions to cross-team relationships with their customers such as The Overwaitea Food Group and suppliers such as Tetra Pak.
All of this was possible due to the changes Dairyworld made to its corporate culture using the Grid processes. Dairyworld incorporated Grid right into the keel of the organization. It developed an effective organization that could hold up through chaotic times and take advantage of opportunities when they presented themselves.
Responsibilities
Results
Dairyworld Foods provided a leading-edge model for the industry. Beyond their own organization, they created efficiencies in the supply chain with retailers and applied innovative, new technology with suppliers. A final outcome of the success of Grid at Dairyworld might be seen in its acquisition by Saputo Inc. for $407 million. Saputo’s president and COO said, “Dairyworld’s seasoned team will strengthen our group and will contribute significantly to our growth.” Saputo’s acquisition of Dairyworld resulted in Saputo becoming the leading dairy-products group in Canada.
