OPTIMUM – Our Path to Continuous Improvement
OPTIMUM has become a key component of the transformation of Südzucker’s Sugar Division. In this interview, Frank Kiesewetter, COO of the Sugar Division, explains the programme’s objectives, the changes it has already initiated and how customers are benefiting from it.
Südzucker: OPTIMUM is a key component of the transformation of Südzucker’s Sugar Division. Could you please explain exactly what OPTIMUM is all about?
Frank Kiesewetter: In October 2023, the Sugar Division of launched OPTIMUM to improve operational performance in sugar production and strengthen long-term competitiveness. OPTIMUM is the central building block of the Sugar Division’s transformation process and is based on the ‘Operational Excellence’ methodology, with the aim of continuously optimising our processes throughout the entire supply chain and thereby improving every day. OPTIMUM enables employees to identify opportunities, solve problems and take responsibility for improvements. By embedding continuous improvement into day-to-day operations, the programme promotes both stronger operational performance and the cultural change necessary for our long-term success.
Südzucker: Why did the Sugar Division decide to take this approach?
Frank Kiesewetter: We operate in a highly competitive environment and within a strongly price-driven market. The programme focuses on safety, quality, delivery reliability, costs and staff productivity. OPTIMUM helps us to systematically identify and reduce losses and inefficiencies along the value chain. In this way, we aim to improve our processes, strengthen our performance, boost efficiency and increase our adaptability.
Südzucker: What makes OPTIMUM special?
Frank Kiesewetter: OPTIMUM is not a project with a defined start and end, but a programme. It is a continuous process of improvement. If I aim for continuous optimisation, I cannot say: ‘We’re done now; we’ve optimised enough’, but must instead re-examine what is currently working well. I think you have to realise that continuous improvement can never be complete – in other words, you’re never finished. For me, OPTIMUM is, above all, a mindset and a fundamental attitude. It’s about getting a little better every day and also questioning yourself.
Südzucker: How does OPTIMUM influence day-to-day operations within the company, and what does this mean for our customers?
Frank Kiesewetter: As part of OPTIMUM, we realised relatively quickly that improvements aren’t just beneficial in the factory and on the production line, but throughout the entire value chain – from the field to the customer. OPTIMUM forms the basis for greater customer focus, because by embedding a culture of continuous improvement, we constantly scrutinise and optimise processes and adapt them to changing market requirements.
Südzucker: What does OPTIMUM mean to you personally?
Frank Kiesewetter: What I find particularly valuable and encouraging is the shift in our employees’ mindset. It’s impressive to see how OPTIMUM is helping staff develop a deeper understanding of the processes and how they interrelate. The attitude of ‘We’ve always done it this way’ is being replaced by ‘How can we do it even better?’. And I believe that is crucial to OPTIMUM’s long-term success: the positive attitude of continuous improvement.
I see my colleagues’ willingness to take on more responsibility as a sign that we’re on the right track. Similarly, I am encouraged when I notice, during conversations, that people are becoming more aware of their contribution to the overall process. That’s essential for making things a little better every day.
Südzucker: Thank you very much for the interview and for sharing your experiences and perspectives on OPTIMUM with us.
Frank Kiesewetter
COO, Sugar Division
BACKGROUND: About OPTIMUM
OPTIMUM is a strategic initiative of the Südzucker Group Strategy 2030 and is brought to life across the divisions. It contributes to the strategic direction “Profitable growth” and specifically supports the strategic objective to improve efficiency, costs & performance.
About Frank Kiesewetter
Frank Kiesewetter is the COO of Südzucker’s Sugar Division. A process engineering graduate, he joined Südzucker in 2006, subsequently holding various specialist and management positions in production and plant management. After completing an engineering trainee programme with international assignments, he served in various roles, including plant engineer and plant manager at several sugar factories, as well as plant manager at the Zeitz sugar factory. He is currently responsible for the operational activities of Südzucker’s Sugar Division.
