Streamlining the Workflow on Danish Dairy Farms Is Made Easier With SOP and LEAN

The trend is towards bigger and fewer farms. This results in bigger herds and more employees, many of whom are from abroad. By using the LEAN tools, the Danish dairy farmers create a culture which inspires the employees to organize their work better. The SOP tools are work instructions which may be posted in the stable.

The idea of using LEAN and SOP at dairy farms arose among the advisors at L&F, SEGES (the knowledge center of the Danish advisory service). They saw the need for more efficient workflows and better communication between the farmers and their employees. L&F, SEGES started developing the SOP tools for 5 farmers in 2008. When realising in 2009 that SOP is part of LEAN, L&F, SEGES visited several companies, including LEGO, and started testing LEAN tools used in the industry on Danish farms.

”LEAN in the dairy sector is spreading because the method produces results. LEAN optimizes the work processes and creates improvements on an ongoing basis.”

LEAN Eliminates Waste

LEAN is essentially about what creates value on the farm, identifying activities that do not create value, and creating a production flow with as few stops and shifts of responsibility as possible. It is also about letting the customer’s needs decide what to produce and when, and making ongoing improvements. By using LEAN tools, this can be reached by eliminating “waste” at any level on a farm. Typical waste areas are surplus production, transportation, wait time, excessive processing, inventory, errors and mistakes, movement, and unexploited knowledge. The first LEAN tool that L&F, SEGES introduced on a dairy farm was the week planner which helps the farmer create an overview of the workflow at his farm.

SOP Explains the Work

The SOP tools are work instructions which can be posted in the cowshed. They are pedagogical descriptions of how to best solve the tasks at the farm. They help the farmer streamline the production, save time and money and improve results. All SOPs are available in Danish and English.

Are the LEAN and SOP Tools In Use?

Today, the LEAN tools are used by 800 dairy and pig farmers. The SOP tools are used by approx. 120 farmers as well as the agricultural colleges.

  The participants at the Danish Cross Visit.

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