FDBusiness.com

Nestlé UK has launched “Productivity in Practice” a series of insights which show links between productivity gains, new technology and sustained improvements by the company’s people at all levels.

With the Government’s renewed focus on the challenge of raising the UK’s overall productivity, the findings reflect important perspectives and case studies from Nestlé on increasing productivity, which can be widely applied across industry.

The food and drink sector is a great unsung success story in the UK. The industry makes up the largest portion of the manufacturing sector in the UK. It accounts for almost 16 per cent of total manufacturing turnover and it employs around 400,000 people across the UK.

The food and drink industry is one of the few sectors to increase its productivity since the financial crisis and this has been achieved by people embracing new working practices and the high expectations for quality and the importance of continuous skills development.

Dame Fiona Kendrick, Chairman and CEO of Nestlé UK & Ireland, says: “Productivity is multi-faceted and affects every part of the business but when it comes to raising productivity, investment in new technology and the skills of our people go hand in hand. We recognise that in order for our business to consistently prosper, we succeed by empowering our people to identify improvements and drive efficiency.  Nestlé’s people have seen expectations and demands rise, but they know they are in a global race and I am proud of how they have risen to the challenges.”

She continues: “To keep up the momentum across the UK, the Government and wider food supply chain must work together to become more productive and to rival our competitors on a global stage. This will only happen if we invest more in new technology, in the capability of our managers and in the skills of our people.”

Welcoming Nestlé’s Productivity in Practice, Elizabeth Truss MP, Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, says: “Food and drink is a powerhouse of our economy and the country’s biggest manufacturing sector, greater than cars and aerospace combined. We produce more new food products each year than France and Germany combined and it is only right we champion new technology, skills and improvements in the sector to make British food as productive as possible.”

In the last five years, the food and drink sector has increased productivity by 11% compared with 0.6% for the economy as a whole.