Delivery Governance
Operations and Performance Improvement
Why Operations and Performance Improvement Matters
Joltek helps manufacturers turn these challenges into opportunities for growth.
Why it matters
What this costs when it is left alone
The reasons this work gets deferred are usually the reasons it gets expensive.
Unplanned downtime is costly
A single hour of lost production can result in tens of thousands of dollars in wasted capacity.
Inefficiencies add up
Small gaps in equipment reliability, work order execution, or changeovers can reduce throughput across entire facilities.
Maintenance and operations often misalign
Without strong processes and accountability, plants spend more time reacting than improving.
Data is underutilized
Many facilities collect data but fail to translate it into insights that drive performance.
Our approach
How the work runs
We believe performance improvement requires both strategic clarity and disciplined execution. Our consulting approach focuses on:
Reliability and Downtime Reduction
- Assessing asset health and failure patterns
- Implementing preventive and predictive maintenance strategies
- Optimizing spare parts and inventory management
Efficiency and Throughput Optimization
- Evaluating line balancing and bottlenecks
- Improving changeover and setup times
- Reducing waste in processes and workflows
Workforce and Process Alignment
- Building accountability frameworks between operations, maintenance, and engineering
- Training teams to adopt Lean, TPM, and other improvement methodologies
- Establishing KPIs and performance dashboards that matter
Data-Driven Decision Making
- Unlocking plant floor data from SCADA, MES, and historian systems
- Creating actionable metrics rather than raw data
- Guiding leadership on how to use analytics to drive continuous improvement
What we deliver
What you end up holding
- A baseline assessment of operations performance and reliability risks
- Clear prioritization of improvement initiatives based on ROI and impact
- Frameworks and training to ensure improvements are sustained
- Tangible results such as reduced downtime, improved OEE, and greater throughput
Who we support
Who this is for
- Plant Managers and Operations Leaders
- looking to lift efficiency and cut downtime.
- Engineering and Maintenance Teams
- modernizing processes and improving reliability.
- Executives and Investors
- wanting assurance that operational performance supports growth.
Why Joltek
What you are actually buying
Hands-on Experience
We have led maintenance, reliability, and performance teams in complex, high-throughput facilities.
Strategic Mindset
We combine technical knowledge with business understanding to ensure improvements align with financial outcomes.
Sustainable Impact
Our goal is not quick fixes, but lasting operational excellence that scales.
Client scenarios
What this looks like in practice
Anonymised engagements. Client names are withheld; the situations are not.
Packaging Manufacturer — Chronic Unplanned Downtime
A packaging manufacturer was experiencing 18% unplanned downtime across three production lines, costing over $2M annually in lost capacity. Maintenance was reactive, spare parts were poorly tracked, and failure data was not being analyzed. Joltek conducted a reliability assessment, identified the top ten recurring failure modes, and implemented a preventive maintenance schedule backed by a CMMS. Within six months, unplanned downtime dropped below 7% and the facility achieved its best OEE quarter on record.
Food Manufacturer — Bottleneck Costing Throughput
A food manufacturer running three shifts was producing 12% below capacity despite fully staffed operations. Joltek performed a throughput analysis and identified a single filling line changeover process as the primary constraint, consuming 45 minutes per shift due to undocumented procedures and poor tooling organization. By redesigning the changeover using SMED principles, standardizing tooling stations, and training operators, changeover time dropped to under 18 minutes. The line recovered 8% of lost throughput within 60 days.
Consumer Products Plant — Data Without Direction
A consumer products plant had invested in a historian and dashboards that no one was using consistently. Managers had access to data but lacked the structure to act on it. Joltek worked with operations and maintenance leadership to define five key KPIs, build a daily visual management routine, and align shift handoffs around those metrics. Within 90 days, the plant reported faster identification of performance gaps, more targeted maintenance priorities, and a measurable improvement in team accountability across shifts.
Questions
Answered before you ask
What is OEE and why does it matter?
OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) is the standard measure of manufacturing productivity. It combines availability, performance, and quality into a single metric. World-class OEE is typically considered 85% or higher. Most plants operate between 40–60% OEE, meaning there is significant capacity to unlock without adding equipment or headcount.
What is the difference between TPM and preventive maintenance?
Preventive maintenance is scheduled maintenance performed at regular intervals to reduce the chance of failure. TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) is a broader system that involves operators in basic equipment care, eliminates losses across the production system, and drives toward zero breakdowns, zero defects, and zero accidents. Joltek helps organizations implement the right level of both depending on operational maturity.
How long does an operations performance improvement engagement typically take?
An initial assessment typically takes 2–4 weeks. Improvement initiatives are then implemented in phases over 3–6 months depending on complexity. Joltek provides ongoing support to ensure improvements are embedded in daily operations and sustained over time, rather than reverting after the engagement ends.
Can you help if we already have a Lean or continuous improvement program?
Yes. Joltek works alongside existing Lean or CI programs to identify gaps, accelerate results, and connect improvement efforts to data from SCADA, MES, and historian systems. We add value by bringing technical OT expertise and data-driven analysis that many CI programs lack.
What industries do you work with for performance improvement?
Joltek has experience across food and beverage, consumer goods, packaging, pharmaceuticals, and industrial manufacturing. While the tools and techniques vary by industry, the core principles of reliability, efficiency, and data-driven decision making apply universally.
Have a project that needs technical ownership?
Send us the situation. If it is not something we should take on, we will say so.