Making It Work, Together
MAKING IT WORK, TOGETHER
Recognising the UHT Team’s successful collaboration
UHT cream has been a big success for GI in 2021, but that was not always the case as the product consistently struggled to live up to our customers’ expectations when first launched. GI’s Executive Leadership Team, in particular Jim O’Neill, Michael O’Connor, Francois Morgan and Andreas Mantis, recognised the growth opportunity UHT cream presented if only the product could be improved and they, along with Jim Bergin, decided to sponsor a program of work to deliver change.
In the true spirit of collaboration, colleagues from New Product Development, Cream Supply/Farm Services, Quality, PTT, GPS and Operations came together to review the end-to-end process, from milk supply to in-market use in China, with a deep-dive on all the process steps along the chain.
UHT Integration Manager, Paru Sellapan led the end to end process review and explains that “every element of the process, from cow to consumer, needs to be considered and perfected as it has an impact on the end product. Producing UHT cream to the desired standard is an extremely complex process with many cross functional teams involved. The spirit of collaboration, efficient communication and the team’s enthusiasm were all key ingredients for our progress.”
“Initially our process was not capable of delivering to the customer’s requirements, however with a structured DMAIC problem solving approach, we identified the root causes,” says Process Excellence Specialist, Mike Phelan. “It was clear that there was no smoking gun but multiple improvement opportunities requiring change to deliver a quality product consistently throughout the year. No stone was left unturned in our search for excellence – improvements implemented included change in how we select raw cream, measurement systems for product functionality and significant UHT process changes.”
UHT R&D Manager Richard White said: “It’s well known in the industry that it is very challenging to manufacture UHT cream and achieve good functionality. The processing parameters which make the product stable for nine months have a negative effect on whipping performance. Working with Process Excellence and Quality, we were able to achieve the correct balance. In addition, our long history and experience with Baileys helped to identify critical seasonality challenges which were successfully managed with great support from Farm Development, GBS, Process Excellence, Logistics and Planning.”
Once all the pieces of the puzzle were in place, the quality was consistent and the supply chain was working optimally, UHT cream started to meet customers’ expectations, especially in the Chinese market. The demand for the product has increased by 50% in 2021.
“With the product improvements, we now had the opportunity to unlock new markets,” said Head of International Sales, Export Sales, Stephen Browne. “UHT Avonmore Professional cream is now sold in 12 markets and has a growing reputation as a premium product, having recently featured on the Vietnam version of Masterchef.”
With demand came the need to expand our Lough Egish operations, where Yvonne Kerrigan is the site lead. “The behind the scenes effort and teamwork that led to such growth in product demand and our ability to deliver this product has been rewarding in many ways. So many experts from across GI came together generating what I like to call a ‘spiral of positivity’ to make this project a success. Our on-site expertise in technology and operational resilience grew, as did our confidence. We have increased efficiency and throughput. The site is expanding in a wealth of knowledge, with each department bringing resources to help us deliver the volume growth. We are continuing to learn on the strength of this collaboration.”
Congratulations to everyone involved in this project, you are true trail blazers who deserve to be recognised for your contributions!
Download
If you’d like to help promote a culture of recognition at Glanbia Ireland, you can download a Microsoft Teams backdrop with an inspirational quote of your choice here.
CLICK ON EACH IMAGE TO DOWNLOAD
Dogs of Lockdown
DOGS OF LOCKDOWN
Glanbia Ireland employees share their pictures and stories of ‘pandemic pups’ they’ve given homes to over the past 19 months
With more time spent at home, no holidays abroad and plenty of walks to go on, many people who had been thinking about getting a dog eventually welcomed a furry friend into their lives during the pandemic. Thankfully, normality is on the horizon and many GI colleagues are returning to the office, making it another time of transition for employees and their pooches! But fear not, because Overherd at Glanbia is here to help ease the guilt of leaving your dog at home alone for the first time.
A few things can ease anxiety for all:
- Exercise is key – particularly in the morning! A tired dog is much more likely to relax and sleep than a dog full of energy, so depending on its age, a 45 minute walk will use up plenty of energy. Make time to get up and walk your dog before you go to work or if they are too young, play with them and do a little training instead.
- Encourage play time! Give them an interactive toy (some are stuffed with food) as you are leaving. This will keep your dog entertained for a little while immediately after you leave and help to create a more positive association with you leaving.
- Radio comfort! Leave a radio on so there is background noise in the house. This helps to dampen down the noise from outside so that your dog can relax more and not be constantly on alert, particularly if couriers or the postman/woman arrives.
- Routine, routine, routine! Create a routine that they like which will help them to settle.
- Preparation is everything! Once they get used to their routine, they will generally settle down and sleep after you leave for work because this is what they do most days. But you have to prepare for this a few weeks before going back to work and build up the length of time they are left on their own gradually.
- Timid dogs! Some dogs will cope much better than others with being left on their own. However, if your dog has severe separation anxiety then you need to seek help from a qualified dog behaviourist.
Competition Time!
Of course a full belly is another way to keep a dog happy and with that we have a GAIN Elite Hamper up for grabs! Please help us choose your favourite dog by adding their name along with their owners’ name in the comment section of the Overherd at Glanbia email you just received. If you’re reading Overherd directly from the URL or QR code, then please email your vote to GIPeopleServices@glanbia.ie
The dog with the most votes wins!
Margaret Kenna
People Services Specialist, Ballyragget
This is my ‘Covid’ dog Max. I got him in April 2020 and he has been my walking buddy since. We go every morning at 6:30am for 50 minutes and again at lunchtime, so we both get plenty of exercise in. My previous dog died at Christmas 2019. My friend Marina Downey who works in Planning got Max for me.
Rhona Howley,
Talent Development Manager, Danville, (home Tipperary)
This is Izzy, our 2 year old pug who we rescued from a family who couldn’t keep her. Our friends are involved in horse and dog rescue and they told us about Izzy. The children have wanted a dog for years so getting her was their best day ever! She’s been great company while we were all cooped up at home.
Justin Ryan,
Employee Communications Manager, Citywest
This was our dog ‘Snap’ who we rescued back in April. Sadly he was just with us for four months and due to ill health, had to be put to sleep. Needless to say we were heartbroken as his second chance at life was cut short. He was a good boy!
Jill Davidson,
Head of Talent Acquisition, Danville
These are our dogs Max and Pip. They are Cavapoos, which is a mix between a Poodle and a King Charles. Our kids wanted a dog for ages but we always said no as none of us were ever at home. This all changed during lockdown of course and somehow we ended up with two puppies as we couldn’t leave one behind! Now that we’re back to the office, it’s actually worked out well as they can keep each other company.
Ciara O’Rourke,
Quality Specialist, Belview
I found it hard to pick just one photo of my Golden Retriever, Ollie. I’ve had him since July 2020 as a pup and he’s the most lovable troublemaker and the best walking buddy! He’s been great company for the whole family during lockdown, especially during days working from home. Since we’re all back in work full time now, Ollie has since started going to school a few times a week where he’s made loads of new friends to play with.
Marco Quatrana,
Key Account Manager Vietnam, Citywest
This is my dog Monty, he’s a Miniature Schnauzer. Monty is playful and social but also stubborn if there are no treats around, a real character! Monty arrived during lockdown, but it’s never a bad time to get a puppy!
Michelle Collins,
Head of Nutrition and Sustainability Innovation, Ballyragget
This is Minnie, she’s a pedigree mongrel i.e. Collie, Lab Retriever and Labrador all in one! We’ve had her since June 2020 and she’s made our lives even busier and chaotic. My kids love her but she drives my husband mad – the dent she left in the utility room and her love of slippers hasn’t helped her cause, but we all love her nonetheless.
Neans McSweeney,
Interim Communications Manager, Kilkenny
Ollie is our high energy Colliepuggle with a penchant for hurling boots, only your very best shoes, pyjamas and just about anything and everything he can grab from the laundry basket! His daddy was a Collie who died on the family farm just days before he was born in Kealkil just outside Bantry in June of last year. Ollie’s mam is a jolly Pug/Beagle. He was the craziest of the litter and we chose him on that basis. Lockdown was particularly rough in our house for so many reasons I won’t even start to get into. But Ollie continues to be the light that brightens our every day and the best Covid puppy anyone could wish for!
Maria Kennedy,
Acting Head of Programme & Governance, Ballyragget
Bella and Storm arrived into our lives in Aug 2019 as eight week old pups. Having finally succumbed to pressure from the kids to get a dog, we ended up with two! It’s been lovely to see the dogs and kids playing and growing up together. The little bit of chaos they’ve brought to our family has been far outweighed by the love and fun that they bring every day. We were so glad to have them, especially during lockdown and everyone tells me they will grow out of the chewing phase…. eventually!
Chewing the cud with… Brenda Ryan
Chewing the cud with… Brenda Ryan
Each month, we put the spotlight on a Glanbia Ireland employee and for our October newsletter, we spoke to Brenda Ryan, Receptionist in Glanbia Ballyragget
Receptionist in Glanbia Ballyragget Brenda Ryan is fondly recognised companywide as the woman who keeps the show on the road there. She’s the familiar voice on the telephone line, the woman to go to if you want to book a desk or a meeting room and was one of the few who came to work every single day during lockdown to ensure the administrative building in Ballyragget functioned and everything ticked away as normal, in what were anything but normal times.
“I started with Glanbia on a six month contract. That was in August 1979. We were in the old Avonmore House, which was in the building where the Hibernian Hotel now is. We moved to Ballyragget in 1989 and I travel in and out from Kilkenny city ever since.
“This place felt so empty during Covid. We had a one-way system and only three tables in what was in normal times a buzzing canteen filled with people, chatter and laughter. It was so strange to see in what was the most sociable of places.
“Since the restrictions eased a little, people have started to relax a bit more. When things ease even further on October 22, we will adapt to the new normal I feel. The social aspect of work needs to come back. By their nature, Irish people like to get on with life, get back to living. I feel the good times will be back again and we will appreciate them all the more.”
Glanbia is very much home for Brenda and while there have been many new recruits since she first started out, the same company ethos remains; it’s a very friendly, positive and exciting place to work, she says.
“I love my job. I’m a believer in an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay. I try to be as helpful as I can and I’m always learning. Some of the people who started years ago are still here and it’s great to see the next generation coming through at pace now, bringing new ideas to the workplace.
“There’s never a dull day in Glanbia. You’re always learning a new system or a new way of doing things. It’s what keeps us all going and what excites us and keeps things real for us.
“We’ve seen lots of change in the past 18 months. We’ve had to adapt and change. When people left, you did what you could to adapt here. It’s time to adapt now again. That is all we can do.”
Gold for Green Excellence
GOLD FOR GREEN EXCELLENCE
For a second year, Glanbia Ireland has obtained Origin Green Gold Membership status for excellence in sustainability
At an event hosted by Bord Bia recently, Glanbia Ireland obtained Origin Green Gold Membership status for the second year in a row in recognition of its excellence in sustainability. The awarding of the Origin Green Gold Standard recognises Glanbia Ireland’s efforts to excel in sustainable food production as part of Ireland’s pioneering food and drink sustainability programme.
Pictured recently upon receipt of Glanbia Ireland’s Origin Green Gold Standard are (from L-R) Aoife Murphy, Director of Ingredients, John Murphy, Glanbia Ireland Chairman, Jim Bergin, CEO, and Audrey O’Shea, Head of Environmental & Sustainable Compliance
GI was just one out of 26 of Ireland’s leading food businesses to receive the inaugural Gold Status Membership last year and is among a group of 50 to achieve gold standard status for 2021. Glanbia Ireland was strongly commended again this year for its community-wide, green initiatives such as Operation Biodiversity, Operation WildNation and Operation PolliNation which are championed by Glanbia CountryLife’s horticulturists and teams at our 14 award-winning garden centres and local branches.
Together they helped drive the planting of over 80,000 native Irish trees and hedgerows over the past year as well as the introduction of flowering perennials into gardens, wild bird conservation and other biodiversity measures through a strong educational role in communities through outreach to schools.
Origin Green holds the unique position of being the only sustainability programme globally to measure and monitor sustainability across the entire national food supply chain. Glanbia Ireland CEO, Jim Bergin, said Gold membership recognises the trojan work that is carried out by the company, by farm families, milk and grain suppliers and its research partners in this area on a daily basis. “In 2015 Glanbia Ingredients Ireland, as it was then known, became the first company to win the Origin Green Sustainability Award and now again in 2021, as Glanbia Ireland, we have achieved Gold status for the second year in a row.
“It is a great honour to be made a Gold Member, reflecting all of the hard work and achievements that our teams have been making across our entire business. Gold Membership rewards and recognises our commitment to sustainability as outlined in our Living Proof sustainability strategy and our commitments on raw material sourcing and packaging, emissions, waste reduction, water efficiency, health and nutrition.”
Speaking at the event, Tara McCarthy CEO of Bord Bia, said: “Bord Bia is delighted to share the important results and industry leading achievements outlined in the Origin Green Progress Update Report 2021, as proof and progress continue to be trademarks of our world-class, national sustainability programme. This evidence of environmental improvements compiled from our members and verified by international auditors Mabbett, highlights that the programme’s vast scale across the Irish food and drink industry are what makes Origin Green unique and effective.”
Win a ‘Living Proof’ goodie pack!
Living Proof is Glanbia Ireland’s commitment to Farming, Food and the Future. In this edition of Overherd at Glanbia, we’re giving you the chance to win one of four ‘Living Proof’ goodie packs pictured below. All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is like this story in the Overherd email you’ve just received and tell us in the comment section, by what year does GI aim to achieve its Net Zero Carbon Ambition? You can also submit your answer by emailing GIPeopleServices@glanbia.ie
Glanbia 300 Raises €50,000 for Charity!
Glanbia 300 Raises €50,000 for Charity!
Nearly one month since the finish of the 2021 edition of Glanbia 300, the final fundraising tally has amounted to an amazing €50,000
In total, €43,984 was raised for Breast Cancer Ireland, The Samaritan’s and Teac Tom through individual and corporate donations, with Glanbia Ireland contributing over €6,000 to make up the final figure. The money will now be distributed evenly across all three charities to help improve the lives of people in communities all across Ireland. None of this would have been possible without the support and dedication of the 295 GI employees who took part in Glanbia 300 this year. 30,910 kilometres were completed by colleagues, friends and family throughout the week, breaking through the 30,000 kilometre target set at the start of the event.
Pictured before setting off on the 100k and 150k routes, GI’s 64 cyclists completed 8,400km in one day
Glanbia 300 is living proof of the power and collective impact GIanbia Ireland can have in our communities and the health and wellbeing of colleagues. You can watch the video below, filmed before the Glanbia 300 cycle to get a sense of the impact the event has on our people and the charities we support.
Congratulations to everyone who contributed in any way through your activities, fundraising, organising and support. Glanbia 300 will be back bigger and better next year, with even higher targets to hit!
Dairy of The Future
Dairy of The Future
Truly Grass Fed partners with Slow Food USA and joins 1% for the Planet to advance its mission
Glanbia Ireland’s Truly Grass Fed brand recently announced it has joined 1% for the Planet and will donate 1% of its annual revenue to Slow Food USA, a nonprofit dedicated to transforming how people produce, consume and enjoy food. The Truly Grass Fed donation will support Slow Food USA’s mission of uniting the joy of food with the pursuit of justice to achieve good, clean and fair food for all. The partnership further enhances TGF’s commitment to crafting dairy products with integrity and care for people, animals and the planet.
“The Truly brand is about food production that is healthier for animals, our environment and consumers,” said Nicola O’Connell, head of commercial for Glanbia Ireland. “Our philosophy aligns perfectly with Slow Food USA’s commitment to reconnecting Americans with the people, traditions, animals, soils and waters that produce our food. With a long heritage of family farming and expertise honed over generations, our farmers are also deeply dedicated to sustainability and progress. We consider ourselves dairy of the future, evolved from the past.”
The Truly Grass Fed commitment to Slow Food USA includes funding, in-kind donations and promotional support. To celebrate the partnership, Truly Grass Fed and Slow Food USA have commenced a series of Slow Food Live virtual events on the theme of simplicity, sustainability and cultivating joy. The series of fun, how-to, conversational sessions started with Irish chef Catherine Fulvio recently, who introduced viewers to a ‘Taste of Irish Slow Living’ which can be viewed on Facebook here. If you’d like to get a flavour of slow food using high quality cheese and butter from Truly Grass Fed, Catherine’s Caramelized Leek, Cheddar and Sun-dried Tomato Soda Bread recipe can be found here.
Speaking about the collaboration, Anna Mulé, executive director of Slow Food USA said: “With Truly Grass Fed’s backing and with the support of the 1% for the Planet network, we can mobilise communities to create a world where all people can eat food that is good for them, good for the people who grow it, and good for the planet — especially within the dairy industry.”
A Smarter Way of Working
A SMARTER WAY OF WORKING
Labware LIMS expansion for Ballitore, Drogheda and Lough Egish
LIMS is Glanbia Ireland’s Laboratory Information Management System which will be rolled out to our sites in Ballitore, Drogheda and Lough Egish by November of this year. Labware LIMS was first deployed over five years ago and is currently utilised in four sites under Glanbia Ireland Ingredients (Ballyragget, Belview, Virginia and Wexford) and globally in four sites under Glanbia Nutritionals.
A LIMS system offers a set of key features that support a modern laboratory’s operations:
- Results recording
- Workflow and data tracking support
- Sample management, audit management
- Lab equipment management
- Compliance with US/EU electronic signature regulations
- Data exchange interfaces with other systems (including SAP)
- Delivery of LIMS to the additional sites is already having an impact on the functionality of Lab operations. Some of the key developments include:
- Create new visual workflow for milk testing and add functionality to manually log samples from sampling points
- Lot results transfer from sister site to propagate results to containers
- Create MES interfaces to share data intelligently between systems
- UHT milk stability testing (shelf life)
- Finished product testing – create on demand Lot template for finished product testing, auto release Lots with micro testing complete
- External interface with labs to improve efficiencies with results receipt
- Automatically generate ‘COA’ (Certificates of Analysis) and issue to customers
“The incorporation of the system into these sites is a milestone in achieving a shared platform for laboratory information management as part of the overall GI digital strategy,” says Liam Sheehy Quality IT Systems Manager.
Speaking of her experience of LIMS at Ballitore, Bernie Shanahan, Site Quality Head said: “The Labware implementation in Ballitore has not only allowed us to take full control of the system and its functions, but allowed us to create a smarter way of working through the automated generation of reports etc. It has brought a revived enthusiasm to the laboratory and has allowed staff to have an input in making the system as efficient as possible.”
With the implementation of this system in Ballitore, Drogheda and Lough Egish, we are aligning processes and bringing a solution that is supportable for the foreseeable future. The next steps will include the expansion of our ‘Key Users’ forum by empowering the local quality teams to manage changes within the system following successful completion of a training program.
Marking One Year
Marking One Year
The Glanbia Ireland Ingredients website recently passed its one year milestone
According to Google, the pace of digital adoption quickened so much over the last 18 months that it is equivalent to 10 years’ worth of change. During this time, e-commerce has grown in importance, collaboration tools for work have been embraced and the expectations of B2B buyers have changed.
According to the latest GlobalWebIndex Work Survey, buyers are relying more on digital channels to discover new suppliers, with supplier websites and search engines playing a more central role given tradeshows, conferences and events were not taking place.
This change can be seen in the performance of the Glanbia Ireland Ingredients website, which recently passed its one year milestone. During this time, the site experienced significant year-on-year increases in all KPIs and had over 125,000 visitors, received more than 252,000 page views and generated over 1,600 enquiries.
Over the course of the year, optimisations were made to the site to ensure buyers could easily find the information they were looking for. New contact options were also added, making it easier for buyers to get in touch. Glanbia Direct, our online sales platform that gives customers 24/7 access to our primary ingredient portfolio, was also integrated and the Knowledge Hub was added, a new section that contains a range of thought leadership content aimed at supporting the buyer journey.
A website review is currently underway, with further optimisations planned in order to support the commercial pipeline and to deliver an enhanced user experience.