Kraft Operational Improvements
espi partnered with Kraft to streamline operations, reduce production costs, and improve labor efficiency—delivering significant cost savings, higher throughput, and helping retain over 800 jobs while strengthening long-term competitiveness.
Client Overview
Industry : Manufacturing – Food & Beverage
Kraft is a global food and beverage manufacturer operating high-volume production facilities with complex product changeovers, strict quality requirements, and demanding service expectations. As competitive pressures increased, Kraft sought to improve plant performance while maintaining workforce stability and product integrity.
Kraft partnered with espi to drive meaningful operational improvements focused on cost reduction, efficiency, and long-term competitiveness. The engagement centered on streamlining production operations, reducing inventory, and improving labor utilization without compromising output or quality.
The Challenge
Kraft’s facility faced increasing production costs driven by frequent cleanouts, extended changeover times, and inefficiencies across production scheduling and warehousing. Inventory levels were higher than necessary, labor utilization varied by area, and the facility relied heavily on temporary labor to meet demand.
To remain competitive with lower-cost plants, Kraft needed a structured, data-driven approach to improve throughput, reduce waste, and better align production, inventory, and workforce planning.
The Solution
espi worked closely with Kraft’s leadership and plant teams to design and implement targeted operational improvements, including:
Realized Benefits
The operational improvements delivered measurable results across cost, efficiency, and workforce stability:
Client Testimonial
“The team brought additional resources that are invaluable to us as we strive to compete with lower-cost plants. As a result, we have retained our facility’s 806 jobs.”
— Plant Manager, Kraft Foods, Inc.
About espi
espi partners with manufacturers to drive operational excellence through disciplined analysis, hands-on execution, and sustainable change management. By combining deep manufacturing expertise with proven improvement methodologies, espi helps organizations reduce costs, improve performance, and build resilient operations that support long-term success.