SEPT-ÎLES, November 23, 2017 — At the 25th edition of the Salon sur les meilleures pratiques d’affaires (“Best business practices trade show”), in Montreal, Aluminerie Alouette was awarded the bronze prize for its Optimiser l’entretien et gagner en efficacité! (“Optimize maintenance and boost efficiency!”) project. The Alouette representatives in attendance were proud to receive the distinction on behalf of their co-workers who took part in the project over the months leading up to the event.
Present each year at this prestigious trade show held by Mouvement québécois de la qualité, Alouette makes a point of sharing its best practices of continuous improvement, along with tips and advice. The event is also a greatly appreciated opportunity for the participating employees to enrich their expertise — a chance to discover numerous innovations and share ideas with the best. According to Martin Tremblay, superintendent, Maintenance and Reliability, at the Alouette smelter, “We’re heading home from the event not only proud to have won a prize, but above all brimming with new ideas to help our company make even more progress.”
The Alouette project singled out by the jury and the public was launched in 2016 as part of an approach aimed at achieving Alouette’s full potential, in harmony with the company’s participative culture. The project team focused on enhancing productivity, reliability and preventive maintenance programs, and to this end it was able to count on the participation of a number of mechanical and electrical technicians. In the sectors where the project was deployed, the results were conclusive. Among other things, thanks to better planning, 40% more time was invested in equipment, leading to increased equipment reliability and availability, essential for the aluminum production process.
“The recipe is simple: our people’s expertise, a documented good method, the right parts and the right tools at the right time. That way, our employees are mobilized around a job well done in an efficient time period,” says Serge Gosselin, vice president, Operations and Maintenance.
