A small area of 15 square kilometres between Waregem, Wielsbeke and Ingelmunster is sometimes referred to in jest as the Dallas of West Flanders. The comparison is not as strange as it may first appear because, in this instance, a number of thriving family-run businesses have built their success not on oil but flax. Two factories, traditionally competitors, now produce chipboard under the Unilin banner in this characteristic West Flanders landscape. Kurt, Unilin’s quality engineer, outlines recent changes in the company’s philosophy that have helped Unilin retain its position as a leading producer: “We used to think that if your overall is dirty at the end of the day, you have been working hard. But we now appreciate that working harder does not necessarily lead to increased profitability. Today, we also think in terms of working smarter and rather ask ourselves whether our efforts are genuinely contributing to profitability or improving the production process.” To take this step forward, Unilin called in Accezz for a joint improvement project.
Change to improve
