Case Study: Tankers

Client Overview:

A leading international Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) company approached Strategic Innovation (SI) with the challenge of minimising wastage of a highly viscous substance during road transportation. The objective was to propose practical approaches to maximise transfer efficiency.

Background:

Waste management and resource optimization are critical concerns for all businesses, especially in industries dealing with substantial volumes of materials. In this case, the FMCG company was grappling with the issue of residual material being left within transportation tankers after delivery. This challenge prompted the company to seek out SI’s expertise in strategic innovation and problem-solving to identify the root causes of the issue and develop effective solutions.

Our Approach:

Strategic Innovation was tasked with comprehensively investigating the problem and devising strategies to enhance the efficiency of the delivery system. The engagement involved several key steps:

1. Analysis and Diagnosis: The SI team employed a combination of analytical and TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving) tools to deeply understand the factors contributing to the incomplete offloading of the highly viscous substance. This investigative phase revealed a range of potential issues, spanning material specifications, logistical intricacies, and administrative challenges.
2. Benchmarking and Best Practices: After gaining insights into the nature of the problem, SI conducted an extensive review of analogous situations and solutions across various industries. This benchmarking process aimed to identify potential “quick-win” remedies that could be readily applied to the current challenge.
3. Customised Problem-Solving: Recognizing that an off-the-shelf solution might not adequately address the complexity of the issue, SI systematically applied TRIZ tools once again. The team focused on generating innovative solutions for each identified issue, factoring in considerations such as feasibility, costs, benefits, and practical implementation.
4. Solution Refinement: The range of potential solutions generated by SI was then narrowed down collaboratively with the FMCG company. Through a collaborative process, the solution matrix was refined into a shortlist of the most promising and robust options.

Outcome:

• Comprehensive Understanding: The FMCG company gained a deep understanding of the factors contributing to material wastage within transportation tankers.
• Innovative Solutions: The application of TRIZ and analytical tools allowed SI to propose innovative solutions tailored to the specific challenges identified during the analysis.
• Cross-Industry Insights: The benchmarking process exposed the FMCG company to successful solutions from other industries, enriching their problem-solving toolkit.
• Efficiency Enhancement: The shortlisted solutions provided a practical roadmap for enhancing the efficiency of the delivery system, minimising material wastage, and consequently reducing both economic and environmental implications. These solutions have now been implemented with a reported considerable improvement.