By John Barkhuisen
A production line that has missed its targets for more than two years carries more than a performance problem. It carries frustration, lost confidence, and the growing belief that the target is beyond reach.
I have worked with a line in exactly that position. Within three months, the team was achieving target performance. We went on to establish new 12-hour and 24-hour production records.
That experience reinforced something I have learned throughout more than 30 years in manufacturing: a successful turnaround brings equipment reliability, operating discipline, and people development together.
The first breakthrough often comes when people begin to believe that improvement is possible—and see a practical way to achieve it.
My starting point is to understand what happens on the production floor. I spend time with operators, maintenance teams, quality personnel, and supervisors. Where does the line repeatedly stop? Which adjustments keep returning? What prevents people from completing their work correctly? These conversations help explain the numbers and uncover problems that have become so familiar that people have stopped reporting them.
The data must also be trustworthy. Downtime, production output, rejects, and overall equipment effectiveness should give everyone a consistent picture of performance. If different shifts record the same problem differently, identifying the biggest losses becomes difficult. Accurate information helps the team agree on where to focus.
From there, I work with the team to identify the causes behind recurring losses. Tools such as the 5 Whys and fishbone analysis help structure the discussion, but evidence must support the conclusions. “Operator error” is an incomplete explanation. We need to examine training, instructions, equipment condition, materials, and the circumstances surrounding the failure. Each corrective action needs an owner, a completion date, and a check that it actually worked.
Tight timelines make prioritization essential. A plant may have dozens of problems, but a handful often consume much of its productive time. I focus attention on the losses that offer the strongest opportunity to recover dependable output. Maintenance, production, and quality need to agree on these priorities so that their efforts reinforce each other.
The next step is to translate the plant target into something every team can influence. A monthly production figure can feel distant. A clear shift target, supported by achievable operating expectations, gives people something tangible to work toward. Everyone should understand the required output, the quality standard, the main risks, and when to ask for support.
Short-interval control has been particularly valuable in my turnaround work. Simple visual boards make performance visible during the shift. At agreed intervals, the team reviews actual output against plan, identifies the losses, and decides what action is needed. A problem identified early gives us time to respond before it affects the entire shift.
These reviews depend on the leader’s response. When someone reports a problem, they need useful support and a clear decision. Consistent follow-through encourages people to raise concerns sooner. Over time, the board becomes a working tool that helps the team manage its performance.
Team ownership grows when people can influence the improvements. Operators bring detailed knowledge of how equipment behaves. Maintenance teams understand recurring faults and repair constraints. Quality personnel can help identify where variation begins. Bringing that knowledge together improves decisions and gives people a stronger commitment to making changes succeed.
People take greater ownership of improvements they have helped build.
Mentoring is central to this process. I thrive on helping individuals achieve goals beyond what they believed they could accomplish. During a turnaround, there are daily opportunities to develop that ability: asking a supervisor to lead a loss review, helping an operator investigate a recurring defect, or coaching a team leader through a difficult decision.
The aim is to build confidence alongside competence. As people become stronger problem-solvers, the operation becomes less dependent on one person having every answer. My belief is that the mentee should be equipped to become better than the mentor. That is the legacy I want to leave.
As performance improves, the gains need protection. Successful settings, maintenance routines, quality checks, and handover practices must become consistent standards across shifts. Otherwise, the same losses can return when personnel change or attention moves elsewhere. Leaders need to keep checking whether the improved process is being followed and whether it still delivers the expected result.
Record production deserves recognition, particularly when a team has spent years struggling. The achievement should also be examined carefully. Was the output achieved safely? Was product quality maintained? What happened to waste, downtime, and cost? Understanding those conditions helps us repeat strong performance responsibly.
A turnaround reaches its real value when the team can sustain the improvement. One exceptional shift creates a milestone. Repeated strong performance builds confidence in the operation and gives the business a more dependable foundation.
For me, the art of plant turnarounds lies in combining clear priorities with disciplined action and a belief in people’s ability to grow. The production records are memorable. Seeing a team develop the capability to keep raising its own standard is what makes the work especially rewarding.
