Do you know your link?

The Kerry Foods Manufacturing Standard is a company-wide set of processes and procedures for ensuring perfect product everytime. It's integral to their business's success, so it's key that anyone working in one of their sites know's their part of the process - their link in the chain.

With such a diverse workforce though this was a challenge though, because for many English was a second language. To overcome this, we took the KFMS manual (think telephone directory) and distilled it down to one very simple clear message - Every link matters. Know your link.

People didn't need to know the entire KFMS manual, they needed to know their link in the chain and understand the importance of it. So that's what our communcations concentrated on, in three stages:

Stage one sought to communicate why knowing your link mattered to you, the factory, the customer and Kerry Foods. Stage two, then asked a very simple question: Do you know your link? It was backed up by comms which profiled people from every stage of the manufacturing process - people who had demonstrated they knew their link. This included 27m wall vinyl that ran the length of the main corridor.

Finally, stage three, focused on an individual stage in the manufacturing process. These comms were placed specifically where their messages would help remind people to 'know their link'. For instance, the KFMS process for deliveries was displayed in the delivery area.

Simple messages were backed up by simple visuals, which included a animated video to be shown to every new starter. All, aimed at ensuring everyone knew their link.

Collett way was chosen as a test site for these comms as it had recieved a number of red audits, where KFMS hadn't been followed to the letter. These could ulimately lead to the site being closed, so their was a huge amount of pressure on these comms to work, but work they did.

Collett way passed it's last audit with flying colours, proving that everyone did indeed know their link. More than this, the internal teams went out of their way to prove they did - creating their own 'I know my link' posters, so passionate were they about getting it right. We're now looking to roll the comms out around other sites in the UK and Ireland.