Lean operator lifts safety & efficiency

Far from just management speak, APM Terminals Way of Working – a lean-based business system that drives standardization and improvement – is being lived and breathed at grass roots level. Camilla Pauli, a Quay Crane Driver at APM Terminals Gothenburg explains how it’s impacted her work, her private life and most of all our customers.

“Every day is a challenge on how safely and efficiently me and my team can serve our customers. Productivity ultimately depends on me, as a crane operator. If the crane stops for any reason, it impacts our customer delivery. I am on the front line of creating value for our customers. Our Way of Working ensures that the crane keeps working by among other things, removing miscommunications, proven standards and the knowledge to apply them correctly.”

Camilla started her Lean journey in 2020 with classroom-based training, not long after APM Terminals began its global roll out. Some of the ‘theory’ was already familiar to her: “Work smarter, not harder has always been a leading sentence in my life. When I was in the national sailing team, my dad and I created a perfect standard for the preparation of the boat – and we always finished first. Since then, I knew that having solid standards truly provides a competitive advantage.”

“Lean is perfect for me as I believe that most things can be improved, and most problems can be solved. Before learning Lean, I used to jump straight to the solutions when problems occur, but I have now learnt to take a couple of steps back and see the whole picture. This ultimately leads to a better solution than my original one. I even teach my kids how to think about their problems and encourage them to come up with their own solutions.”

Sustainable Improvements

Throughout the year APM Terminals holds several Kaikaku Kaizen events. These week-long workshops are used to resolve key issues through large-scale, drastic improvements that are implemented sustainably in order to achieve meaningful results for our customers. Camilla joined her first Kaikaku Event at APM Terminals Gothenburg in 2022.

“People from terminals all over Europe joined our event. What I really loved about this, was that we all came from different departments and from different countries, but we spoke the same language – the Lean language. Lean was like a bridge that connected us, we had the same tools and the same way of thinking, and way of working!”

Everyone’s ideas are equally valuable

“I also joined a Kaikaku Kaizen Event at APM Terminals Maasvlakte 2 in Rotterdam. I was nervous I would have nothing to contribute. But it was great – being together in a room with 16 people, exchanging ideas, solving problems and learning so much to bring back home. No matter what country you came from or what title you hold, everyone's opinions and ideas were equally valuable.

“During our visit we were introduced to SMED (Single-Minute Exchange of Die) - a system for reducing the time it takes to complete equipment changeovers. Already on the plane home we were discussing and planning how to implement the first quick wins on Monday morning, using the tool!

“I can truly say I need Lean in my work life as well as in my personal life. I love it and I want to learn much more. I believe in the power of Lean!”