A food packaging manufacturer’s suggestion box collected about three ideas a month, mostly unanswered. Visual idea boards, fast decisions and the rule that teams implement their own ideas produced 1,140 implemented ideas in a year and 71% participation.
Key numbers
The suggestion box at a food packaging manufacturer hung on the canteen wall, collecting about three ideas a month. Most received no reply. Decisions, when they came, took more than a month. Participation was around 6% of employees, and many of the ideas that did arrive were complaints rather than suggestions.
The situation
Leadership believed the workforce had plenty of ideas. The system simply gave them no reason to share them. Ideas disappeared into a box, were judged by managers far from the work and rarely led to visible change.
What changed
The box was replaced by a system built on a few simple principles:
- Idea boards in every team area, where anyone could post a problem and an idea on a simple card.
- Boards reviewed at the daily team meeting, so every idea was seen within a day.
- A simple rule: ideas the team could implement itself were approved on the spot, and the person who had the idea implemented it, with help where needed.
- Larger ideas, needing money or other departments, were decided within one week.
- Monthly recognition of implemented ideas, with before-and-after photos shared across the site.
Leaders reinforced the system by asking about the boards during their daily walks, the approach described in gemba walks: what leaders should look for.
Results
Implemented ideas rose from 12 in the first month to around 144 a month by the end of the first year. In total, 1,140 ideas were implemented in the year, compared with 38 the year before. Participation rose from 6% to 71% of employees. The average time to a decision fell from 34 days to four.
Most ideas were small: better labels, safer handling, faster set-ups, clearer instructions, a tool holder in the right place. Individually, each saved minutes. Together, they changed how the site worked, and how people felt about working there.
Why it worked
- Small ideas were welcome, so everyone could contribute.
- Fast response showed that ideas mattered.
- People implemented their own ideas, so they owned the results.
- Recognition was frequent, simple and visible.
Lessons for your operation
- If your suggestion scheme collects few ideas, look at the system, not the people.
- Make ideas visible in the work area and review them daily.
- Let teams approve and implement small ideas themselves.
- Measure participation and speed of response, not just savings.
- Use the habit of small improvements as the foundation for larger kaizen events and projects.
