Australian wineries armed with tools to get ‘lean’

Australian wineries can now improve their techniques and practices, reducing costs and improving productivity following the launch of the new Australian Grape and Wine Authority (AGWA) ‘Lean’ Guide for the wine sector.

‘Lean’ is a system of tools and practices that help businesses to use less human effort, space, capital, material and time. The Lean Guide: A Primer on Lean Production for the Australian Wine Industry is a user-friendly, simple guide interpreting the ‘Lean’ technique for wineries.

Developed through collating and summarising industry-relevant ‘Lean’ techniques and methods from leading small, medium and large wineries, the final guide was validated by industry partners.

AGWA’s General Manager – Research, Development and Extension, Kate Harvey says that the Lean Guide will help how wineries function on a day-to-day basis.

'Despite the availability of consultants and resources, the uptake of lean production in the Australian wine industry is currently low.

'The new guide, which was identified as a need after extensive stakeholder consultation, offers a fresh approach to ‘lean’ thinking, will assist wineries to become more productive and efficient and will help drive business sustainability.'

Featuring an introduction to ‘Lean’ and guidance on how to apply the principles in a winery, the guide also includes a core set of techniques, tools and case studies relevant to most wineries regardless of scale or business model.

Beginning in early 2014, The Lean Guide was developed by consultancy 2xE as part of AGWA’s RD&E activities and funded by grape growing and winemaking levy payers with matching contributions from the Australian Government.

Future workshops are planned for early 2015 and interested regions and wineries can contact the RD&E team to express interest by emailing research@agwa.net.au.