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Bayport Integration Team Adopts a ONE Monument Approach

September 25th, 2019

The Challenge Following the Bayport acquisition, Houston site team members Anthony Herm, Instrumentation & Electrical Technician Lead, and Jesse Lloyd, North American Reliability Specialist, were tasked with leading the monumental task of supporting the Bayport team in improving a wide range of processes in maintenance, reliability, safety, and operations. Even though Anthony and Jesse are both experts in their field (and have also supported the Brandenburg, KY site in similar improvement projects), they knew the task ahead would require a huge amount of team work, as well as a willingness to be open-minded about the approach – on both their part and on the part of the Bayport team.

“Before joining Monument, the Bayport site had been struggling with a lack of resources – everything from tools, to proper working spaces, to solid procedures, to training,” said Anthony. “But to be successful in truly supporting Bayport’s turnaround, we couldn’t just come in with ‘the Houston site way’ and not consider everything their team brings to the table. We knew the approach had to be collaborative.”

“We also knew the work we would do together would not only enhance Bayport’s abilities, but also our shared abilities to act as one team in the Houston area,” added Jesse. “Our ultimate goal is to perform like an orchestra vs. soloists – ONE team singing the same ‘song’ across sites.”

The Approach

The first step was working together to fully understand the Bayport needs and gaps. This included everything from analyzing performance data (quality, reliability, safety, etc.), to identifying the biggest problem areas (e.g. the top equipment “bad actors”), to assessing team member skills.

“Our analysis considered not only what Bayport needs to handle their current projects, but also what they need to tackle future projects that will be coming their way,” said Jesse. “We aren’t looking for a quick fix; we’re looking to set the Bayport site up for growth.”

After identifying needs, the second step has been, of course, addressing those needs. This has included updating equipment, incorporating new technology (such as laser alignment), strengthening processes, creating optimal work spaces (such as clean rooms), and training team members. The third – and most critical – step has been building consistency across sites.

“Our vision is to leverage team members across our three sites – so it’s important that we build consistency into everything we do – from how work areas are laid out, to the tools we’re using, to how folks are trained, to the processes we use,” said Anthony. “Again, the end result will be an ‘orchestra’ that plays together with harmony.”

The Results and Path Forward

While the “orchestra” isn’t quite ready for “live performances,” much progress has been made in all three steps. “If we continue with the orchestra analogy, it was tempting at the beginning of this large effort to play only the ‘songs’ we know – using only the ‘instruments’ we know,” said Jesse. “However, our ‘orchestra’ is now bigger, which means that we need to work together as a new team to figure out WHAT and HOW we want to ‘play.’”

“We’re definitely getting there, and we’re very grateful to the Bayport team for being receptive and collaborative – and to the many people across Monument who have supported us in these important efforts,” said Anthony. “We’re excited to see that ‘symphony’ come to life as we keep making progress; it’s going to mean great things for our shared future.”

PICTURE: Recent training at the Bayport plant, including (from left to right) Chris Hargraves, Justin Garcia, John Noble, and Mitch Moyer