During his apprenticeship with John M Munro Ltd, Ruairidh MacKenzie identified an operational inefficiency within the company’s beef processing operation that ultimately led to significant improvements in productivity, yield, and process flow.
While completing his qualification, Ruairidh highlighted an issue relating to the handling of rump and roast products within the beef breakdown process. His observation identified weaknesses in stock rotation and daily production flow, which resulted in high-value products remaining in chill longer than necessary.
Although the original observation focused on a specific area of production, it prompted a wider operational review across the business. As a direct result, the company implemented a revised production process supported by a £30,000 capital investment.
The changes delivered substantial operational benefits within the beef breakdown process, including:

• Labour time reduced from 9.0 minutes to 4.2 minutes per side
• Productivity increased from 6.7 to 14.3 sides per labour hour
• Elimination of double handling and rehanging activity
• Improved process flow
• Reduced manual handling requirements
The financial impact has also been significant, with measurable annual returns including:
• Approximately £5,000 labour savings per annum
• Minimum £17,500 annual yield improvement through increased trim recovery
• Total measurable annual return of approximately £22,500
The investment is expected to achieve payback within approximately 16 months, before taking into account additional operational benefits such as improved capacity, reduced handling risk, and overall efficiency improvements.
While the wider investment extended beyond the initial observation, the company recognises that Ruairidh’s contribution was instrumental in identifying the opportunity for improvement.
“His awareness and confidence to challenge the process are exactly the qualities we aim to develop through our apprenticeship programme.”
John M Munro Ltd also recognised the important role played by Craft Skills Scotland in supporting apprentice development within the industry.
Ruairidh MacKenzie

“The apprenticeship gave me the confidence to speak up and suggest ways we could improve the business. Seeing the company take my idea seriously and put it into practice has given me a real buzz.”