New Delhi: A two-minute improvement in the pre-shift routine at Perfetti Van Melle India’s manufacturing operations could potentially add 300 to 400 tonnes to annual production, highlighting how workforce data and operational analytics are increasingly influencing business decisions.
The improvement came from examining what happens between the time a worker arrives at a factory and the start of the production shift.
At one manufacturing plant, employees arriving by bus at around 1:50 pm for a 2 pm shift had to complete several activities, including checking in, changing, washing, handing over information and understanding the status of the production line.
By analysing the process and identifying where time could be saved, Perfetti reduced the transition period by about two minutes.
According to Avishek Roy, Director-HR at Perfetti Van Melle India, the time saving could translate into an estimated additional production output of 300 to 400 tonnes a year.
From HR data to business decisions
The example reflects a broader approach being adopted by Perfetti, where HR analytics is being connected more closely with manufacturing, sales and business planning.
“The endeavour is how do you make that data come together?” Roy said, explaining the company’s focus on connecting workforce information with operational data to generate insights for decision-making.
Rather than limiting people analytics to metrics such as employee engagement and attrition, the company is increasingly examining how workforce-related information can influence productivity and operational efficiency.
Perfetti explores ‘affordable automation’
Perfetti’s workforce includes manufacturing employees, frontline sales teams and corporate staff, meaning technology is being deployed differently across the organisation.
In sales, employees use handheld devices instead of relying on paper-based order taking. The technology can provide information about outlets, previous purchases, potential order values and stock-out risks, allowing sales teams to make decisions with more information.
Manufacturing presents a different challenge.
Perfetti is exploring Industry 4.0 technologies, but the economics of automation remain important because many of its products are sold at relatively low prices.
Roy describes the approach as “affordable automation”, where repetitive and data-intensive activities can be automated when there is a clear business case, while other tasks remain manual where replacing workers with machines would not be commercially viable.
The company expects automation to remove some repetitive activities while potentially allowing employees to take on more enriched roles.
Leaders expected to understand shop-floor operations
Technology is also changing the expectations placed on Perfetti’s leadership.
Senior executives are expected to remain closely connected with manufacturing operations and understand the equipment, production parameters and processes used on the shop floor.
At the same time, the company is placing greater emphasis on enterprise thinking, where managers understand how decisions in one function affect the wider organisation.
The changing technology landscape has also encouraged reverse mentoring, with younger employees helping senior colleagues understand new digital tools while experienced employees share their business and operational knowledge.
Real-time employee feedback
Perfetti has introduced Infido, a real-time employee-listening platform designed to capture employee sentiment more frequently.
Within three to four months, nearly half of the workforce had reportedly participated, with the company recording a mood score above 4.5 and engagement above 85%.
The objective is to identify employee concerns while they are still developing rather than relying exclusively on annual surveys.
Learning moves beyond online courses
Perfetti is also taking a broader approach to employee development.
Its learning programmes combine digital courses with external exposure and practical experience. LearnUpon provides self-directed learning paths, including programmes for new employees and first-time managers, with many modules designed to be completed in 15 to 30 minutes.
The company also operates learning initiatives such as the Operational Learning Academy and Marketing Learning Academy, which bring external experts into the organisation.
Employees are also exposed to practices outside the company. Some have visited other organisations, including PepsiCo, while employees also travel to Perfetti’s international operations to identify practices that could potentially be adapted in India.
Employee tenure remains high
Perfetti reports average employee tenure of around 11 to 12 years, while attrition remains below 15%.
Roy attributes employee retention to several factors, including career opportunities, the nature of the work, organisational purpose, workplace conditions and a focus on maintaining a safe and respectful working environment.
The company also uses recognition programmes at manufacturing locations, including monthly plant-level recognition, long-service awards and the Director’s Club for high performers.
Family-focused events at plants are another way employees’ contributions are recognised beyond the workplace.
Workforce planning linked to business growth
Perfetti has also been working to integrate previously separate pools of workforce data covering recruitment, hiring, attrition and other HR processes.
Business planning is increasingly being used as the starting point for workforce decisions. If the company’s business plan indicates a requirement for additional employees, new skills or more managers, HR can assess succession planning, attrition risks, learning needs and leadership capacity accordingly.
Metrics such as succession, engagement, attrition predictability and compensation planning are increasingly discussed as part of broader business reviews.
The need for this approach is growing as Perfetti’s India operations expand. The business was less than half its current size in 2017-18 and expects to double again over the next three to four years.
Its management-trainee programme currently contributes roughly half of the company’s annual requirement for assistant sales managers, helping create a pipeline of talent as existing managers progress through the organisation.
How technology could reshape frontline sales
The company also expects changing consumer behaviour to influence the role of frontline sales employees.
Rising incomes, urbanisation, e-commerce and omnichannel retail could alter the balance between traditional general trade and newer retail channels.
Technology can increasingly handle routine activities such as route planning, reordering and basic stock management. This could allow sales employees to focus more on retailer relationships, selling decisions and identifying new opportunities.
The same principle applies to HR functions. Automating repetitive administrative work can free employees to spend more time understanding workforce issues and addressing problems before they contribute to employee turnover.
Why the two-minute example matters
The bus-stop example illustrates Perfetti’s broader philosophy on people analytics.
The insight did not necessarily come from a sophisticated HR dashboard. Instead, teams examined what was happening during the short period between an employee’s arrival and the beginning of a shift and identified an opportunity to improve the process.
The resulting two-minute saving demonstrates how a relatively small workforce intervention can have a measurable operational impact when it is connected to production data.
For Perfetti, the larger lesson is that HR analytics is not simply about collecting more employee information. It is about connecting workforce data with operational and business information to identify opportunities that can improve productivity, planning and employee experience.
In this approach, the value of people analytics may not always be found in a new dashboard or HR metric. Sometimes, it can begin with something as simple as watching what happens in the ten minutes before a factory shift starts.
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