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For decades, maintenance was often treated as a background function—essential, but rarely strategic. At Kerry, this view changed fundamentally in 2019.

Since 2019, Roger Ham has led Kerry Group’s global maintenance transformation from his base in the Netherlands. With 148 manufacturing sites worldwide, the Irish-headquartered food ingredients company has spent the past six years standardising its maintenance operations, embracing digital tools, and redefining the role of maintenance across the organisation.
Roger Ham's mission as Kerry Group's global maintenance lead has always been clear: to shift maintenance from a reactive cost centre to a strategic value driver.

"For decades, maintenance was often treated as a background function—essential, but rarely strategic. At Kerry, this view changed fundamentally in 2019," he explains.

From Fragmentation to Standardisation

When Roger Ham joined the global function in 2019, each Kerry region operated almost independently of the others. Preventive maintenance (PM) programs were inconsistent, Hands-on Tool Time (HoTT) for technicians was low, and asset management was largely reactive.

"Kerry's maintenance systems were fragmented. Each site had its own naming structures and approaches. A pump at one site could be labelled "P-100," while another site might call it "Main Transfer 1." Comparing performance data or sharing learnings was difficult," Ham describes.

"148 sites meant 148 ways of doing things," Ham recalls.

"If you're not speaking the same language, you can't analyse failures or improve effectively."

To change the situation, a key focus at the beginning of Kerry Group's transformations was master data standardisation: equipment hierarchies, naming conventions, maintenance task lists, and taxonomy.

"It was detailed, painstaking work—but essential."

"If your master data is rubbish, everything else is rubbish too," Ham says. "Planning, KPIs, digital tools—they all depend on clean data."

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Roger Ham, Global Asset Lifecycle Lead at Kerry Group.

This standardisation created a foundation for global benchmarking, improved planning and scheduling, and the introduction of new digital technologies.

Today, Kerry follows standardised processes across all its sites worldwide, embedding safety, quality, and operational efficiency into every maintenance task.

"Maintenance is finally at the table," Ham says. "It's recognised as adding value, not just spending money. We protect people, we ensure product quality, and we ensure the business runs efficiently. This all involves well-functioning maintenance operations"

Securing Tribal Knowledge

Kerry Group, like many manufacturing companies, is facing a retirement wave as veteran technicians with decades of experience are leaving the workforce, often taking critical knowledge with them.

"Some of these guys have personal notebooks full of unique know-how. When they retire, those notebooks disappear," Ham explains.

To combat this loss, Kerry has systematically extracted and documented knowledge, creating standardised maintenance plans and digital libraries. Master data and uniform equipment naming conventions ensure that critical information resides in the system—not in someone's pocket.

"Without proper master data, even the same equipment across different sites could be named differently, making it invisible in the system. Standardisation unlocks information and protects operational knowledge."

Ham notes that the knowledge retention strategy has not only preserved decades of expertise but also enabled new hires and younger technicians to quickly access information, reducing reliance on retired staff and improving overall efficiency.

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For industrial companies, artificial intelligence is an enabler, not a threat.

Planning and Scheduling: The Hidden Goldmine

One of Roger Ham's main areas of focus is raising the recognition of maintenance planning and scheduling. He often begins his training sessions with a straightforward question:

"How much of a technician's day is actually spent working with tools?"

Hands-on tool time is generally surprisingly only 30% of a technician's day—the rest of the working time is lost to searching for parts, waiting for permits, or travelling between locations.

"If you raise hands-on tool time to 40% from 30%, you've effectively gained two extra technicians for every ten percent—no overtime, no new hires—just better organisation," Ham says.

Planning and scheduling are often undervalued responsibilities. But when done correctly, they transform the hidden factory—the time technicians spend away from actual maintenance—into real productivity."

At Kerry Group, planning and scheduling tasks have been redefined as a distinct operational function, separate from the responsibilities of site managers. While the same individual may perform planning and scheduling, the role itself is structurally independent to ensure focus, accountability, and strategic execution.

"Each site has its own maintenance planner and scheduler. This separation allows site managers to concentrate on broader operational leadership, while planners and schedulers drive maintenance efficiency."

Now, at Kerry Group, well-functioning teams have achieved hands-on tool time levels of approximately 50%—a notable improvement that exceeds typical industry benchmarks.

The Lego Exercise to Build Competence

Kerry Group conducts two to three training programs annually for its planners and schedulers. These combine e-learning through Kerry's academy with classroom sessions led by Roger Ham. Each training begins with the site manager present, ensuring leadership alignment.

Ham uses a Lego helicopter exercise during his training sessions to demonstrate the effects of poor planning. Participants receive kits with missing parts or confusing instructions, simulating real-world maintenance challenges.

"It perfectly mirrors a poorly planned job. The frustration is immediate, and people suddenly understand why planning matters."

Training sessions include planners, schedulers, and site managers, emphasising accountability and operational understanding. By physically experiencing the inefficiencies of poor planning, teams internalise the value of standardised workflows.

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To attract young professionals to maintenance, we need to offer modern digital tools.

From Paper to Mobile

Kerry has moved from paper-based work orders to mobile-enabled CMMS add-ons, providing technicians with digital tools to execute tasks efficiently. For years, Kerry used a CMMS for maintenance planning but relied on printed work orders on the shop floor. Technicians often filled in paperwork at the end of the week, resulting in inaccurate data.

"Let's be honest," Ham says. "Technicians would write down hours at the end of the week just to keep the system happy. The data wasn't reliable."

In 2024, Kerry launched mobile work order pilots in Northern Ireland and Scotland, integrating their CMMS with a mobile platform. Technicians now receive, execute, and complete work on smartphones. They can scan parts, log torque values, attach photos, and close work in real time.

The results: Improved data quality, faster feedback loops, higher engagement and the elimination of paperwork.

"Once people tried it, nobody wanted to go back to paper," Ham says.

The platform uses AI in the background. When a maintenance request is logged, the system automatically searches for similar jobs, attaches standard steps, spare parts, and time estimates. This speeds up planning and improves consistency.

"A global rollout for the system is planned over the next two to three years."

The system enhances data accuracy, minimises errors, and enables management to conduct cost and efficiency analyses.

Preventive maintenance planning benefits directly from these insights, helping Kerry avoid costly downtime and customer complaints.

"Technicians don't want to work on paper anymore—they want mobile solutions. It makes their lives easier and attracts younger people to the profession," Ham notes.

AI as a Strategic Tool

When discussing new technologies further, Roger Ham says he views artificial intelligence as an enabler, not a threat.

"AI is a helping device," he says. "It can build preventive maintenance plans, analyse breakdown histories, suggest improvements, and support planners. In five years, it'll be fully integrated."

AI also plays a role in attracting younger talent. "The next generation doesn't want to work with clipboards," Ham notes. "They live on their phones. If we want them in maintenance, we need to provide modern digital tools."

Accountability at the Top

One of Kerry's most significant cultural shifts has been its adoption of an accountability model. While maintenance teams are responsible for execution, the site manager is ultimately accountable.

"If something goes wrong, it's the site manager who goes to court," Ham explains. "You can delegate responsibilities, but you can't delegate accountability."

This approach ensures that maintenance is not sidelined when production is under pressure. Preventive maintenance decisions are made at the top, aligning operational priorities with legal and safety obligations.

"Once the site managers understand their accountability and the workforce sees the benefits of planning, scheduling, and digital tools, everyone wins—safety, quality, efficiency, and engagement," Ham concludes.

Key Takeaways – Kerry Group's Maintenance Transformation

1. Standardise the Foundation

Consistent master data across all sites is essential. Without a shared structure, planning, KPIs, and digital tools cannot function effectively.

2. Separate *Planning/Scheduling and Supervision

Dedicated planners/schedulers prepare work at least one week in advance; supervisors coordinate execution. This structured approach raises technician tool time from around 30% to 50%.

3. Capture Tribal Knowledge

Veteran technicians' expertise is systematically documented in standard task lists and libraries, preserving critical know-how for future generations.

4. Digitalise the Workflow

Shifting from paper to mobile work orders within CMMS has improved real-time data accuracy, accelerated feedback loops, and boosted technician engagement.

5. Use AI as an Enabler

AI assists with generating preventive plans, analysing breakdowns, and standardising job steps—supporting planners rather than replacing them.

6. Leadership Accountability Matters

Site managers bear ultimate accountability for maintenance, ensuring that operational decisions align with legal, safety, and reliability obligations.

7. Invest in People

Targeted training for planners, schedulers, and site leaders builds competence, ownership, and a shared understanding of maintenance
as a strategic function.

"Start with a dedicated planner-scheduler and clean up your master data," Roger Ham says. "Those two steps change everything. After that, digitalisation and AI multiply the impact."

Positive Outcomes from Kerry Group’s Shift

The changes implemented since 2019 have produced significant and measurable results:

• Hands-on tool time: Increased from 30% to ~50%, improving productivity without increasing headcount.

• Knowledge retention: Critical expertise preserved through digital libraries and standardised procedures.

• Operational efficiency: AI and mobile tools streamline workflows, reducing wasted time.

• Workforce engagement: Modern tools attract younger technicians, improving morale and retention.

• Strategic value: Maintenance now contributes directly to safety, quality, and operational performance.

Text: Nina Garlo-Melkas   Photos: Kerry Group PLC