Head of Continuous Improvement Šarūnė Stankevičiūtė: temporary summer work in a bakery has become a 10-year career

Šarūnas, how did you end up at Vilniaus Duona and in such an interesting position?

At the beginning of my career, I was just looking for a temporary summer job and came to a bakery in Panevėžys to work as a packer. And then some kind of engine started, someone noticed my work, after a while he offered to work as a senior manager. a packer, then a temporary shift manager, a shift manager, then a full-time shift manager. At that time, we were just opening new lines, there were many things that needed to be looked at, controlled, and teams brought together. Until I finally found myself in my current position.

The latter position will soon be three years old. Do you still remember how you felt in your new role?

Oh, those shoes seemed a lot too big to me at the time. I wondered if I would be able to do it or if I had the necessary competence. A lot of support was given by my leader, Marius Juška, who urged me to take this position. In the end, I thought, why should it fail, you just have to take it and do it. My personal qualities also contributed, that I am determined to do what I undertake, that I am determined and persistent. The support of the manager really helped. In general, Marius as a manager is someone who feels very well when he needs support, encouragement, and when to step back and give his colleague freedom of decision, allows him to grow.

In general, you have already been working for ten years at Vilnius Bread. Did the fact that you started from the starting step help or hinder you in your work as a manager?

It helped a lot. I have tried a lot of processes, internal things, works directly, I know from the inside what works and how. My experience is invaluable. So thinking about where changes are needed is much simpler. At the same time, it helps to better understand colleagues working in those positions. It is easier to communicate with them, because I myself know, for example, how many steps a packer takes during a working day.

You are responsible for continuous improvement. For what more precisely?

My task is to find where and what we can do in the bakery more efficiently, cheaply, safely, and more conveniently for the employee. And I can often calculate the impact of my work in simple monetary terms. For example, the improvement actions implemented last year in the Panevėžys bakery led to the fact that we saved over 0.5 million euros per year. that we would have spent if we had worked normally.

You are like such an invisible internal audit, are your colleagues afraid when your gaze is directed to their activities?

I believe that the opposite is true. Together, we are looking for what we can do better and more efficiently. It is from my colleagues that I often get ideas on what we can do better. Because the production process is complex, the employees closest to it know it best.

And how do you decide which areas you will improve today?

We have a database of various indicators. For example, various losses. If we have losses one, two, or three times at a certain point, the indicators turn red, we pay attention to what happened and how we can change it.

A big part of my job is listening. I like to ask colleagues, tell them what you didn't do today. Apart from the emotions that such a question inevitably provokes, it is not uncommon to see things in which changes can be sought: it can be an inefficient process, equipment that is too far away, uncomfortable clothing or any other thing.

Because if you ask how you did today, you will get the usual answer, everything is fine. And vice versa, if asked, you can learn a lot. Then I ask, what do you think led to this? This is how we look for answers together. Therefore, my work is very teamwork, I wouldn't do anything alone.

Do you have more colleagues in such a position?

Yes, my colleague Alma works as the head of continuous improvement at the Vilnius bakery. We both talk, share the things we have discovered or areas for improvement. The opportunity to visit other bakeries, not only in Vilnius or Panevėžys, but also for colleagues from the Lantmannen Unibake group in the Scandinavian countries, also brings a lot of benefits. Always come back with thoughts, ideas, what we can apply to ourselves, what we can adapt.

Last year, you were elected by your colleagues as an ambassador of the Value of Vigor. How did you receive this news and how much drive is there about you in general?

It was unexpected and pleasant. In life, I am probably also impetuous – that drive may manifest itself most as perseverance, stubbornness to do it to the end, not to give up if something is unknown or I have to get out of my comfort zone, which is quite common in my work. The ram character gives its own.

And what qualities do you need in a position like yours?

Be able to ask the right questions and convince others that a good change is worth climbing out of your comfort zone. To raise people. To be able to encourage you to try something new, different. To be inspired to step into those inconveniences, to calm them down, to convince. Well, I try to tame the numbers, although the numbers are not mine, but I get comfortable, I am more interested in what is behind the numbers they show.

The so-called BP3 business management systems harmonization project, which is currently taking place in the company, is also contributing to this?

I prepared a part for him about our production efficiency calculation system, otherwise known as OEE. In January of this year, we launched it, it will also be part of the BP3 project, and another team is working on this project.

You say that the days are not boring, working with people naturally requires a lot of energy. And where do you recharge your internal battery?

I will rest best in my own homestead, in nature. Also my refreshment is traveling, a book. Now we are building a house, so I unwittingly take those efficiency habits home as well: and how can I plan better, faster, more efficiently here.

What would we say to those who are considering working in a bakery?

You should always try. The aura of the bakery has something. I came here thinking of working for three months. And now it's been ten years and there are still thoughts of what to try, what to do differently, and the smell of bread doesn't get boring. There is little monotony here.

When you work in a bakery and you probably don't run out of bread?

I'm running out of steam during the holidays! Indeed, we bake delicious bread in our bakery and there is no question at home who travels on the table first.

What's your favorite?

Unequivocally "Grandmothers". Probably many people like it, real, rye.

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Every year, Vilniaus Duona awards ambassadors of three of our values: openness, drive, and an all-encompassing approach.

With these interviews, we want to honor our colleagues who live by these values. The ambassadors of the values of Vilniaus Duona for 2025 will be elected and announced soon.