Glastonbury Festival, a Lean Operations Management Challenge

If you have just been to, or watched the Glastonbury Festival – this is a real feat of ‘Lean operations management’ that we may not usually consider.

For example:

Last year there was 3 Days of production planning and operations. This year there is 4 as Thursday hosts the ‘surprise act’.

10 stages – or production lines per day, but there are somewhere between 90 and 100 places where music is played.

Min 12 hour shifts per production line (less set ups and planned down time!).

Thousands of food traders, charities, campaigning organisations and peddlers of the bizarre and unique apply to trade at Glastonbury Festival each year.

8 ‘quick changeovers’ per day, per line.

Inbound and outbound logistics management.

Delivering ‘On Time in Full’ to around 135,000 ‘customers’ at the site plus millions around the world via a global distribution network 24/7.

Micro and macro benefits for the UK economy (I won’t talk about the traffic – a constraint outside the control of the festival organisers).

The team are already carrying out a Plan>Do>Check>Act to learn from this years’ experience and continuously improve all aspects for the 2017 plan.

Thanks Glastonbury – another great festival – the clean-up operation begins …..

https://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/line-up/line-up-2017/?stage