Siga stops production every tenth day to improve productivity
Wednesday 5th August 2026 on 16:15 in
Switzerland
Lucerne-based adhesive tape and film manufacturer Siga stops production every tenth working day so employees can improve processes, Swiss public broadcaster SRF reported. The company says the system helps reduce production time and costs while maintaining quality.
At 8 a.m. in the company’s production hall in Schachen, employees divide into nine teams to discuss possible improvements. One team is redesigning a board showing which employee is responsible for each task in the hall, with the aim of saving time.
During the previous nine working days, employees record processes they consider difficult or unnecessary. The tenth day is then reserved for addressing those issues. Production takes place only in exceptional cases, such as urgent customer orders.
Lisa Sieber, deputy head of production, said employees knew the processes and equipment better than anyone else and should therefore develop solutions themselves. She said the approach also gave staff a sense of involvement and helped the company respond more quickly to change.
Siga began using the system around 20 years ago to remain competitive. Its competitors manufacture in the euro and dollar zones, while the company operates with Swiss costs. Siga therefore works continuously to reduce the time and expense involved in producing its films and adhesive tapes.
Sieber said the tenth-day production stoppage paid off. The company records the time saved by each improvement in an app and calculates the annual savings based on employee wages.
Siga applies the Toyota Production System across all departments, adapting it so that nine working days are followed by one day dedicated to development. The company produces airtight, windproof and watertight films and adhesive tapes for roofs and facades. Founded in 1966, it now employs around 630 people in 24 countries and is led by the third generation of the founding family.
Employees presented their results at the end of the day. Although some measures have later been reversed, production worker Christian said the advantages of the system clearly outweighed its drawbacks.