How sheep helped shape my opinion of continuous improvement at FPL

By Richard Gibbs Senior Communication Specialist NextEra Energy Marketing & Communication

Sheep helped shape my opinion of continuous improvement or “kaizen” at FPL. Yes, I said “sheep.” As a relatively new employee at FPL in the public affairs group in marketing and communication in the spring of 2013, I was still trying to wrap my head around the complexity of learning about a new industry and company, its systems, terminology and infrastructure. I was also curious about what went into the company’s commitment to continuous improvement. What exactly does that mean? And, what criteria are used in the evaluation process? Were improvements limited to those with customer-facing benefits? Or, were they just operational in nature? As part of the continuous improvement process that was underway, I decided to propose a whole new idea to help position NextEra Energy as a green, sustainable, forward-thinking company that embraced what I interpreted as continuous improvement. My idea however was based on a project that I saw on a television program that involved an airfield utilizing the amazing ground-cover clearing expertise of goats. I submitted my idea to reduce animal unemployment by having NextEra Energy hire goats to take care of landscaping/vegetation management at our solar facilities. After all, they were an eco-alternative to fossil-fuel-powered lawnmowers. And, you did not need a large crew of people performing manual labor or spraying harmful herbicides.  Over time, I thought the operations and maintenance (O&M) costs might be cheaper. I didn’t think the idea would go far. But the true test of continuous improvement would be taking an initial idea and adapting it to realize benefits that result in cost savings, revenue enhancements and operational efficiencies. I was told that the idea was initially “parked” for a while, but then it was revisited a few years later after sheep were evaluated as a viable option. Fast forward to today. About 200 sheep are using their molars to keep grass in check at the DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center and the sheep contractor used was successful in his bid for new sites.  The FPL Wildflower Solar Energy Center in DeSoto County has sheep and several other solar sites may have them in the future as well. The program has shown definitive O&M cost savings. So, there you have it … a perfect example of NextEra Energy’s commitment to strive for continuous improvement with a little help from an army of ruminants!  Kaizen can work in the most unusual ways, from goats to sheep to operations and maintenance savings that are significant enough to put a serious twinkle in a bean counter’s eye. What’s your favorite or most quirky story about continuous improvement? It could be from the world of sports, a non-profit organization, a hobby, a “honey do” project or a Fortune 500 company business strategy.  Please share. Want to learn more about the lawn manicuring prowess of your average barnyard animal? Visit this site.