A large global manufacturing company had over the years experienced a decline in performance at one of its sites – in production reliability, technical integrity of the equipment, efficiency and morale.
The site had recently made some improvements, but top management wanted things to change at a much faster rate. Because of its reputation to deliver fast and sustainable operational performance improvements, Axisto was invited on site to support the turnaround.
APPROACH
Our first task was to conduct a series of interviews with a cross-section of the organisation to get an initial feel for the culture and an insight into the issues the business faced. We found a lack of definition around the business processes and insufficient clarity of roles and responsibilities. As a consequence, performance management was inadequate.
Axisto and the client team worked together, first to develop a compelling vision, and then to create a well-aligned operating model with clear process flows, key performance indicators, roles and responsibilities, and an appropriate meeting and reporting structure.
By concurrently designing and implementing the improved operating model, things started to improve rapidly. People now had more clarity on what was expected from them – and also what they could expect from others. Quite quickly more effective behaviours started to develop, and with these came the desired improvements in operational performance.
CHALLENGE
An electronic components manufacturer wanted to integrate two manufacturing sites, improve product quality and refocus the demand generation.
APPROACH
Four-week Analysis & Design to align the management teams of both sites, design a process and structure to manage the sites in an integrated way, understand how to tackle the product quality issues, design the steps to refocus the demand generation and design the change programme.
en-month programme to implement the new management process, structure and team. Improved product quality by applying 6-Sigma tools. Installed TPM and improved both maintenance productivity and equipment availability. Moved most of the quality assurance to the operators and took out related quality resources. Changed sales from product push to market pull and aligned the innovation portfolio.
CHALLENGE
Our client, a global leader in the field of engineered capital goods for energy and telecoms, was facing a strongly increasing demand after an economic downturn and was struggling with production reliability at all stages of the production process.
The unreliability led to falling output, less time for equipment maintenance and delivery unreliability to their clients.
Therefore, the situation had to be brought under control quickly.
APPROACH
As each of the supervisors had a very different vision of what he was trying to achieve, our starting point was to create a detailed, tangible, operational vision of production: what it would look like, how it should be run.
Together we turned this in well-designed production management system, a set of improvement targets and an implementation plan. This approach generated a lot of energy and a strong desire for change.
During the implementation the atmosphere in the factory changed quickly from finger-pointing to a more contructive one of cooperation and joint responsibility. The plant’s performance stabilised and halfway into the project, the annual production output was ahead of budget and payroll costs were below target.
CHALLENGE
Our client was a Europe-based company developing and manufacturing key electronic components for customers in the consumer electronics; based mainly in Asia.
They were in the ramp-up phase of a new product, and growth was explosive. However, they were suddenly confronted with catastrophic product failure affecting 40% – 60% of the production output.
APPROACH
With senior management we worked on strategic and operational alignment with global market conditions. Together with cross-functional / level teams, we set an aggressive 23-week action plan for bringing production under control.
In production, we focussed on solving the quality problems, increasing the availability of production equipment and improving delivery reliability.
Through collaboration and knowledge transfer, we ensured that employees were empowered and accountable for the delivery of their improvement areas. We helped them to apply the relevant tools they had been trained apply in a skilled manner.
Together with the teams we introduced a new Performance Management System to support their new ways of working. By involving employees in the design, they developed a strong co-ownership of the changes, their unit and its results.
CHALLENGE
A second tier supplier of metal components for the automotive industry experienced great pressure upon its cost structure – and hence its prices. But a low price is not necessarily the decisive criterion. For many clients quality, speed and reliability are more important.
Meeting these criteria required not only a different approach to quality management, but also a simplification of the underlying processes. In fact, a “step change” was needed.
APPROACH
Our analysis was not about using a set of ratios to define the potential for improvement, we looked at the real details. We used a combined top-down and bottom-up approach.
Top-down goals were set that would determine the success of the business. Together with people involved in the business processes, we uncovered what was working well and needed to retained and what needed to be improved. Specific and measurable targets were set together with the managers involved; thus ensuring their buy-in.
In a joint team with client task-forces the implementation of required changes were addressed. Our distinctive approach ensured positive energy, local ownership and sustainability of results.
CHALLENGE
A chemicals company wanted to increase production capacity and reduce costs in sites across Europe. The company was struggling due to a prolonged downturn in the market. Profit margins were all but gone and they wanted to take the opportunity drive down the cost breakeven point, make a step change in operational performance and prepare for the next upturn of the market.
APPROACH
Conducted a detailed four-week Analysis & Design at one site to fully understand the issues and identify the improvement potential.
After 6 weeks of Implementation, we conducted Quick Scans at the other sites to check local improvement potential. After 4 months, we started a European rollout that was completed within 24 months and addressed all 8 sites: we simplified ways of working, implemented aligned operating models, drove up the OEE and eliminated fixed costs. Whilst still working on this assignment we identified major improvement opportunities in new product development and introduced a product innovation improvement programme.
CHALLENGE
A global manufacturer of engineering plastics was struggling to improve safety performance at its largest site.
APPROACH
Six-week Analysis & Design to understand the requirements, get a good insight into the blockages of moving forward and to co-create an approach for the Implementation.
During the eight-month Implementation we created the space and conditions for change, removed blockages (mainly top team behaviour), reconnected the various organisational layers, simplified the HSE processes and system, and conducted on-the-job coaching built upon brain-based safety principles.
CHALLENGE
An engineered capital goods company was struggling with ever-changing priorities and was slow to innovate.
APPROACH
Together with the top team we conducted two short workshops on vision and strategic goals, identified the KPIs and set the targets.
We then aligned the organisation vertically and horizontally through a strategy deployment process down to the shopfloor. KPIs and targets were integrated in the management system to ensure actual delivery.
CHALLENGE
A high-tech and consumer electronics company wanted to train and coach green belts and black belts in Lean Six Sigma.
APPROACH
Carry out in-house training with focus on personal and value-add projects of the participants.
Coach the participants over a longer period to make sure knowledge is transferred into changed behaviour.
Coach black belts to become master black belts and thus anchor Lean Six Sigma in the organisation.
CHALLENGE
A high-tech and consumer electronics company wanted to train and coach engineers and developers in Design for Six Sigma.
APPROACH
Carry out in-house training with focus on personal and value- add projects of the participants.
Coach the participants over a longer period to make sure knowledge is transferred into changed behaviour.
Coach the engineers and developers and thus anchor Design for Six Sigma in the organisation
