Continuous Improvement Program (CIP) for a Swiss industrial manufacturer makes 13 European factories competitive again by increasing 6-12% in productivity, speed, and quality each year.
The Situation:
The leading supplier of high-quality kitchen systems was under pressure as it lost market share to emerging competitors offering comparable products at lower prices and shorter delivery times. Focused action was required to protect margins and markets.
The Problem:
Factories across Europe were traditionally configured, the value stream made up of functional silos and process villages, resulting in operational losses due to idle time, downtime, inflexibility, rework, overload and backflow. Value creation was in single digits, too low and unsustainable for a manufacturer operating in high-cost countries.
The Solution:
Implementation of custom-designed Lean Manufacturing Program (LMP) to systematically reduce the three productivity killers of Waste, Overload, Unevenness = Muda, Muri, Mura (3M) with the goal of achieving Flow, Takt, Pull, Leveling (FTPL) throughout the value chain. To design and execute these improvements required training key people (managers, specialists, supervisors, operators) and certifying them as Lean Yellow Belt, Green Belt, Black Belt.
The Impact:
The Lean program streamlined and standardized processes in 13 key factories; over 300 employees were certified as Lean Belts in 22 Boot Camps; and $4.8 million savings delivered (of which $3.1 million from training projects alone). The systematic application of Lean to strategy deployment and process design got people engaged and improvements embedded into daily practices, making Lean an integral part of the company’s DNA. Double-digit improvement made plants competitive again. For example, one UK plant achieved a 18% gain productivity, a 37% reduction in inventory, and a 70% reduction in manufacturing lead time from 10 to 3 days.
Facts & Figures
- Industry: Manufacturing
- Revenue: $2.5 billion total
- Employees: 10,000 global
- Division: Kitchen Systems
- Scope: Operations, 13 sites
- Engagement: 4 years
- Support: 420 days
- Role: Lean Manager
- Certified: 304 Lean Belts
- Savings: $4.8 million
- Legacy: Lean Culture DNA
Client Feedback
"Real passion behind the whole initiative, very good involvement of people, knowledge is really passed on to participants."
"The session was awesome, I am still in shock. It was a very big surprise in the sense of how effective and simple it looks, which makes me feel very capable to apply these things right away at my workplace."
"The program is transmitting a powerful message about the ease of changing working practices here. I am fully convinced and committed."
"Good energy. Clear agenda. Key points well delivered. A program with impact."
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