The nature, scale and complexity of the equipment and products involved in this industry usually means that current and potential performance is a really difficult thing to establish clearly. Processes often run continuously with a mixture of manned and un-manned operations involved – so the human dynamic of change management can be a real challenge. Some form of improvement approach usually exists but communication and engagement with all staff is invariably tough. It’s often hard for our clients to see where the key problems are, prioritise the important ones, and then go about systematically fixing them. It’s often even harder to make those fixes stick and sustain improvements, especially in a multi-shift 24-7 environment.
Our consulting approach guides our clients through generic phases of work where we help uncover the real issues, set up bespoke continuous improvement processes to fix them, and coach the key stakeholders to have both the technical capabilities and the leadership behaviours to ensure operational excellence.
We look first to accurately scope the areas of real importance to our clients. This may include a high level Lean assessment of your business and will engage with stakeholders at multiple levels to understand the present and potential business issues faced.
With an agreed scope we then work closely with the appropriate client resource to complete detailed and balanced diagnostic work. We find that this approach helps our clients “learn to see” their organisation at a whole new level. It also helps us identify and recommend an appropriate course of action based on how the situation compares with a range of key improvement criteria.
Engagements are then designed collaboratively with the client and are bespoke to both the agreed scope and the specific issues identified by the diagnostics. In implementing the plan we look to transfer the capabilities our clients need at a pace that they can cope with.
Typical engagements in this sector have delivered the following:-
- A detailed Six Sigma programme aimed at optimising yield and reducing risk.
- Focused pilot activities around the specific needs of a long term operational excellence strategy.
- A scalable integrated continuous improvement programme aligned to the business strategy.
- Process performance improvements in primary manufacturer, support services, administration and supply chain.
- Organisational learning about what it takes to make business improvement systems work.
- Client capability to run and manage improvement activities at multiple organisational levels.
- Bespoke change management and leadership development targeting lean knowledge and key coaching capabilities.
- In-house problem solving capability via targeted Kaizen events.
- Real business benefits in throughput and capacity.
- Improved employee engagement.
