Learning factory - Developments on the shop floor
Implementing and designing an efficient manufacturing system is one of the most important tasks for company management; it is also our basis for keeping German manufacturing competitive in the long term and protecting jobs. This is essential given the context of globalization, which requires ongoing flexible adjustments to the manufacturing and management system – in other words all activities across the entire value chain, including suppliers and customers.
Factory managers and employees are currently experiencing this as a growing demand from customers in terms of volume, quality, deliverability and cost, as well as a permanent change in the factory’s organization, processes and products. It can only succeed if the employees on the shop floor are also motivated and qualified to actively contribute their practical ideas, suggestions and everyday experiences, and to learn with and from one another.
What are some of the typical problems that we see?
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There are unclear or contradictory objectives among the various functions/departments, or there is no clear responsibility at the interfaces.
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Many operational managers have a (too-) large management-to-staff ratio and too many tasks/projects on their plates at once, making the priorities unclear.
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The exchange of information and communication between top management, operational managers and employees is inadequate in terms of the volume of information, its quality and its timing.
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Managers are too concerned with trouble-shooting instead of dealing with employee development and medium/long-term tasks.
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There are insufficient resources and a lack of willingness/ability to delegate.
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Managers and employees spend too much time in meetings that are often not well prepared and do not produce results.
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Many processes have become extremely complex. A (too) large amount of energy is needed to keep them stable, in other words to make the established standards sustainable and to ensure their continuous improvement.
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In some cases, demographics and changing societal values mean that managers are faced with new and different expectations from their teams/employees.
Our consulting approach
Our experiences with change and qualification processes in the factory show that the path to a competitive manufacturing system does not just involve anchoring individual methods/tools such as lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen and TQM, etc.; above all, it also requires the management system’s basic principles and philosophy to be anchored in the company. In addition, people often overlook the fact that a manufacturing system includes the entire value chain and all of the company functions – from purchasing, sales, logistics and R&D and IE to manufacturing, maintenance and personnel, etc.
In other words, we need to develop and solidify a new understanding of the process, and of management, that puts the emphasis (back) on the value-added process and turns the management pyramid upside down.
Managers must see themselves as service providers, with cross-functional responsibility for a smooth value-added process that ultimately leads to satisfied customers.
Some methods and tools to support this process:
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Qualification programs for team leaders, shift leaders, master workers, etc.
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“Management workshops“ where participants work collaboratively to solve concrete practical cases
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Methodology support for instruction sessions/training processes/standardization
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“MOTOR” planning exercise to determine management potential
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Assessment center and/or development center for choosing and developing operational managers
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Consulting and support for master workers, shift leaders, team leaders and employees on the path to creating a “learning factory”
- Consulting and support during change processes to redesign manufacturing systems and management cultures
