Lean Office
Client:
This customer is a multinational corporation active in specialty chemistry. The local subsidiary groups several production units and supporting services, e.g. HR, F&A, ESHQ, engineering, maintenance, logistics, utilities. The production units and supporting services employ approximately 1000 people.
Industry:
Chemie
Description
The overall challenge consisted of making the supporting services more attractive to the business units. Increasing their attractiveness had to be done by reducing their operating costs while maintaining the required service level.
Focused and detailed analyses were to be made to identify the improvement potential on the short and long term. A diverse project portfolio was to be set up to ensure the realization of it. Furthermore, a culture of continuous improvement had to be installed through actively involving the workforce in the diverse improvement projects.
Methodology
A service value analysis was used to look into the costs and related added value of the different supporting services. Based on this analysis, which was complemented with a benchmark exercise using internal and external references, the improvement potential was identified.
Identified and realized improvements ranged for example from merging the engineering and maintenance services over a reengineering of the processes within the maintenance department to the reduction of third party contractors and technicians working in a shift regime.
All suggested improvements related to the supporting services and impacting the different business units were thoroughly discussed with its management concerning the approach of implementation and outcome in terms of service level and costs.
A detailed implementation plan, for all the improvement projects in the portfolio, was drawn up and implemented, involving the workforce in order to install a culture of continuous improvement.
The follow up of the results of the implementation projects with regards to their sustainability and the installation of the continuous improvement culture was made possible by the creation of a management cockpit, a monitoring tool, defining meaningful key performance indicators on plant and departmental level.
Results
The overall operating costs of the supporting services were reduced by 9 %, resulting in a reduction of the workforce by 20 %. Outplacement solutions were organized for the involved workforce people.
A new organizational structure was installed, as well as on management level as on the levels below.
The benefits of a continuous improvement culture become more visible day by day, actively monitored using the management cockpit, which also ensures that management stays actively involved in supporting and helping to realize the improvements.
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