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Connecting Performance and Behavior Cuts Safety Incidents by 10% and $2M Waste

A global food, snack and beverage company sought to make Lean a true part of its DNA across dozens of factories. EFESO partnered with the organization to install a behavior-driven Lean culture—linking performance, leadership routines, and people’s day-to-day actions. By strengthening ownership from the top floor to the shop floor, the transformation delivered measurable safety and waste reductions while building the foundations of sustainable, long-term performance.

Industry: Food & Beverage

Service: High Performance Organization

Service: Leadership & Change Management

Service: Operations Strategy and Transformation

Service: People and Organization

Parallaxe

Our Client

A multinational food, snack and beverage manufacturer operating 84 production and distribution centers across more than 50 countries. In the ESSA region, the company is deploying a multi-year Lean methodology across manufacturing sites to reduce waste, improve performance and embed a continuous improvement culture.

+50

Countries with operations

+80

Manufacturing and distribution centers

“

We moved from a relentless focus on output performance indicators, to a more balanced approach with emphasis on the right Performance Behaviors, … the results were better and more sustainable. We achieved results that we had convinced ourselves were not achievable”

“
Senior Director Strategy, Transformation and Productivity
Parallaxe

The Challenge

Although the company had already deployed Lean methods, tools and processes, performance gains were not materializing. EFESO identified several systemic issues blocking progress:

  • Implementation without behavior change: KPI boards, shadow boards and formal processes existed, but teams were not applying Lean practices consistently or at the right moments.
  • Leadership not activated as change drivers: Plant leaders and frontline supervisors did not fully understand how their behaviors shaped team performance, nor how to coach effectively.
  • A top-down perception of Lean: The program felt like a mandated exercise, leading to “check-the-box” behavior rather than genuine ownership.

The organization needed Lean to become part of the culture—not an initiative—requiring a structured transformation centered on performance behaviors and leadership alignment.

Real Results Achieved Together

By connecting behaviors with daily performance and reinforcing leadership routines, the pilot site achieved measurable shifts in safety, waste and ownership.

-10%

Reduction in safety incidents

-2%

Waste decreased from 6% to 4%

$2M

Waste reduction in one year in the pilot plant

Transformation Impact

  • Clear link established between behavior, coaching and daily performance outcomes
  • Stronger sense of ownership across leadership and frontline teams
  • Lean routines adopted more consistently and sustainably
  • Cultural change model enabled anchoring of Lean behaviors for long-term results
Parallaxe

Our Approach

Using the EFESO Cultural Change Model, the team worked across several European sites to embed the behaviors, routines and leadership capabilities required for a true Lean culture. Four key enablers structured the approach:

  1. A compelling storyline
    Creating a shared narrative that made the transformation tangible and meaningful for all teams.
  2. Standardized behavioral expectations
    Defining, measuring and coaching behaviors for each population—from site leadership to operators—to anchor Lean practices.
  3. Leaders as cultural ambassadors
    Developing leadership capabilities to model the right behaviors and guide their teams through change.
  4. A performance management system
    Using BAS to monitor cultural progression and reinforce consistent Lean routines.

This combination linked daily actions to performance outcomes, elevated leadership roles, and built a sustainable cultural foundation across sites.

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Parallaxe

Ready to Transform Safety Culture Into Measurable Performance?

  • Build a sustainable lean culture that connects behavior to bottom-line results
  • Stop struggling to translate cultural initiatives into concrete actions your teams can follow
  • Join manufacturing leaders who've turned safety and performance into competitive advantages
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