5K x
Revenue growth in less than a decade
Powering Global Expansion Through Lean Production and Digital Transformation
A leading automotive battery manufacturer needed to scale operations rapidly while meeting stringent international quality standards. Together, we established a comprehensive lean production system across the company’s global footprint. This transformation powered the manufacturer’s growth to over 400 billion RMB in annual revenue.
Industry: Automotive and Commercial Vehicles
Service: Digital & Ai
Service: Manufacturing
Service: Operations Strategy and Transformation
Service: People and Organization
Our Client
One of the world’s foremost producers of automotive power batteries, headquartered in China. The company had pivoted from mobile battery manufacturing to automotive applications over the last decade, quickly establishing itself as the go-to supplier for premium international clients. Operating wholly-owned production bases and joint venture facilities across multiple continents underpins its position in the rapidly growing electric vehicle industry.
The Challenge
Twelve years ago, explosive growth in global EV demand and a newfound partnership presented both enormous opportunity and serious risk.
- Production system gaps: Existing operations, rooted in mobile battery manufacturing, lacked the robust and scalable systems required for world-class automotive supply chains, which have to meet rigorous quality, safety, and efficiency standards
- Rapid expansion pressures: The operation couldn’t support the rapid expansion of production capacity and team size, while goals for digital transformation and upgrading were unclear
- Internal resistance: Line managers were skeptical of lean thinking, worried it would disrupt established routines and affect output–one supervisor worried that digital dashboards were “just a fancy slide show”
Real Results Achieved Together
The transformation established a robust operational and cultural foundation for continued global leadership in automotive batteries. The client not only maintained but accelerated its growth trajectory through systematic lean implementation and digital excellence.
~25%
Increase in OEE across key plants by year three
35%
Reduction in product defect rates
Transformation Impact
- Achieved industry 4.0 award recognition in both 2023 and 2024, validating leadership in digital manufacturing
- Met or exceeded OEM quality standards, strengthening relationships with international carmakers
- Established an operational system recognized by automotive OEMs and T1 suppliers
Our Approach
We conducted a comprehensive digital maturity assessment and plant-by-plant analysis of existing lean practices, developing a tailored multi-stage transformation roadmap. The lean production system deployment encompassed total productive maintenance and quality support management.
Standardized work processes were adopted across all production sites. Working closely with the in-house team to achieve digital transformation, we introduced real-time performance monitoring dashboards, predictive analytics for maintenance and integrated digital work instructions.
A massive upskilling campaign delivered industry 4.0 training to over 3,000 staff across all global sites. The fast-paced, scalable implementation owes some of its success to strong executive sponsorship and a dedicated project management office. Regular alignment meetings with BMW China and other international OEMs ensured that the new systems met stringent customer requirements.
Related Services
Digital & AI
Digital investments fail to deliver operational impact. We translate technology into performance gains through practical AI deployment, data-driven decision systems, and frontline digital tools.
Manufacturing
Aging equipment meets rising costs and technology disruption. We transform operations through smart factory integration, predictive maintenance, and workforce capability building.
Operations Strategy and Transformation
Helping organizations rethink how they create value. We strengthen performance, build resilience, and accelerate growth across every layer of your business.
People and Organization
Workforce transformation, leadership development, and structure optimization. Learn more about our People & Organization consulting services.
Facing Similar Manufacturing Scale-up Challenges?
- Struggling to meet automotive OEM standards while scaling production rapidly?
- Building operational excellence that matches your growth ambitions and customer demands
- Let’s explore how proven lean and digital methods transform your operations
Discover More Clients Results
45K m²
Optimized factory layout (reduced from 52 Km²)
Industrial Manufacturing
Restarting a Greenfield Factory Planning Project
Creating a solid, structured plan for the material flow of its production and validated the static forecast, enabling the factory to increase the output with the existing machinery.
80%
Projects realized on-time
Transportation, Logistics and Services
Achieving Sustainable Transformation, From Vision to Strategy and Implementation, for a Major European Port
Transformed Europe's second-largest port into climate-neutral hub while increasing throughput and securing substantial EU funding.
+16.3%
Production efficiency improvement
Consumer Goods and Luxury
Leveraging Digital Twin for Production Capacity Optimization
A global leader in home and garden manufacturing looking to optimize production capacity without new investments.
8%
EBITDA increase through improved operational productivity
Consumer Goods and Luxury
Increasing Operational Productivity to Drive EBITDA Growth in Fashion and Leather Goods
A global luxury fashion house aimed to improve operational productivity and achieve target EBITDA despite complex production challenges.
30%
Reduction in unplanned stops over 2 pilot lines
Consumer Goods and Luxury
A Program Implementation Achieves Transformational Improvements in Consumer Health Company
A global consumer health company implemented an operational transformation, delivering a 30% reduction in unplanned stops and validated standards for global rollout, supporting a shift to a proactive operational culture.
4
Legal-entity handbooks detailing processes, systems, and organizational structures at Level-3 detail
Consumer Goods and Luxury
Designing a Target Operating Model for a Growing Nutraceutical CDMO Group
Discover how EFESO helped defined a Target Operating Model (TOM) that improved governance and created the foundation for future ERP implementation.
~10K m²
Optimized factory footprint
Aerospace & Defense
Designing a Future-Proof Drone Factory Through Modular Factory Planning
Design of a future-proof, modular drone factory enabling multi-product manufacturing, rapid scalability, and optimized investment for aerospace defence applications.
35%
Reduction in logistics headcount through automation
Food & Beverage
Enabling Efficient Greenfield Dairy Operations Through Production and Logistics Planning
EFESO supported the design and realization of a 30,000 sqm greenfield dairy plant, delivering an integrated factory planning concept with full automation and optimized material flows and scalable operational concepts.