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.
Automotive and Commercial Vehicles
Digital & Ai
Manufacturing
Operations Strategy and Transformation
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.
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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
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