A 40 BN group and 1200 plants all over the world takes control by installing a global Operational Excellence program to make even more quality products without increasing market prices.
Situation at the start
When Pierre-André de Chalendar, in 2007, becomes CEO of the company, productivity gains average 1% across the business. By comparison, the best in class average 2%.
The challenge
How to make more quality products without increasing the market prices?
The goal
In tandem with EFESO Management Consultants , in 2008, Jean-Pierre Floris, Deputy Director (responsible for the unit for innovative materials), is tasked to lead the implementation of a “World Class Manufacturing" (WCM) program to increase profitability, support a commercially ambitious strategy and become more innovative thanks to a higher degree of industrial excellence.
Putting strategy into action
« Boosting performance by acting on Value, Flow, Asset and People dynamics »
Together with EFESO Management Consultants , the plan to implement WCM was built on 4 pillars:
1 – Make sure top management is connected and engaged
- Operational Excellence is a subject that is relevant to top management and requires involvement and support from that top management during implementation.
2 – Decide on the best approach
- The journey to excellence was broken down into specific elements that all formed part of an integrated plan. The structure of people responsible for the respective elements was defined and a global program to cover the whole group of companies was deployed. This consensus based approach was crucial to the success of the programme.
3– Rethinking the organisation
- A review of the organisation and the manufacturing systems was undertaken to eliminate losses at the root (raw materials, product related etc).
4 – Energise, Engage and Empower employees at all levels
- Involve employees and train them to convert reactive behaviour into pro-active behaviour during the implementation. Create the conditions and respective degrees of autonomy for all involved to be able to progress towards operational excellence.
Deliver concrete results
« Improving your results today, securing your results for tomorrow »
8 years into the programme, 60% of the factories of the group (450 industrial sites) have been engaged in the WCM programme. At different levels over 40.000 people have been involved in the implementation including, leading from the front, the directors of the different industrial divisions including but not limited to: Jean-Pierre Floris, Benoît d'Iribarne (director High-Performance division), Patrick Dupin (director Glass division), Claude Imauven (director Products division).
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