12
Factories across Europe
Optimizing Multi-Site Turnaround Operations in Europe: Transforming a Decentralized Network into a High-Performing, Integrated Operations Model
Industry: Automotive and Commercial Vehicles
Industry: Industrial Manufacturing
Industry: Packaging
Service: Manufacturing
Service: Operations Strategy and Transformation
Service: Supply Chain
Service: Transactions and Turnaround
Our Client
A global provider of returnable plastic packaging with 12 factories across Europe and over 25% market share in sectors such as automotive, manufacturing, food, and agriculture.
>25%
Market share in returnable plastic packaging
The Challenge
Following major investments in machinery renewal, the company struggled to achieve expected performance improvements, missing EBITDA targets and falling short of its value creation plan.
- Limited central coordination: Each of the 12 factories operated independently with little alignment or best-practice sharing.
- Inefficient production strategy: “Make-to-stock” decisions created overstock and reduced capacity for needed SKUs.
- Excessive lead times: Make-to-order products faced lead times exceeding six weeks, though actual production took only four days.
- Unstructured inventory: No ABC/XYZ classification existed, and overaged stock exceeded 20% of total inventory.
- Underperforming assets: Low utilization and frequent unplanned downtimes limited throughput despite new machinery investments.
Real Results Achieved Together
Through a structured operational transformation, EFESO helped the client achieve significant improvements in efficiency, asset performance, and profitability across its European operations.
$8M
EBITDA savings (11% of site labor costs)
$2M
Working capital reduction
46%
Reduction in unplanned machine downtimes
Transformation Impact
- Fully aligned and integrated multi-site operations across Europe.
- Optimized planning, maintenance, and inventory management processes.
- Significant operational control and predictability improvements.
- Sustained EBITDA gains through structured SIOP implementation and data transparency.
- 49% reduction in mold-related unplanned downtimes
- 30% improvement in assembly efficiency
- 30% lead time reduction
- 44% reduction in changeover times
Our Approach
EFESO conducted an in-depth operational analysis across the client’s three largest plants in France and Germany and launched five key transformation workstreams to drive alignment, control, and efficiency.
SIOP & Planning Excellence
- Implemented a mature SIOP process supported by ABC/XYZ clustering.
- Developed “Plan-for-Every-Part” strategies for SKU-level coordination.
- Introduced frozen planning periods to stabilize production schedules.
Machine and Mold Optimization
- Introduced TPM to reduce downtime and improve reliability.
- Applied SMED and “best demonstrated speed” techniques to increase output.
- Prioritized maintenance and production based on value creation.
Assembly Efficiency Enhancement
- Decoupled assembly from injection molding to eliminate bottlenecks.
- Optimized multi-component assembly processes for higher throughput.
Order-to-Delivery Acceleration
- Streamlined pre-production administration to reduce lead times.
- Enabled real-time visibility on sales, margins, and customer data.
Value Transparency and Replication
- Created a comprehensive SKU-level database linking sales, margin, and customer data.
- Replicated pilot results from three main sites across all European factories.
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Facing Similar Multi-Site Performance Challenges?
- Aligning operations and planning across multiple plants.
- Reducing downtime and improve equipment reliability.
- Optimize inventory and shorten lead times.
- Aiming to achieve measurable EBITDA improvements through operational excellence.
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