Martin Becker was a Consultant at the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering, he worked on the organization and design of lean order fulfillment processes direct and indiret areas), production systems and future-oriented plant and factory concepts for customers in the automotive, electronics and consumer goods industries. He worked intensively on the principles and ideas of the Toyota production system and has applied these and other factors for example at Brose; in the design of the European location strategy. Since 2007, he has advised Staufen AG customers from various sectors such as mechanical engineering, the production industry and foundries. He manages and supervises projects for the holistic design of factories and processes according to Lean philosophy. Focus is on the consistent lean order fulfilment of incoming orders till delivery in direct and indirect areas). Martin Becker was able to gain international experience, among others at Schott AG in Asia, USA and Europe.
How External Support Empowers Top Buisnesses to Achieve Peak Performance
Top athletes are powered by an inherent motivation to enhance and boost their performance. Nonetheless, despite striving for continuing performance improvement, even the very best athletes cannot compete for the coveted medal places without outside help. They are therefore offered performance centers, training camps, and support programs, for example, giving them the best possible conditions under which they can develop their potential.
Current Challenges and Future Prospects for German Industry: Insights from the “Performance Drivers 2024” Study
What kind of conditions are in place for our national industry so it can achieve operational excellence? Unfortunately, the current climate is not quite as inspiring as organizations would hope. Our Performance Drivers 2024″ Study survey of more than 200 industrial companies revealed a worrying response to the current challenges: 89% of respondents feel the pressure is high overall, 83% are facing more complex challenges than ever before and 81% no longer expect a “return to normal”. Every fourth industrial company sees hardly any opportunities for the future in Germany as a location.
One consequence of this dramatic development shows that the current challenges are sapping so much energy that only one in four companies is systematically implementing strategic decisions, and three out of four companies admit that the current problems are blocking their view of long-term success.
Operational Excellence is Gaining Importance
What becomes quite clear in view of these difficult basic conditions: It has never been as important as it is today to establish a performance-enhancing culture of improvement within your own organization!
Even though many of the challenges are not always within the immediate control of the organization, such as with regard to bureaucratic challenges, supply chain issues, or energy supply problems, there are still sufficient levers available to make the company fit for the future. Courage and initiative are what is needed, or better said: Operational Excellence instead of German Angst (fear).
An inward look reveals that there is ample untapped potential that would allow the company to build its own made-to-measure performance center. It stands on three pillars:
We analyze and optimize all core and support processes along the entire value and supply chain in an end-to-end approach. Here, we also use digital applications and analysis methods.
A tailored organizational development program will effectively empower specialists and managers while qualifying employees. At the same time, the corporate culture is aligned towards continuous improvement.
Analyzing business indicators and processes enables us to evaluate the success of the measures taken and their effectiveness. They are evaluated while accounting for the current corporate situation.
Overcoming the prevailing challenges while increasing performance at the same time is undoubtedly a difficult balancing act, but it is certainly possible with the consistent implementation of a consistent operational excellence strategy. And it’s worth it, because in the end, what we have is a resilient, customer-oriented and future-proof organization that remains successful and profitable despite constant changes in the world.
Looking towards the future with cautious optimism
Indeed, the findings of the latest Staufen study also confirm that this offensive approach to improving performance can be successful. No less than 40 percent of the respondents identified more opportunities than risks for their organization. Another 46 percent agree to this statement at least in part. Results that one can build upon!
The Binder family company shows how lean management can not only make you better and faster, but also inspire employees and customers. Our current study “Future Industry 2023” also underlines how effective lean management is for companies to develop more resilience despite cost pressure.
Geopolitical upheavals, intensified international competition, innovation cycles that are becoming increasingly shorter – in a recent Staufen study, “Performance Drivers 2024” eighty-three percent of the organizations surveyed stated that they have rarely had to face such a wide range of challenges as the ones they face today. Nonetheless, organizations are still under pressure to push their strategic investments, even in times of immense cost pressure. Understanding how each decision affects the profit and loss statement (P&L) is, therefore, all that more important.
There is hardly any other corporate function in which employees can be taught the role of added value and waste as practically and quickly as in production. Optimization is used as the basis for helping Lean philosophy permeate the entire production process, and from there it affects the whole company.
So that it can continue to successfully develop the business, Škoda Group has opted for company-wide integration, in which processes, management methods, and the system landscape are all simultaneously optimized.
