Excellent in indirect areas

How to achieve operational excellence in indirect areas

Global competition and the economic downturn are forcing companies to optimize their costs. An often overlooked potential lies in the indirect areas. Savings of 15 to 25 percent can be achieved through holistic optimization approaches.

But indirect areas are rarely addressed comprehensively, mostly due to a lack of transparency and measurable performance indicators. A holistic approach requires a unified view of all resources.

This allows areas to be evaluated, benchmarks to be established, and priorities to be set.

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Amazonas

The „Amazonas“ performance framework from Staufen enables holistic and interlinked optimization of indirect areas.

The framework uses various performance clusters (e.g., service portfolio, processes) to meet performance criteria in a sustainable, flexible, and efficient manner. It provides a structured and holistic approach, addressing pain points and helping companies achieve their goals of operational excellence in indirect areas.

Service portfolio

Structuring knowledge
Managing data
Ensuring knowledge availability

Processes

Designing end-to-end
Making it measurable
Reducing waste

Projects

Managing portfolio
Managing deviations
Proceeding iteratively

Organization

Ensuring agility
Designing a network
Shaping change

Cooperation

Leading effectively
Promoting team performance
Developing talents

Digitalization

Developing a digitization strategy
Digitizing processes
Using AI

Knowledge management

Structuring knowledge
Managing data
Ensuring knowledge availability

Why Amazonas?

The Amazon is not only one of the largest rivers in the world, connecting the most diverse ecosystems, but is also synonymous with constant change, growth and diversity. Just as the river is constantly in motion, bringing life to everything around it, the Amazonas framework is designed to ensure that processes in indirect areas are vital and efficient.

The Staufen Amazonas framework is divided into seven performance clusters, each of which contains specific enablers and thus enables interlinked optimization in the indirect areas.

Typical pain points,

which make it necessary to optimize the indirect areas:

Shorter product lifecycles and increasing pressure to innovate
Complex product structures and extensive product portfolios
Rising costs
Complicated processes and long lead times
Low value contribution of indirect areas to the core processes
Highly dynamic digitalization
Increasing employee turnover and loss of know-how
Organization too slow to react to rapidly changing customer requirements

Operational excellence in indirect areas

Desired target state

Through the targeted application of performance enablers in the various clusters, companies achieve operational excellence that is characterized by high efficiency, flexibility, and sustainability. These improvements are measurable and result in an optimized cost structure, improved processes, increased employee satisfaction, increased innovation, and ultimately increased customer value.

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Benefits for the entire company

Significant efficiency gains in indirect areas.

Applying the Amazonas framework results in significant improvements in several key performance indicators. By optimizing processes and reducing complexity costs, operating costs can be significantly reduced.

Sustainable business models also increase the rate of innovation. Organizational agility is improved through flexible structures and high-performing teams. Sustainability goals are achieved through optimized processes, products and services. An end-to-end digitalization strategy ensures a seamless data flow and avoids system disruptions. Finally, the use of artificial intelligence can create additional efficiency reserves.

With the Amazonas framework, companies implement a structured and holistic approach to achieving operational excellence in their indirect operations. This leads to sustainable improvements that have a direct impact on the competitiveness and long-term success of companies.

Our project experience shows that when it comes to increasing efficiency, companies tend to focus only on the direct areas. This approach often falls short, as there is usually also potential in indirect processes that can make a significant contribution to improving results by streamlining.
Chrisitan Möllers
Partner, STAUFEN.AG

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Get in touch with us.

If you would like to learn more about Amazonas framework from Staufen and how it can help you achieve operational excellence in indirect areas, give us a call. We look forward to hearing from you.

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