Best Practice Partner Circle at ams OSRAM
„Organizational development is DNA“
The last Best Practice Partner Circle from Staufen, part of Accenture, introduced participants to the world of the lighting industry – to ams OSRAM. All over the world, ams OSRAM ensures that drivers always have perfectly illuminated roads, even in the dark and in challenging weather conditions. Over two days, the company opened its doors at its Schwabmünchen and Herbrechtingen locationsin Germany and provided impressive insights into the topics of operational excellence, digitalization, and leadership.
The two plants share a common soul: the will to master technological change and to successfully lead employees through the transformation – without losing sight of the lean culture as the core of operational excellence.
Janice Köser
Day 1: Schwabmünchen – Experience the Smart Factory up close
The Best Practice Partner Circle kicked-off in Schwabmünchen with a hearty Bavarian snack, setting the stage for an intensive exchange. This was followed by a tour of the production facility, which has been certified as a Smart Factory. The Schwabmünchen plant won the prestigious Industry 4.0 Award for Smart Digitalization in 2024 – a testament to its innovative strength and use of cutting-edge technologies.
The focus of leadership was on lean approaches and operational excellence initiatives, supported by a transparent culture from the shop floor to the strategy stage. Particularly impressive: 100% of employees are trained in lean methods such as Kaizen, Six Sigma, PLS, and Hoshin Kanri. This empowering leadership culture fosters ownership and identification with the processes and corporate culture.
The participants were enthusiastic, as the following quotes show:
- “Diligence, ambition and spirit are tangible and visible.”
- “The ‘rule framework’ is well-balanced and leads to personal responsibility for the teams.”
- “Osram lives a forward-looking culture.”
Day 2: Herbrechtingen – Deep Dive into Shop Floor Management and Hoshin Kanri
On the second day, the workshop moved to Herbrechtingen, a location with approximately 600 employees. The focus here was on practical insights into Shop Floor Management (SFM) and Hoshin Kanri. Strategic planning and alignment across all management levels were presented in a concise and clear manner. Particularly impressive was the Shop Floor Management Cascade, which is implemented in four stages – from the grassroots level to management.
During a tour of the production areas, participants were able to experience firsthand how shop floor management and problem-solving approaches work in practice. Topics such as value stream optimization, lean projects, and digitalization – for example, through the myQi platform – rounded out the program.
Here too, the participants were impressed:
- „Osram invests in people and puts in the work, and it’s worth it.”
- “Operational excellence and digitalization are 100% dependent on management. Osram lives this from top management to the shop floor.”
Conscious freedoms in shop floor management for managers and teams visibly generate ambition, diligence, and spirit for tireless progress.Markus Würzburg, Head of Production TW, TRUMPF SE + Co. KG
Conclusion: Inspiration for the future
With a clear strategic focus on leadership, digitalization, and lean culture, ams OSRAM demonstrates how organizational development can become a company’s DNA. It’s an inspiring example of the successful combination of tradition and innovation.
OSRAM is a prime example of how hands-on, in-house solutions in digitalization and automation can be achieved with proprietary expertise and a minimal budget!Michael Hahn, Strategy Principal Director, Staufen, part of Accenture
