Performance Driver 2024″ Study: The industry sees process optimization as the largest lever for improvements / Still plenty of potential in production and sales
April 22, 2024
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News Germany
Köngen, April 16, 2024 – The latest “Performance Drivers 2024″ study shows that a more efficient process design is currently at the top of the industry’s agenda. This is where a good three quarters of organizations see the greatest levers of improvement in their performance. Accordingly, there is still plenty of potential to improve performance, particularly in the areas of production and sales. For the study, the Staufen management consultant firm surveyed more than 200 industrial organizations in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
“The current climate marked by political uncertainty, tense supply chains and high energy prices is compelling companies to systematically focus their production processes on performance and curb potential cost drivers,” says Martin Becker, Partner at Staufen AG. To this end, the industry expert recommends an integrated operational excellence strategy to harmonize isolated measures into an optimized interplay alongside classic Lean methods: “Now more than ever, the goal is to avoid waste and create a lean organization. It creates the leeway needed to drive forward strategic investments despite the high cost pressure.”
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.
What measures do you see for process performance improvement?
The results of the Staufen study show that organizations currently view process optimization as the greatest lever for performance improvement. In response to the question of what would improve their performance across departments, some 77 percent of respondents answered “more efficiency in processes”. “Employee development” (57%) and ” increased digitalization” (49%) were also high priorities.
What would improve your performance across departments?
In terms of implementation, another clear picture is emerging. 72 percent of those who see the benefits of greater process efficiency support measures aimed at digitalizing processes, 59 percent prefer leaner processes and 52 percent would like to see targeted adaptation to future challenges.
Operational Excellence ensures a performance-boost
“So, organizations have understood the significance of digitalization and process optimization. The figures reveal that there is still a lack of targeted implementation,” says operational excellence expert Becker. So far, only one in four of the study participants is taking a structured approach to improving its performance. However, organizations do recognize where their efforts will need to start. In fact, some 55 percent of respondents see the greatest potential for improvement in the areas of production and sales, followed by procurement (37 percent).
To ensure a successful long-term transformation, Staufen consultant Becker focuses on operational excellence with the objective of achieving integrated optimization of the organization by continuously improving each individual area: “The key is the interplay of specialist expertise and the use of digital analysis tools so as to identify the most effective levers. This means that organizations avoid getting bogged down in the minor details and instead achieve the greatest possible performance boost with the minimum of effort – which in turn positively effects the profit and loss account within a very short amount of time.”
BestPractice Day 2024: Operational Excellence – Next Level
Save the Date
For the past 15 years, the Staufen AG BestPractice Day has been a must-attend event for anyone who recognizes one primary goal for themselves and their company: operational excellence. On June 25th, the BestPractice Day 2024 will once again offer a full day of expert knowledge, insights and opportunities to network. How do global market leaders manage to improve their performance even in times of crisis? What steps do we need to take to unleash the potential of digitalization and artificial intelligence? What does leadership need to look like in the future? If you would like answers to these questions, please register here directly: https://www.best-practice-day.com/
“Every day things get a little bit better” may sound mundane at first. And yet, this fundamental attitude forms the basis for an organization’s sustainable success. Staufen AG has developed a multi-award-winning approach to establishing such a performance-enhancing culture of improvement within organizations while achieving significant improvements along the entire value chain.
Staufen magazine. This issue once again features many colorful benchmark stories from different industries and sectors. The practical field reports deal with unusual strategies and solutions on how companies react to acute challenges on the one hand and continuously work on improving their performance on the other.
The often small-scale and rather knee-jerk reactions to the current polycrisis are increasingly taking up so much capacity in many organizations that long-term projects often fall by the wayside. According to the latest study “Performance Drivers 2024”, there are already three out of four organizations that have to cut back on implementing their strategic decisions. If they want to propel their business back towards high performance, though, organizations should abandon this passive attitude and instead systematically and courageously improve their performance.
