 
Performance Improvement and Brand DeliveryInspired employees to improve key metrics Challenge:A chronic under-performing manufacturing plant needed to make dramatic operating improvements and reduce costs and headcount to successfully launch a new model the company counted on to invigorate its 100-year-old brand. Actions:
- Shifted plant emphasis from volume-focused to customer satisfaction-focused metrics.
- Drove stronger two-way communications at plant level and with corporate.
- Developed pilot program to transform plant leadership approach and drive decision-making down to front-line employees and supervisors (those closest to delivering to the customer).
- Introduced ways to correlate management behaviors with operational metrics customers cared about (e.g., quality).
- Engaged local union leadership and frontline employees to actively improve production processes and introduce ideas that supported the brand promise.
Results:Enabled successful launch through:
- 70% improvement in on-time delivery
- $30 million improvement in cost plan
- 40% decrease in hours per unit
- 43% increase in units produced per hour
© 2005 Gagen MacDonald LLC
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