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Change. Every organization does it, everyone has to deal with it. Because developments inside and outside demand it. And because standing still - in the process industry also literally - means going backwards. What are important success factors in the operations & supply chain for implementing change?
Responding to market demands, for example by starting up a new production or packaging line. Optimizing quality management. Tightening purchasing and inventory management. Or make structural efficiency improvements in maintenance processes. Whatever change you implement: it starts with collecting questions, experiences and opinions from the people who are active in the daily operation. Those who will ultimately implement the real changes in their daily work practice. What do they encounter? What are their ideas about how things can be improved? That bottom-up input is extremely valuable. Moreover, you already involve your people in the first stage of the change - the analysis. An essential condition for support and involvement. After the goals and a strategic plan have been drawn up, they are translated into an operational plan. And then… the real work begins.
The way you present a change plan to the people who will be working on it in practice can strengthen that involvement. Recognizable images, symbols and understandable language help with this. Not only at the kick-off, but also in conversations and evaluations during the change process. So appeal to the imagination. This way you can keep people motivated and involved.
Leadership is indispensable in any change process. From operational managers who are driven and motivated themselves. Who bring their team together at fixed, pre-planned times for consultation, feedback, evaluation and - where necessary - interim adjustment. It is precisely in this recurring attention and repetition that an underestimated power is hidden, with which everyone will gradually move in the same direction during the process. Attention, encouragement and positive coaching together form perhaps the most important fuel to keep the fire burning and strengthen motivation. Does an operational manager need skills that he does not yet have (sufficiently)? Then training is of course the first step to take. Are there hiccups in the organization's systems and processes that hinder change or demotivate employees? Don't ignore them, tackle them.
Change does not happen from one moment to the next. It is a gradual process and goes step by step. Is everyone on board? And if the organization starts to move, you can always take a new, small next step together. What matters is that you have a realistic plan, with achievable intermediate goals. Start with low-hanging improvement fruit and score the first quick wins. That feels good and motivates. Appreciate small progress and improvements at both management and executive level. Always celebrate small interim successes and do it together. And then persevere again and again.
Finally, there is that one last success factor: continue to focus on the priorities during the change process and maintain focus on predetermined themes and goals. Especially in the often hectic dynamics and issues of the day within a production environment, it is important not to be distracted by incidents, exceptions and side roads. Moreover, don't let an unexpected setback discourage you. Because the best changes come about by falling, getting up, learning and continuing.
Jan-Pieter Kuipers
Principal Consultant ARV Group