+27.7%
Reported productivity change
Anonymized client case · Manufacturing · 4,500 employees
Manufacturing Productivity: Processes, Standards & KPIs
A request to document processes for automation evolved into an eight-month productivity and performance improvement initiative.
Reported project indicators
Scope and outcomes in context.
70+
Processes reviewed
8 months
Project duration
+14%
Reported income growth for remaining staff
The challenge
Looking beyond the initial request.
Process mapping alone would not address inconsistent operations, unstandardized tasks, lost time and incentive rules that did not consistently reinforce speed and quality. The team needed to understand how work happened on the shop floor and why outcomes varied.
This case is anonymized and describes a specific engagement, including its original operating context. It should not be interpreted as a guarantee of similar results in another organization.
Work undertaken
How the team approached the challenge.
Process redesign
Mapped and reviewed more than 70 workflows, including customized production work where procedures had to be reconstructed.
Lean capability
Delivered practical training in lean thinking and continuous improvement, with attention to employee buy-in.
Performance incentives
Worked with HR to connect compensation and KPIs to speed, quality and production outcomes.
Outcome
What the original project reported.
The original case reports a 27.7% rise in productivity, redeployment of 27% of staff to a new business line, and 14% higher earnings among employees remaining in the process. The business also gained a clearer foundation for subsequent automation.