OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE

A Group DYNAMIC

Efficiency, anticipation and organization are the three improvement goals driving the Group-wide roll-out of the Lean management system. The approach focuses on improving operational excellence and customer service and is being adopted at 115 production and maintenance/repair sites on a decentralized basis. Leading the project are a hundred or so local Lean representatives, with customized, methodological assistance from some 20 Corporate team members.

Fulfilling our commitments: a group requirement

The Corporate Lean team helps local departments and field-based Lean representatives establish action plans in line with the Group's strategy and, more importantly, with customer expectations. Customers expect us first and foremost to fulfill our commitments, i.e. offer them the high-quality equipment and services they want, within their deadlines. This requirement is further driven by the increasing size and complexity of the aerospace market, which often has long lead times and multiple stakeholders. The Group is fully committed to fulfilling its obligations across a broad range of products, from systems to cabin interiors and cabin equipment. Our commitment must be applied to all our products and we must be efficient in delivering it.

Anticipation, dialogue and efficiency gains

Our role is to help our business units improve their operating performance and customer service. We have therefore made available a standard framework of dashboards and performance indicators. We individually assess and diagnose each site and offer training in topics such as workload organization, performance management, and problem analysis and solving. We also support initiatives aimed at taking more effective account of customer needs. For example, collaborative working groups have been introduced for certain products, whereby sales representatives and development and manufacturing teams dialogue on a regular basis, allowing us to anticipate potential issues and resolve them at the very earliest development stage. This represents a cultural shift in our work methods. In parallel, some divisions and business units are starting to help suppliers improve their performance. We are also participating in the GIFAS¹¹ Industrial Performance project targeted at 400 SMEs, and four of our sites have each committed to working with some 30 suppliers with the support of an independent consultant.

Moving at the right speed

Today all sites have a road map and are making progress, albeit not all at the same speed. We are therefore providing more support to those that are lagging behind, performing more in-depth diagnostics, putting even more effort into sharing the results with field-based teams and convincing them to get on board. We know we can count on two key levers for greater buy-in: first the commitment and support of Group managers, and second the motivation of our staff and their ongoing efforts to achieve the highest standards.

¹¹ The French Aerospace Industries Association

28 | TRAVEL JOURNAL 2013/2014