We hold yesterday an exciting CPO roundtable diner in Stuttgart, co-hosted with o9 executive council members Andy Koehler and Angela Qu. Great minds, great food and great discussions on future of procurement and supply chain for industrials! Key takeaways: 1) It is clear that the biggest value opportunity for companies resides in bridging silos across functions. Better connect and synchronize decisions between procurement to engineering, sales and supply chain functions 2) There is a cultural shift required for industrials in Europe to be competitive for the long run. Create a sense of urgency and « Fail fast » mindset to foster innovation 3) Procurement and SC professionals have a big role to play in this transformation but have to earn trust from peers to drive it forward 4) Technology is a key enabler and platforms like o9 give the foundation to bridge silos and innovate. Guillaume BOTHIER Falko Feldchen Angela Qu Andy Koehler

Curious about how you can start thinking about continuous improvement for you or your teams? This gives you different key elements you can use, ask questions about, or dig into and see if you have an opportunity to take something that may be working and improve it. #continuousimprovement #operations #manufacturing

Distribution Excellence: The Hidden Lever Behind Growth in Any Industry No matter the sector: #Energy ,#Fmcg, #tech, #pharmaceuticals, or #logistics #distribution is more than just moving products from point A to point B. It is the engine that drives availability, visibility, and customer trust. Yet in many organizations, distribution standards are treated as “operational details” instead of the strategic levers they truly are. The truth is, growth depends on the discipline of execution. Key pillars of effective distribution across industries: 🔹 Infrastructure: Well organized, efficient storage and delivery systems that guarantee reliability and consistency. 🔹 Operations: Disciplined execution, data-driven routing, and proactive leadership steering the network. 🔹 People: Motivated, trained, and incentivized teams who ensure consistency and quality at every touchpoint. 🔹 Customer Service & Responsiveness: Fast complaint resolution, structured service models, and a culture of accountability that keeps leaders close to customer realities. When done right, strong distribution standards create a culture of discipline, transparency, and reliability. Done poorly, they erode customer trust, drain resources, and slow growth. For leaders, the real challenge isn’t designing standards it’s embedding them until they become second nature. Distribution is not just a function it’s the blueprint for sustainable growth in any industry. #distribution #sales #operations #business #efficiency

The importance of Process Improvement goes far beyond manufacturing. In many organizations, continuous improvement is still seen as a tool for factories or production lines. But in today’s business environment, efficiency, quality, and agility are just as critical in corporate functions such as Finance, HR, Marketing, and Compliance. Process Improvement in the corporate world means: ✅ Reducing inefficiencies in workflows ✅ Improving communication between departments ✅ Enhancing data visibility and decision making ✅ Building a culture of accountability and problem solving Every department has its own “production line” — it just looks different. The mindset of analyzing, standardizing, and continuously improving should be part of every business area that aims to grow sustainably and deliver better value to customers and stakeholders. #ProcessImprovement #ContinuousImprovement #BusinessTransformation #Leadership #Lean #OperationalExcellence

Is your supply chain built for lasting success? Tariq Farooq, a global supply chain leader, offers a thoughtful perspective: transformation starts with strong foundations. In a recent interview, he highlighted the importance of focusing on the essentials before pursuing advanced tools like AI or digital twins. As he puts it, “You can’t digitise dysfunction.” Here are a few insights that stood out:  🔹 Start with the basics: Robust data architecture, master data, and process ownership are critical for sustainable progress. 🔹 Meeting new expectations: Industries like FMCG have long recognised the value of supply chains as a driver of growth, while others are still adapting to this shift. 🔹 Aligning priorities: When KPIs reward cost savings over service, it can create barriers to flexibility and customer satisfaction. Farooq’s insights highlight the importance of building a solid foundation and ensuring leadership decisions support long-term success. What lessons have you learned from your own supply chain transformation efforts? For more insights, read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/euTa29uX

Systems Thinking: Seeing the Whole Manufacturing Picture  Why isolated fixes fail without system-wide operational alignment.    Manufacturing is a complex ecosystem of interconnected processes. Addressing a single problem in isolation often leads to unintended consequences elsewhere.  Systems thinking teaches leaders to view the entire operation holistically, understanding cause and effect across boundaries. It encourages collaboration across departments - production, maintenance, quality, supply chain to optimize overall outcomes instead of local efficiencies. For example, speeding up a machining cell without adjusting downstream assembly can create bottlenecks and inventory pile-ups. A systems approach anticipates these ripple effects and balances capacity accordingly. A plant realized this after costly trial-and-error changes. Their leaders began applying systems maps and cross-functional teams to align KPIs and plan improvements. Leaders looking to embed systems thinking should start by: Mapping end-to-end processes with all stakeholders  Promoting transparent communication and shared accountability  Using simulation tools to forecast process changes  Encouraging a culture that values big-picture thinking alongside detailed expertise The result? More robust, resilient manufacturing operations that excel under complexity. #Manufacturing #SystemsThinking #OperationsExcellence

🔧 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠🔧 Since 2010, Leadec India has been the preferred technical service provider for the manufacturing industry, supporting over 90 customer sites with a skilled workforce of 4,000+ employees. From discrete manufacturing plants to process plants, we help factories run safely, efficiently, and cost-effectively.   One of the tools that we deploy at customer sites is Kaizen—a powerful Japanese philosophy meaning “change for the better.” At Leadec, Kaizen is more than a tool—it’s a mindset that empowers every team member to drive continuous improvement, enhance operational efficiency, and deliver value-added services to our customers.   ✅ 𝑾𝒉𝒚 𝑲𝒂𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒏 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒕 𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒄: Through Kaizen, Leadec endeavors to pass on benefits to its customers in terms of improvement in quality, safety, and productivity, cost optimization & process reliability and a culture of employee engagement & customer-centric innovation   We are excited to launch our Kaizen Blog Series, where we will be showcasing real-world examples of smart, sustainable, and scalable improvements implemented by our team. 📖 Stay tuned and explore how this can help transform your operations 👉 https://lnkd.in/dVshBZE4 Leadec #LeadecIndia #Kaizen #ContinuousImprovement #ManufacturingExcellence #TechnicalServices #FactorySolutions #IndustrialServices #AutomotiveIndustry #SmartManufacturing #LeanManufacturing #ProcessImprovement #CustomerSuccess #Efficiency #Safety #Sustainability #WeLoveYourFactory

The LEASH Model: A New Perspective for Manufacturing Excellence At Harvard, the LEASH model redefines culture not as a soft topic, but as a system of levers that leaders can intentionally pull to drive transformation. In manufacturing, this mindset shift is essential. We often focus on tools, KPIs, and initiatives, but true Operational Excellence occurs when culture and systems are aligned. Here is how the LEASH model comes to life on the shop floor: L – Leader Actions: Culture begins with what leaders do, not what they say. A plant manager who walks the line daily, asks operators what is slowing them down and celebrates small wins, influences performance more than any PowerPoint presentation ever could. E – Employee Involvement: World-class plants don’t just have operators; they have owners. When employees lead Kaizens, establish centerline standards, or improve CILs, they become active architects of improvement. That is when “Continuous Improvement” becomes personal. A – Aligned Rewards: If you reward firefighting, you will get more fires. But when recognition shifts toward problem prevention, safety adherence, and waste reduction, behaviors change. Aligning rewards transforms good habits into lasting standards. S – Signals, Stories & Symbols: Visual boards, shift huddles, and recognition walls aren’t mere decoration; they are cultural symbols. They convey what we value: safety, teamwork, and ownership. Every metric posted sends a message. H – HR Systems Alignment: From hiring and onboarding to training and promotion, our people systems must reinforce excellence. If our processes don’t select for curiosity, discipline, and teamwork, we are building on unstable ground. So, the next time you hear “manufacturing excellence,” think beyond TPM or OEE dashboards. Think LEASH, because excellence is not implemented; it’s led, enabled, aligned, symbolized, and ingrained.

Automation in distribution is powerful—but it’s not self-sufficient. It requires human oversight, leadership, and continuous refinement. For example, Unilever in Turkey rolled out automated replenishment for retailers, but it was store managers and field sales teams who fine-tuned it to reflect real customer behavior. Without their input, automation would have missed critical nuances. PepsiCo Europe implemented AI route planning, but success came only after drivers and supervisors were trained to trust and adapt to the system. Automation doesn’t eliminate human expertise—it amplifies it. The best systems combine machine efficiency with human intuition. I’ve led initiatives where automation and human expertise were integrated—ensuring technology was not only implemented, but also adopted and trusted by frontline teams. leadership in digital supply chains: The future belongs to those who can align automation with human capability for lasting impact.

I am excited to share that we officially launched the ‚One Dormakaba Manufacturing System’ during our annual top management conference in Zurich last week. This system establishes a unified framework for lean principles and continuous improvement, with a particular focus on shopfloor operations in our factories and local assembly centers worldwide. Its objective is to continuously enhance our performance by actively involving all employees in the improvement process.