Engineer holding a tablet monitoring a robotic arm welding a car engine on a production line | H&Z
Automotive
Operational Excellence
02.10.2024 | Article

Unlock Operational Excellence

Reduce costs and improve efficiency

H&Z’s structured framework optimizes operations, revealing cost-saving strategies and driving productivity enhancements tailored for your needs.

H&Z’s Operations Optimization is structured around a four-step approach, meticulously crafted to ensure each stage builds upon the last to maximise effectiveness. Initially the preparation phase lays the foundation by defining the scope, participants, focus topics, and essential data. In a second step the Analysis phase utilises well proven tools such as Value Stream Mapping, Gemba Walks and Process deep dives at the point of use to identify inefficiencies and their causes. This phase focuses on uncovering actionable potential that leads to targeted and quantified productivity and efficiency improvements.

 

H&Z’s ‘Lever Database’ – A Comprehensive Toolbox to Swiftly Identify Cost Reduction & Productivity Improvement Levers 

In a third step the core of H&Z’s operations optimisation framework comes into play:  the Concept Development phase. At this point we weigh, combine and sequence single actions and improvement levers, to create a comprehensive concept that is tailored to the conditions of the respective project and thus to the requirements of our client. From our experience, this is crucial for the actual implementation of productivity-enhancing measures, as it is the only way to achieve sufficient acceptance among management and staff. 

Here we utilise the H&Z ’lever database’ with over 1000 operational levers, most of them in the category “Direct cost reduction”. It is our knowledge base which, to derive and prioritise tailored efficiency measures and improvement strategies. This strategic prioritisation focuses on the potential impact and implementation ease, ensuring efficient resource allocation and maximum benefits. By doing this, we lay the groundwork from the start to ensure maximum implementation efficiency with optimal resource utilisation in the 4th phase, ‘Potential Calculation & Implementation Roadmap’. 

H&Z manufacturing cost reduction chart with direct and indirect focus areas and roughly 20 percent cost potential | H&Z

Here we utilise the H&Z ’lever database’ with over 1000 operational levers, most of them in the category “Direct cost reduction”. It is our knowledge base which, to derive and prioritise tailored efficiency measures and improvement strategies. This strategic prioritisation focuses on the potential impact and implementation ease, ensuring efficient resource allocation and maximum benefits. By doing this, we lay the groundwork from the start to ensure maximum implementation efficiency with optimal resource utilisation in the 4th phase, ‘Potential Calculation & Implementation Roadmap’. 

H&Z direct cost reduction framework with three levels covering OEE, working time model and smart factory levers | H&Z

QUANTIFIED BENEFITS & PRACTICAL APPLICABILITY 

The Operations Optimization Framework is grounded in H&Z’s extensive consulting experience across various industries, like Automotive, engineered products, process industry to name just some examples. In joint projects, our clients regularly achieve cost reduction potentials through the H&Z approach, with efficiency improvements in production and support areas of up to 20%. Productivity improvements of this magnitude are a crucial competitive advantage in the current tense economic situation. 

GET IN CONTACT WITH OUR EXPERT

Sandra Stoll

Partner

With over 25 years of experience, Sandra leads H&Z’s Industrial Goods industry driving measurable performance improvement in engineering-driven manufacturing organisations.

Sandra Stoll

Dr. Markus Contzen

Partner

Markus leads H&Z’s Private Equity industry with over 20 years of experience across the full investment lifecycle driving measurable value creation. As a Partner, he also supports H&Z’s focus on Operational Excellence.

Dr. Markus Contzen

Michael Tines

Senior Expert
Michael Tines

Bernhard Düngler

Senior Project Manager

Bernhard specialises in Operational Excellence and has deep expertise in Operations and Supply Chain Management. He develops practical solutions for complex challenges while optimising operational processes across all levels.

Bernhard Düngler

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