Unlike in service industries, employees working in factories are not in direct contact with customers. Yet, this is essential to adapt to changing markets. More than elsewhere, changes in organisation must involve these employees so they feel concerned by these changes. BPI handles this type of participatory approach from preparation to implementation.

Context
Setting in Motion New Modes of Organisation
This company, specialised in plastic processing, had developed in a market which was reaching maturity: cycles were shorter and prices getting lower, leading the company to constantly change its products while developing added value.
Based on the accountability of different entities, organisational structures that favour continual adaptation and overall performance are well known. What is difficult is implementing them.
In the four factories where BPI was involved, two methods were used to set in motion a more efficient system of organisation: shared diagnosis and coaching.

Task
Shared Diagnosis
While concurrently carrying out preparatory reflections with management, contact was made with employees in the field. A dozen workstations were selected for a first stage of active observation: the consultant analysed current processes and questioned the employees. The diagnosis then continued in a more standard manner: work groups followed up and described comparable situations. Particular attention was paid to unexpected situations and the responses that were naturally implemented to accommodate them.
Combined with the point of view of executives and supervisors, the information collected was used to make a complete inventory of this situation, and this was the starting point for solution creation tasks that were assigned to the different people. Proposals were made more reliable through the analysis of recommendations provided by the different groups. Pilot operations were implemented to define the required adaptations.

Coaching Key players of the New Organisation
In the second factory, the target organisation defined eleven positions assigned to management. These employees, all of whom came from the former organisation, became the key players in the new team operating mode.
To assist in the implementation of the new organisation, the consultant worked with them full-time, in the field, for two months. With each of these employees, she developed a working plan defining personal priorities for adapting to the new positions. For common subjects, she rapidly prepared tailor-made training solutions: this helped develop team building. If necessary, she also participated in meetings organised by these employees with their teams to remove hurdles that had been detected during implementation. After two months of extensive coaching, reflexes were developed. Productivity in this factory increased by 10%.

Perspectives
Implementation in Other Factories
Motivated by the tests carried out in the first two factories, two other sites volunteered to take part in this operation. In each case, BPI's involvement was developed stage by stage according to the specific conditions at each site.