Lost in excellence. Improving world class manufacturing practices. The case of Armacell Benelux SCS.

Abstract

Targeting innovation driven organizations that focus on operational excellence, specialized press often presents the World Class Manufacturing approach as a strategic tool. It aims to improve production efficiency by standardization, to the satisfaction of the workforce, who feels involved as a key player in the process. This exploratory study outlines the strengths and weaknesses of its local deployment. It depicts the impact of the method on the site culture. It raises awareness about the crucial role of the sponsor and the appropriate communication towards all stakeholders. It also suggests that organization should capitalize on creativity. The business case focuses on the Belgium entity. The paper combines exploratory research and modelling through existing analytical tools, among other, the sociology of translation. It analyzes the program performance through interactions with people via quantitative and qualitative data collected. The project management body of knowledge PMBOK ® serves as a backbone to unravel the outcomes.