Toward a Process-Centered Organization: The Operational Excellence Journey at Getzner

(a) Situation faced: To cope with strong corporate growth and continuously increasing market challenges, Getzner Werkstoffe identified the need to move away from departmental process management toward centralized corporate process management. With this objective in mind, in 2018, Getzner embarked on a journey of developing the whole organization based on principles of operational excellence (OPEX). To this end, several process management initiatives were launched to foster operational excellence and transform Getzner into a process-centered organization. (b) Action taken: Getzner trained several employees to become process method experts (e.g., in lean management, Six Sigma, and business process management) and founded an “Operational Excellence Department” with the objective of strengthening process knowledge throughout the organization. SAP Signavio was adopted to document, model, and integrate the processes. The Getzner House of OPEX was created to be a key artifact that embodied the organizational OPEX strategy and communicated this vision within the company. The Getzner OPEX maturity model was developed to guide the continuous development of Getzner’s process maturity. Success stories, process quizzes, and one-pagers for key concepts were introduced and promoted to foster a process culture at Getzner. (c) Results achieved: Implementing the OPEX approach and integrating different process methods allowed Getzner to increase transparency throughout its 500+ documented processes. OPEX is now considered a pivotal part of the overall organizational strategy and is continuing to shape the future development of the company. Developing a process management infrastructure within the organization also led to clearly defined responsibilities, higher process affinity among employees, and measurable improvements in key processes. (d) Lessons learned: Reflecting on the OPEX approach used at Getzner, senior management support crystallized as one of the most important success factors. Another key factor in the successful transition toward a process organization is the early development of the necessary capabilities (e.g., through training). Furthermore, choosing suitable tools and technologies that complement and support the overall organizational goals (e.g., scalability) was essential. It also became apparent that while top-down approaches were helpful, building up process knowledge and process thinking from the bottom up (e.g., through continuous engagement with employees) was crucial.