Client Case Study

Accelerating Innovation in Aerospace

Discover how Project4 Learning Lab and our client accelerated innovation by fast-tracking cost-saving ideas through our "Slow to Flow" programme.

Discover how Project4 Learning Lab and our client accelerated innovation by fast-tracking cost-saving ideas through our "Slow to Flow" programme

Our client, a global aerospace company, is a leading provider of propulsion solutions for commercial aircraft. They use specialist partners to help execute transactional engineering activities at scale but lacked a standardised approach to accelerating operational improvement initiatives. Often, improvement initiatives were not scoped and prioritised correctly and lack of co-ordination across various departments led to similar initiatives being progressed by multiple individual duplicating work. A pressing need for consolidation and skilled manpower to help create a governance framework and accelerate prioritised improvement ideas into implemented cost savings was needed.

In early 2024, Project4 Learning Lab in collaboration with Infosys consulting were asked to design and implement a mechanism to generate, consolidate and progress Inspection cost reduction ideas from three facilities into realised cost savings within a pilot pathfinder project.

Proposed Programme

Slow to Flow

Rapid team-based improvements to accelerate flow based on the principles of scientific thinking by learning about a topic, planning a change, implementing it and reflecting on it in each cycle.

Challenges Identified

Flow Fog

A lack of clarity over how work is flowing or status of work (can lead to storytelling, lack of data driven decisions, incorrect focus, which can lead to being predictably late).

Familiar Faults

Teams are "solving" the same problems today as the ones that they "solved" yesterday.

Process Variability

High variability in the way that processes are performed and in process outcomes & performance (e.g. cycle time, quality, cost).

Missing Materials

Excessive time spent looking for data, information and materials and can't be sure it's the latest version when something is found.

Our 4 Step Process

Release Valve ®

1Finding Flow

Finding Flow

On arrival, there was a process in place for complex ideas requiring business funding, involving specific gates to follow. However, for local ideas from the shopfloor, there was no formal process, which led to inefficiencies. Area managers often managed these ideas individually in Excel or PowerPoint, resulting in a lack of transparency and frequent duplication of efforts. This absence of a formal process meant ideas were often hidden and not progressed as a team with no clear visual management for everyone in team, making it difficult to have a consolidated view of the potential deliverables & cost benefits, current status, obstacles and remedial actions.

We started by creating a a top level process diagram that visually represents how the team is working in identifying and capturing cost initiatives.

We then held Lean ‘Finding Flow’ workshops to explain the 8 wastes of Lean (the TIMPWOOD model) and to seek ideas from the shop floor on where they observe these wastes in their daily work. Collaborating with departmental focus groups, we designed and facilitated these workshops to promote continuous idea generation and a develop a systematic approach to capture the ideas, log and sentence them in a digital collaboration tools that made the status of the ideas fully transparent.

2Taming Turbulence

Taming Turbulence

In the "Taming Turbulence" phase, we focused on managing project ideas by prioritising them using the WSJF agile prioritisation technique. We introduced a collaborative cloud-based system, Business Map, to manage the idea flow, mapping the routes to value for ideas, and implemented a PowerBI dashboard to track funnel health and progression.

This approach streamlined our workflow and taught the client effective prioritisation. Tackling simpler tasks first reduced risks and maintained momentum. Efficient resource allocation and continuous feedback enhanced stakeholder engagement, with early successes boosting confidence and showing progress.

Once we had prioritised our ideas using WSJF scoring, we needed a platform to store and manage project ideas to completion. The client had been managing ideas in Excel, which lacked transparency, version control, and visibility, causing inefficiencies and delays. As a platinum partner of Business Map, we leveraged this tool for its simplicity, powerful Kanban capabilities, and configurable data storage. This cloud-based system was ideal for storing our ideas as Kanban cards with all necessary details.

3Accelerating Flow

Accelerating Flow

In the "Accelerating Flow" phase, we introduced sprints to accelerate cost-saving ideas to completion. Our goal was to focus the team, streamline processes, and speed up idea implementation. This phase was completed over six two-week sprints, spanning 12 weeks.

The results of our sprint-focused approach were exceptional. We successfully moved over £400k worth of ideas through to claim benefit and close out in 12 weeks, ultimately surpassing our £1 million target by achieving £2 million in expected benefits over five years. This significant accomplishment underscores the efficiency and effectiveness of our approach. Additionally, the delivery pack we developed provides a robust, repeatable framework, empowering other teams to replicate our success and continue driving value.

4Keeping Pace

Keeping Pace

After establishing cost-saving processes from idea identification to implementation, this phase focuses on maintaining momentum. Our objective was to create an environment where ideas could continuously flow from the shopfloor, ensuring sustained engagement and ongoing improvements.

Previously, the client had no standard approach for generating ideas from the shopfloor. To address this, we promoted idea generation through the use of lean waste posters. Each poster focused on a specific type of waste and was designed to stimulate thoughts around potential improvement ideas. These posters were strategically deployed on the shopfloor and included a QR code linked to a Microsoft Forms document, allowing operators to easily submit their ideas directly from their place of work (the gemba). This method ensured a steady stream of ideas into the idea hopper with minimal effort.

Results

Through our engagement, we were able to...

Deliver Financial Benefits

Through our engagement, we successfully identified and resolved key challenges that were causing inefficiencies and slowing down the flow of cost-saving ideas. Within just 16 weeks, this led to enhanced collaboration and accelerated the completion of cost-saving ideas, achieving £395K in annual savings. Additionally, we confirmed £1.97 million in savings over the next five years, surpassing the original target of £1 million.

10:1 ROI

Enhance visibility and decision making

By introducing a cloud-based Kanban system linked to PowerBI, the project established a comprehensive visual overview of ideas, value, and progress tracking where no existing process was in place. This new governance structure significantly enhanced the client's ability to manage ideas, improving decision-making on which ideas to prioritise, who needed to take action, and maintaining a history of actions. This project not only provided immediate benefits but also served as a good example of how future work can be effectively managed and prioritised, equipping the client with a sustainable process for ongoing improvements.

100

NPS^®

Achieved Net Promoter Score of 100

All of the guys I met were experts in their field, and as a team, they really brought home the possibilities of bringing Lean, Agile and IT together to make a coherent story. Great work!

Chief Metrologist