13 and 3 Summer Lilacs E-Book

Max-Erich Sommerfeld

• Herausgeber: BoD - Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 405

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

In this story, largely based on true events, he intertwines the world of Lean Manufacturing with his own professional experiences. He tells the story of a journey, a journey through the last 16 years of his career. It is the story of a Lean advocate navigating a world of change and continuous improvement. This is a tale of highs and lows, of encounters and realizations, of small steps and giant leaps on the path to becoming a Lean Sensei. The book is for anyone on their own journey of transformation, whether young engineers, experienced leaders, or simply curious minds. It shows that there isn't always a fixed plan and that sometimes we just need to keep moving forward in order to grow and learn. The journey into the Lean world starts here. May it inspire you, move you, and remind you that movement and change are good.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Foreword

Introduction

2004

2005, Berlin

2005, Bergisches Land

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

About the Author

Max-Erich Sommerfeld was born on August 14, 1957, and studied Mechanical Engineering and Economics in Berlin. Married since 1989, he accumulated extensive experience in industry throughout his long professional career.

He began his career in various companies in Berlin before focusing on long-term roles with two renowned firms. Over 32 years, he acquired comprehensive knowledge and expertise in Manufacturing and Lean Manufacturing. In March 2020, he retired and has since used his time to travel and share his knowledge and experiences.

In this story, largely based on true events, he intertwines the world of Lean Manufacturing with his own professional experiences. To respect the privacy of those involved, names and locations have been changed for a respectful portrayal of events.

For better readability, this book consciously avoids gender-specific language. Of course, all readers are equally addressed and invited to engage with the content.

Foreword

‘Movement is beneficial’ – a simple phrase that carries profound significance in our lives. It reminds us that movement is not only physical, but that it also pertains to change and development.

We see movement in nature, when the lion chases the gazelle; an eternal dance between predator and prey that maintains the balance in the savannah. Sometimes the lion wins, sometimes the gazelle is faster. But regardless of who triumphs, it is always about movement and survival.

We see it in our own lives when we face new challenges and evolve. And we see it in organizations that must thrive in a constantly changing world.

This book is the story of a journey; a journey through the last 16 years of my professional life. It is the story of a Lean advocate navigating a world of change and continuous improvement. It is a tale of highs and lows, encounters and insights, small steps, and giant leaps on the path to becoming a Lean Sensei.

The narrative begins with my immersion into the world of Lean Manufacturing – a world shaped by both production processes and deep insights into human nature. On this journey, there are unexpected and surprising events that make these 16 years without changing companies highly varied. In this story, I emphasize the focus on the development of employees to identify waste and to achieve continuous improvement.

Throughout this journey, I have learned that movement can be physical, mental, and organizational; indeed, it must be! The principles of Lean Management serve as a guide that helps us embrace the challenges of change and transform those into opportunities.

This book is aimed at all those on their own journey of transformation, whether as young engineers, experienced leaders, or simply curious minds. It demonstrates that there is not always a fixed plan and that sometimes we just need to keep moving forward in order to grow and learn, and also to avoid being left behind.

The journey into the world of Lean begins here. May it inspire you, move you, and remind you that movement is beneficial.

Introduction

As a child of ten, starting in 1967, I sometimes spent a few hours alone at home after school. My father owned a taxi company and usually didn't come home until the evening. My mother worked at a restaurant by Woolworth. Occasionally, I would go there to grab a bite to eat. I often saw a tall man with a full beard and his wife there. They would have a light snack in the afternoon, drink something, and then leave. They were very quiet people, although their appearance made them stand out a bit. My mother always told me never to look like that man. Such a person should never be a role model for me. The long hair, such a beard; it looked unkempt and disreputable. Unknown to me at that point, I would have a significant encounter with him again later in my life.

After eating, I would go home and do my homework. Once I had finished, I would play outside or, if the weather was bad, occasionally listen to the missing persons announcements on TV. The war had ended only 22 years ago, but this span of time seemed unimaginable to me; I was only ten years old. Yet for those searching for their missing relatives, it must have felt like it happened just yesterday. After the missing persons reports, the stock prices would follow on the black-and-white test pattern on the first channel. I listened, even though the names and numbers meant little to me: Gelsenwasser, Hamborner, Haus der Aussicht, Harpener. I always found these names fascinating. I had no idea that one of these names would accompany me throughout my life.

In 1971, I graduated from elementary school and went on to the Bertha-von-Suttner-Gymnasium, only two streets away from our apartment. It had a proper, large sports field. I was excited and genuinely looking forward to this new school. On the day of the enrolment, many people gathered in the assembly hall: new students with their families, all the teachers, and a few older students. The classes were divided, and I ended up in the ‘b’ track. I already knew some classmates from elementary school. When the teacher was announced, I suddenly saw a tall man with a full beard stand up in the hall. It was the man who always ate with his wife at Woolworth (the one I should never take as a role model!). He was now my homeroom teacher at the gymnasium. My mother was incredulous; I found it somewhat amusing.

From this point on, learning was no longer as easy as it had been in elementary school. My parents had no higher education and could no longer support me with my studies. It became even harder a year later when my mother passed away. She was small and her heart was weak, likely a result of her war experiences, perhaps also on account of smoking. However, my father and I somehow managed. He worked, drove his taxi, and I studied and played sports. Physical activity is good, as my father had taught me. He had been a successful cyclist before and after the war and was still very fit in his mid-sixties.

Finally, I graduated with my Abitur, but couldn’t find an apprenticeship, so decided to study mechanical engineering followed by economics. The lectures ran from morning until late afternoon. For breaks, I got myself rolls and brought butter, toppings, and jam to the university. Every morning, I would stop at the bakery around the corner to buy my rolls. Eventually, my classmates started ordering from me, and it kept increasing. I didn't mind; I really liked the young dark-haired saleswoman. One day, I mustered the courage to ask her out for dinner. We are still together today. We have been a couple for 46 years and married for 35 of those years.

At that time, Germany was still divided, and there were only a few industrial enterprises in Berlin. In 1981, our professors offered us an excursion to the Federal Republic. We visited numerous large companies in Essen, Duisburg, Mülheim, and other places. One of these companies was called FR-HDA. The HDA stood for Haus der Aussicht. There, we were shown modern milling and grinding machines, as well as new technologies for the production of highly complex turned parts for intricate industrial products. The machine park was state-of-the-art. I finally learned what was produced at the Haus der Aussicht company; the company whose name I often heard in stock market reports as a child. They made high-quality gearboxes.

I completed my studies with great success. However, leaving Berlin after my studies was never an option. During my second degree in economics, I was involved in a food company as part of my student thesis. This company produced instant products and packaged cocoa. The topic of the thesis was ‘Preventive Maintenance’. We had an initial meeting with our professor. He lived in a spacious house with a beautiful garden in Berlin-Hermsdorf. Just before we left for the company, he picked fresh flowers from his garden and wrapped them in paper. We were curious and asked for whom this gesture was intended. His answer was simple, “Wait and see, gentlemen!”

At the company, we were greeted by the friendly secretary of the managing director, Mrs Ballauf. When she received the flowers, she beamed with joy and thanked him several times. She then led us into the conference room, where Mr Miller, the managing director, was already waiting for us. We introduced ourselves, and after just a few minutes, Mrs Ballauf re-entered the room, this time with a cup of coffee. Mr Miller thought it was a good idea and asked if she could bring a cup of coffee for our professor as well. Her answer surprised us all, including Mr Miller, “This cup is for the professor. Would you also like one, Mr Miller?”

The message was clear; always maintain a good relationship with secretaries, receptionists, or doormen! If you earn their appreciation, doors and gates will open for you.

After graduating, I started my first job as an engineer in a food company together with my friend and fellow student. In the first few years, I switched companies a few times; time passed quickly. In 1988, I started working at a company in Berlin that was involved in mechanical engineering. It was my first longterm position after completing my studies. We planned a new plant on a greenfield site in southern Berlin. It was not an easy task at the time, but we found a suitable plot. The plant was planned and built according to the principles of material flow, which was not common at the time. Not all areas in the new plant were accessible by crane, which was also astonishing in 1990. We used CAD planning for the layout design. Many group leaders couldn't fully interpret these representations. They needed to see actual models instead. So, we decided to use a Lego-like building set at a scale of 1:25. With these building blocks, one could see the overall picture well, unfortunately this representation didn’t allow for quick changes or simulation of the material flow.

This meant that many participants ended up agreeing to things they didn't fully understand. So, despite the involvement of employees and group leaders, the plant had a somewhat shaky start. In the following years, we had many consulting firms on site. All confirmed that we had done well, although recommended that we intensify or even apply Lean elements such as Value Stream Analysis, Kanban, Supermarkets, 5S, etc. At that time, I didn't fully understand these concepts and thought they were only suitable for mass production in the automotive sector. One of the consultants strongly recommended value stream analyses to me and gave me materials for self-study.

Lean-Manufacturing, Explained Briefly

At this point, it might be useful to say a few words about Lean Manufacturing and explain some of the terms that the many consultants at the company piqued my interest in. The explanations of tools and behaviors that follow in the next chapters will then become clearer in the overall picture. They are, so to speak, puzzle pieces that complete the picture.

The core aim of Lean Management is to create an environment where employees think and act independently, identifying and solving problems. To achieve this goal, it is crucial to develop employees before changing processes or products. The knowledge of the employees is the most valuable asset of the company. This approach ultimately leads to improved processes and products by optimizing the value chain. Employees independently identify and reduce waste by implementing their ideas. Value stream analyses and the application of specific Lean tools facilitate the uncovering of waste. However, I will mention it only briefly here. A more detailed explanation will follow at an appropriate place to keep the readers’ interest.

It is sobering to realize that a proportion of less than 1% of value-adding times in the lead time of a product is not unusual. Just think of your last visit to the doctor: you call, get an appointment in two days, drive an hour to the practice, wait another thirty minutes, and then spend ten minutes with the doctor. Three of those minutes are probably taken up by conversations and notes. Then you drive back home. There were seven minutes of value-added for the customer in a lead time of about 50 hours. That is 0.23 percent!

Similarly, in production, there is quite a bit of waste that could be avoided. The eight types of waste are as follows:

Over-production: producing products without a customer order

Waiting: of machines, materials, and people

Over-processing: doing more than the customer expects

Unnecessary movement: in the process

Transport: through production

Inventory: of materials

Defects: scrap and rework

Unused employee knowledge

Avoiding such waste or eliminating problems and deviations is a change for the better; and that is precisely what Kaizen means in Japanese: Kai (change) and Zen (for the better), not to be confused with the Bavarian expression ‘Koi Sinn’ (no sense)! A Kaizen processi begins with recognizing a deviation from a standard or a problem. Employees from different levels come together as a team to analyze the problem and develop solutions. Then, an action plan is created using the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) principle. Who will do what, when, and where? During implementation, progress is monitored and measured. If the improvement works, it is embedded into the existing standard and becomes the new standard. After a set period, the success of the process is reviewed. The insights gained flow into the continuous adaptation and improvement of the process. Kaizen fosters a culture of continuous improvement, where small steps lead to lasting efficiency gains.

The methods for identifying and narrowing down waste and problems are varied. Here are some that will be explained in more detail later:

Value Stream Mapping

Pareto Analysis

Spaghetti Diagram

5 Whys Analysis (the children's method)

Fishbone Diagram

Swimlane Diagram

Similarly varied are the tools to solve the problem. Here are a few that will be explained further in the course of the text:

Kanban

Supermarket

Andons (signals that indicate, for example, a need for material replenishment)

5S (Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain)

SMED (Single Minute Exchange of Die)

TPM (Total Productive Maintenance)

Standard Work

Shadow Boards

Mixed-Model Line

The application of these tools is supported by principles and behaviors, of which the following is just a selection:

Develop people first, then processes – ‘People-Centric Lean’

PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act)

Go Gemba, go to the place where value is created

9-Step Problem Solving

A3

Hoshin Kanri

3P (Production Preparation Process)

MDI (Manage Daily Improvements)

Managing means improving, not just administrating

Use the brain of the factory

Servant Leadership

To keep it fresh in your mind, here comes the most important part at the end of the lists; the cultural change.

When you start applying selected methods and tools, you must also initiate and drive the cultural change within the company in parallel. Cultural change in a company is a lengthy process that can take years, whereas the tools you find useful can be implemented within just a few weeks or months. The category of Cultural Change in Lean Transformation refers to the changes in corporate culture necessary to successfully implement Lean management principles. Lean is not only focused on processes and efficiency, but is a philosophy that requires a profound change in the way people work, communicate, and approach problems.

Here are some aspects of Cultural Change related to Lean:

Focus on the customer and creating value for the customer is central. Employees must understand how their work affects the customer and that it is the customer's money that ultimately secures their wages

A core element of Lean is continuous improvement. In the context of Cultural Change, employees must be encouraged to continuously seek opportunities to improve processes and their work

Lean encourages viewing mistakes as opportunities for improvement. In this positive error culture, problems are seen as shared challenges that need to be addressed and solved. Blame is avoided

Open and transparent communication is promoted. Employees should feel free to express themselves, share their ideas, and raise concerns to create a learning organization.

Lean fosters collaboration and teamwork. To achieve common goals, employees from different levels work together as a team. Hierarchies are broken down

Respect and appreciation for employees are crucial. Lean principles emphasize that people are not just resources, but play a decisive role in the improvement process

Cultural Change is indeed one of the most demanding aspects of Lean Transformation. It requires profound changes in the thinking and behavior of supervisors at all levels, as well as theemployees. The goal is to create an environment where continuous improvement and adaptation become the norm.

Without a lasting change in these aspects described above, there will be no sustainable and successful company transformation.

I have distilled this overall complex topic into a few central questions or statements for myself and chosen them as my guiding principles:

The customer pays the salaries and wages, not the company. Because if we have no customers, there is no money.

Do our products solve the customer's problems or tasks?

Do we develop the employees first, before the processes?

Have we specified the desired state so clearly that deviations can be quickly identified?

Managing primarily means improving. Improving, in turn, means identifying and solving problems

Do our employees recognize deviations, i.e., problems, in the production process, and can they solve them?

Am I a servant leader, helping employees implement their ideas, thus using their knowledge, the knowledge of the factory?

If you heed these statements, ask yourself these questions, and work on being able to answer them with ‘yes’, you are on the right path to transformation. However, it will be a long journey and surely it will not always be straightforward. The wisdom of Franz Kafka also applies in this situation:

‘Paths are made by walking’ii

It is a plea for action, for setting out; because movement is beneficial.

I read the materials recommended by the consultants very carefully and concluded that they were the right path – no matter what industry one was in. Unfortunately, in my position, I did not have the opportunity to initiate such projects. Some attempts brought me responses like, “First bring down the set times and rework costs before you start such projects.” The long-term thinking and belief that Lean projects and behavioral changes could jointly solve problems were missing among the senior executives. The prevailing REFA mindset of time standards and piecework pay dominated, no matter what ideas I proposed: ‘Kanban? We're already doing that!’ ‘Value stream analyzes are conducted by others; you take care of the preliminary work’, or ‘Preventive maintenance blows our budget’, were often heard. There was no way to implement these approaches in this conservatively thinking company. Lean, it was thought, should only take place in production, without giving employees the necessary decision-making power over their tasks. Self-regulating systems were seen as a threat to established power structures and were therefore not an option for those involved.

Up to this point in my career, I had encountered different types of senior executives. There were the paternal figures from the first two companies who set the direction while leaving the path open. Then there were the factual executives who strictly adhered to the company’s internal management guidelines, valued punctuality, and allowed a lot of freedom in implementation. And finally, I knew the visionary, whose goal was always clear and who promoted everything that served his vision. Mistakes were seen as learning opportunities, with the request not to repeat them. All had their own style, yet none of them was so obsessed with power that they oppressed or mistreated their employees.

However, the culture I encountered in the aforementioned mechanical engineering company was something I had not expected. The monthly meetings with the management were beyond my imagination. They often escalated into a wild spectacle, with the manager shouting furiously and banging his fists on the table so hard that the cups rattled on the plates. In his eyes, we were nothing more than idiots, incapable of anything useful. Sometimes he even admitted that he was probably the biggest idiot of all for having hired us. In those moments, I had the feeling that there was a tacit, silent agreement in the meeting room. Yet even this occasional feigned self-reflection did not lead to improvement. Those who opposed the established regime found the opportunity to develop themselves elsewhere after a few months.

Neither my studies nor previous positions had prepared me for such behavior. My wife had studied social sciences and explained to me that this was narcissist behavior. Narcissism in corporate leadership can have severe impacts on people and the organization. Our manager was a classic example of narcissistic leadership. His stubborn adherence to his own ideas and suppression of dissenting opinions created a toxic work environment. In such cases, not only do the employees suffer, but so does the company's performance.

The behavior of the narcissistic manager unsettled his executives. They were afraid of his verbal attacks and did not trust their own decision-making abilities, leading to a lack of initiative and innovation. Younger executives or people with initiative left the company in time, or were dismissed. Some older managers tended more towards resignation. They were in the final phase of their careers and heading towards retirement. Three of them had just gone through the bankruptcy of another large company. They had no option to change, and the fear of financial risks had broken their resistance. This, in turn, hindered the company's adaptability, leading to poorer business results and limiting competitiveness. I already mentioned the statement ‘movement is beneficial’. This organization was paralyzed and did not move; failure was only a matter of time.

Another sign of a narcissistic leadership style became evident during breaks. Just ten minutes after the clattering of cups and plates in the meeting room, he would show off the new dance steps he had learned over the weekend in the kitchen, as if nothing had happened. This behavior, in the context of narcissistic leadership, can be seen as manipulative. Narcissistic leaders often have the ability to use their behavior strategically to elicit specific reactions from their employees. In this case, showcasing dance steps in the kitchen could be interpreted as an attempt to distract from the real problems and challenges within the company. On the other hand, he probably wanted to endear himself to us, as he was, in fact, dependent on us. Until the next meeting, almost everyone followed his instructions blindly, which was one reason for the company's failure. At the next meeting, he needed us again – this time as scapegoats for the failures. The cycle began anew, and it was loud and dreadful.

In hindsight, this narcissistic behavior amounted to bullying an entire group. At that time, one could of course complain about such behavior, whether to the Works Council or the HR Department. However, one thing was clear: you should always have a new job contract in hand before raising such accusations. For never had a member of senior management left the company as a result of such allegations. It was always the lower-ranking employees who felt the loss of a trusting working relationship. The Works Council always ensured that the people in production achieved as many percentage points as possible in performance-based pay. My impression was that they didn't care much about the management level as they weren't unionized.

Like many others, I belonged to the group of people who more or less unconditionally carried out what the manager instructed. The plant was only a few kilometers from our newly built house, and the company's pay was good. Although I had tried several times to find work elsewhere and even received offers from Rendsburg, Hamburg, Bremen, and Kassel, my wife and I decided against it. We didn't want to commute and give up our accustomed way of life. In Berlin, we had many long-standing friends we had known since our student days and with whom we shared numerous experiences and regularly did things together. The pressure wasn't strong enough, and at that time, there was no serious threat of the company closing down. We didn't feel the burning platform; it was just very loud once a month event. The customers wanted our products – they were top-notch, but expensive, and the demand was stable. However, demand was unfortunately not increasing.

I managed my stress by starting athletics in 1997, specifically the decathlon. No matter who was in what position there, performance was always recognized. It helped me unwind, although it did not solve the problem. The loud meetings with the Managing Director continued. The company's success, one might almost say, remained predictable. In 1998, the ailing machinery company, as the board of the parent company once described us, was sold to a subsidiary of a foreign corporation.

Usually, large companies suffer from decrepit conditions, as a result of outdated plants where efficient material flow cannot be realized, or as a result of worn-out machines and facilities that urgently require costly investments for renewal. None of these aspects applied to us. Our plant and 80% of our machines were less than ten years old. However, there was apparently insufficient volume to operate this multi-million-dollar site economically. Additionally, Berlin lost its special status with the reunification of Germany. It was only a matter of time before the 16% Berlin subsidy on trade tax would be eliminated—another factor that would financially disadvantage the site.

Subsequently, numerous meetings with the new owners' managers took place, but brought hardly any noticeable improvements to the overall situation. For reasons I couldn't comprehend, the management remained in office. Within just ten years, the once publicly traded company with 6,000 employees turned into a limited liability company with only 800 employees. The only thing we still possessed was very good products that stood out in the market as a result of their quality and performance. Would we gain an advantage through the expanded distribution channels? Or did the new parent company merely need the knowledge of how to make better products? If the company had been a cheese, one would have said, ‘it's starting to stink, let's go!’

By the summer of 2004, I had already been working at this machinery company in Berlin for sixteen years. I was almost on my way to an international athletics competition in Aarhus, Denmark, when the rumor spread that my long-time superior and protégé of the management would be replaced by a new Plant Manager. This was several signals at once. The management was effectively overruled and had to make a sacrifice. Their influence was waning. My boss, with whom I had a good relationship and who always protected me, was now to do something else. In his place, a manager selected by the new owners would now come in.

2004

Kanban and Supermarket

With a Kanban, which means ‘signal card’ in Japanese, one can take products from a Supermarket. The Kanban card functions like money, signaling the need to restock or reproduce an item. Here are the basic rules:

No material exists without a Kanban cardKanban cards are counted and numberedWithout a Kanban, no material is produced or replenishedOnly the quantity specified on the card is produced or replenished, no more, no lessOnly defect-free products are passed onNo Kanban card leaves the cycle and goes to the office

‘Supermarket’ – everyone has been there. You go, take the products you need, go to the cashier, and pay. You hand over money. If you need the same items tomorrow, they will be there, because the shelves will be restocked. What was consumed will be replenished from the storage, and then reordered for the supplier. Translated into a manu-

Berlin

When I returned from the competition in Denmark in mid-August, my former boss had indeed been reassigned to the Quality Department. My new boss was a ‘cleaner’, brought in by the new parent company. The Managing Director now saw his chance to get rid of me. My protective shield was gone! He made it clear that I was at the top of the new boss's list to be ‘dealt with’, which meant being fired. It was more serious than ever, filling me with fear and threatening our very existence. In September, after my summer vacation, there was a management meeting where it was announced that by the end of the year, two people from our group would be leaving the company.

I immediately realized I would be one of those two people. A week later, I received an invitation from the HR Department for a meeting. The Head of HR, Ms T, couldn't understand why I was being given an offer to leave the company, although she was obliged to present it to me. The offer included a severance package and coaching that would last until the end of the probation period at a new job. Ms T could do nothing more than initially delay the process, hoping it would fall through.

It was a nice attempt, but to cut a long story short, the plan worked until October. After that, she too had to show results to avoid problems. The usual procedures followed. She said the company wanted to get rid of me and advised that I consult a lawyer immediately. I first visited the company doctor as a result of a ringing in my ears, then a specialist, and finally a lawyer. Confidentially and very directly, they threatened me with bullying. The Works Council said, "Take the money and leave. We can't help you." The lawyer also recommended getting as much as possible and dragging the process out as long as I could.

All the positive self-talk couldn't change the situation. Our system, our existence, began to wobble. Normally, a stable situation rests on four pillars: family, finances, home, and friendships. Now, our finances and thus our home were at risk. Family and friends would remain; if we couldn't solve the financial problem, our home would change. If we could solve it, I would probably no longer work in Berlin and would be separated from my wife and friends during the week. If I stayed in Berlin, I would face a 30% salary cut, which wasn't a viable solution either. A dilemma emerged, and it was clear that we would have to make sacrifices somewhere. Initially, it felt like a situation where after low tide in the North Sea, the sea had not returned; it had just gone. This was incomprehensible and unimaginable.

I agreed to the coaching in November, and my lawyer successfully renegotiated the severance package. My contract was now set to end on June 30, 2005. For each month I left earlier, I would receive an extra half month's salary. There was an option to extend this arrangement for another six months, until December 31, 2005. I regularly attended coaching sessions at the renowned Outplacement Agency. The focus was initially on how to apply successfully, how to create concise thirty- or ninety-second presentations, and on psychological support during this extraordinary situation. I had a great coach and was well-prepared for interviews and a new job. Then I had another idea. I contacted my former college friend Hans, who ran a plant in the automotive sector and was well-versed in Lean principles. Although he had no vacancies, he invited me to visit his plant.

Lean

What I saw there deeply impressed me; a Supermarket filled with car door panels; each pallet equipped with a small sign. On a board, one could read the sequence in which the pallets had to be loaded onto the trucks. This was the sequencer. Naturally, the truck was loaded in the reverse order of how the customer had to have the parts. Thus, the first part to be unloaded was also the first to be delivered to the assembly line.

In the plant, there was a production line where the small signs from the pallets (which were taken from the supermarket by forklift drivers and loaded onto the truck), were hung on thin steel cables. This was the sequence of orders to reproduce the removed material and refill the warehouses. It was a ‘full replenishment system’; the warehouses were refilled.

This became my goal. I wanted to introduce such a system in Berlin, in a small area, without prior approval. I conducted a small value stream analysis and found a relatively short, internally-running process of welding and painting that still always caused missing parts on the assembly line. Ideal for a trial because the complexity of the parts was very manageable, with eight different assemblies! I only had one shot, and everything had to be perfect. On the computer, I simulated the production of the assembly, the painting process, the pre-assembly, and all transport processes in fifteen-minute intervals. I tried to push the system to its limits with unilateral loads, or by removing Kanban cards, to block it. If there was a blackout, I continuously optimized it until no more problems occurred. Only then did I create a plan and invited the six employees of the affected areas. Their supervisors were not invited. I had to take this risk.

They would never have agreed to a system change or even this experiment. The affected employees in the plant knew about my situation and supported me in this endeavor.

Two of the colleagues were initially very sceptical. I heard, “I am the Production Controller here and set the orders!” Others were more open to the idea and welcomed it. These were the people from the assembly line, who regularly lacked material and had to reschedule the entire line's assembly sequence as a result. Their motivation was the hope for improvement. One of them was neutral and went along with the majority. Eventually, we agreed on a trial period of six weeks, with weekly meetings to discuss the results.

After just two weeks, it was clear; the system worked. Even the two initial sceptics who opposed it had changed their minds. The other employees were also in favor. In the following weeks and months, there were never again shortages in the assembly as a result of this component. The number of Kanban cards regulated the circulation stock of the assemblies, and we managed to reduce it by an impressive 45%. To top it all off, the former sceptics asked me if I could introduce such a process for other assemblies as well. It made their work-life easier, and they now had more time to address other problems.

2005, Berlin

During the period of separation, my new boss and I actually found a respectful way of dealing with each other. He had to get rid of me – that was his task, and he admitted it. Nevertheless, I assured him that I would continue to deliver my performance. He had to provoke me several times, even setting traps to create scenarios where he could issue me with a formal warning. However, I never showed any misconduct. Always correctly equipped with safety gear, I appeared in the production area to address an accusation. The allegation was always refuted, mainly by the production staff, with whom I had a very good relationship. The Industrial Engineering Department was never at fault. After three attempts, he stopped trying; it was a small, unspoken truce we agreed upon. He also had to manage an entire plant, so couldn't just focus on trying to burden me.

At some point, I noticed that he moved a bit stiffly and sluggishly. He was usually very agile, brisk, assertive, and quick on his feet. When I asked him about it, he said he was suffering from back pain. I arranged an appointment for him with my physiotherapist, who treated decathletes. The treatment was successful, and his pain was gone after a few sessions. A few weeks before my planned departure at the end of June, we had a conversation in his office. His desk was always neatly organized, and a small brass paperweight in the shape of a cannon held down the few loose papers in his inbox.

We talked about my situation and my impending departure. He almost seemed concerned that I hadn't found a new job yet.

Then he said something unexpected, “I know I aimed at the wrong target. It couldn't be helped.” At that moment, he turned the paperweight so that the barrel of his small brass cannon pointed at the Managing Director's office. We both had to grin. I immediately took advantage of this mood. As I didn't have a signed contract or a job offer at that moment, I asked my ‘current boss’ to extend the termination agreement by six months. This was an option my lawyer had successfully negotiated. After consulting with the coaching agency, he agreed to my request. We had a fair deal in this unfair situation. Well, the part about ‘no prospects’ was a bit of a fib at that point. However, I had no contract!

After about thirty applications, I received my first invitations to interviews in the spring of 2005. None of the companies were in Berlin; they were all far in the west. There was a medium-sized, family-run company in Hattingen that manufactured pellet presses, a larger company in the printing industry in Mönchengladbach, and a company in the Bergisches Land that belonged to a large US corporation. It was HDA-ÄÄtch, formerly FR-HDA or Haus der Aussicht. On the day of the interview in the Bergisches Land, as I took a taxi from the train station to the company, many things seemed strangely familiar. The small castle, the 360˚ highway exit, and the factory grounds. Right after the gate, we turned right and drove directly to the hall I had visited on a field trip after my studies.

During the job interview at HDA, the interviewers showed me the milling and grinding machines from the 1980s that were used to process the gearbox shafts and gears. I immediately remembered the field trip during my studies. What was once the latest of the latest had aged. These machines were to be replaced by new investments. That would be one of the projects if I got the job. However, it wasn't that far yet. Now I had a job prospect at the Haus der Aussicht. That somehow fit.

The interview was in March, but the company didn't get back to me. In May, I inquired about the status and mentioned that I had two other offers. After that, everything happened very quickly. Can you guess where I ended up? Well, after a hastily arranged second interview, I was with HDA, the company whose name had accompanied me since childhood. Within a few days, I received the signed employment contract and sent it back signed by fax.

Two weeks after extending my termination agreement by six months, I had a new job contract and resigned as of June 30 – six months before the newly agreed termination date. This little manoeuver earned me three full months' severance pay as a nice bonus. My current boss grinned a little. It wasn't his budget, and I would quickly disappear from the company's payroll so he was satisfied.

Everything now had to move very quickly for us. My first working day was supposed to be July 1, 2005. I had never worked outside Berlin before, and I had never had my own apartment. My wife and I had to find accommodation for me, preferably furnished and near the company premises. Thanks to the housing brokerage in the Bergisches Land, this worked out very quickly - by mid-June, I had an apartment. On June 29, I travelled to the Bergisches Land with my packed car.

2005, Bergisches Land

‘Develop people first, then the process’. This concept is a fundamental principle in Lean Management, often referred to as ‘People First’ or ‘People-Centric Lean’. It emphasizes the importance of employees and their engagement for a company's success. Your employees are the brain of the company, its most valuable asset on the journey to earning customers' money. If you have a great product, but your employees have limited or no access to training and development, it's like a tiger without teeth. It looks impressive, and it makes an impact for a while, but it won't be long before it starves.

The Bergisches Land

June 29th was the day I said goodbye to my wife in Berlin. She went to work a bit later than usual that morning, and I left our home. We had been living together for 22 years, and now we were both very sad. It wasn't just that moment – the entire 550 kilometers journey to the Bergisches Land was filled with sadness and felt like an ordeal. Several times, I wanted to turn back, but that wasn't an option. In the afternoon, I arrived in the western Bergisches Land. After unloading the car, I went shopping. The first weeks of separation were awful. My wife and I agreed that this commuting would last no longer than three years. To make the frequent travelling as pleasant as possible, I bought a ‘Train card 50’ for first class and travelled back to Berlin every other weekend to see my wife.

First, I took the urban rail to Düsseldorf. The ICE then took me quickly, though not always punctually, to Berlin Central station, where my wife was already waiting for me on the platform. On the alternate weekends, my wife visited me in the Bergisches Land, staying in my furnished Chippendale apartment. It was located on the outskirts, about a kilometer from the forest, in an upscale residential area with single-family homes. A good pizzeria was a 5-minute walk away. There was a sauna on the outskirts, just a 10-minute drive away. Despite the professional challenges, my new residence in this region gave us the opportunity to explore a new environment and for me to settle in.

Together, my wife and I discovered the surprising beauty of the Bergisches Land and the Rhine-Ruhr area on weekends. This area, located in the western part of Germany, is a region known for its rolling hills, dense forests, and picturesque villages. It's an area rich in history, with numerous castles and medieval towns, offering a glimpse into the past. Despite its rural charm, the region is home to several significant industrial businesses, contributing to its diverse economy. The area is also popular for outdoor activities like hiking and cycling, providing ample opportunities to explore nature. With its’ blend of natural beauty and industrial presence, the region offers a unique and balanced experience. We attended local events, often walked along the Rhine, and met up with old holiday acquaintances. You know how it is… On vacation, you meet great people while playing volleyball on the beach, have a few drinks together in the evenings, and exchange contact details on the last day. In most cases, you never see each other again. However, now it was different – we did see each other again. I lived in the same region where many of our holiday acquaintances were from, in the area of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Eventually, the train rides to and from Berlin became too long, and Sundays always ended too early. We would leave home at 4.15 pm, the ICE departed at 5.03 pm for Düsseldorf, I arrived at 9.10 pm, and caught the urban rail at 9.26 pm. Thirty minutes later, I was at my destination and in my apartment by around 10.15 pm. In the fall, my wife suggested that I should consider flying from Tegel and Düsseldorf. I started looking for flight connections: €29 with Deutsche BA, 55-minutes flight time – that was the future. Plus, there were those green-blue chocolate hearts offered upon disembarking, which were later taken over by Air Berlin – and which in the future would turn red.

The Restart

I was employed at HDA-ÄÄtch as the Manager of Industrial Engineering, just as I was in Berlin. My superior was the Production Manager, and my position was at Level 7 within the entire company hierarchy, with Level 0 being the Executive Board and Level 3 being the managers for the European factories. At that point, I hadn't yet contemplated which path I should take, or what level I could aspire to. My focus was on the here and now, on the beginning. The responsibilities I held encompassed eighteen employees. Together with them and in collaboration with other departments, our task was to design the manufacturing processes, covering everything from the NC programming of all machines in the factory to the preparation, selection, and procurement of machining tools. Fixtures and auxiliary tools were also part of our scope. When introducing new products, it was also our responsibility to coordinate the prototype as well as the preseries production.

The intensification of Lean principles was not at the top of the agenda initially, although the company nevertheless expressed interest in it. It was mentioned during the interviews, but no questions were asked about it. I was still at the early stages of my Lean journey and had experimented in Berlin with Kanban. It had worked, and I ultimately wanted more.

On my first day at work, there were flowers and a laptop on my desk. Only later did I notice them, as after the formalities, a meeting required my attendance. It was already about replacing the milling and grinding machines for production – the ones seen during an excursion to the Ruhr region and adjacent areas after completing mechanical engineering studies. Now, my task was to assist in procuring the next generation and automating the entire cell with a portal robot. Everything felt very exciting and new. If I were a mouse, I would have said, "The cheese smells good!"

Another project was already underway when I started at HDA-ÄÄtch in early July. New products had been designed. It was now about prototype manufacturing, workplace design, fixture construction and procurement, as well as the timely introduction of gearbox production. My employees were highly experienced and skilled NC programmers, but not project managers. Nevertheless, they had done great preliminary work. The department head, who had always taken care of this, had been seriously ill for months, and no one knew if he would ever return. Unfortunately, he did not, and the reactions at the cemetery showed how close and trusting their relationships had been. A sad chapter right at the beginning.

For me, the saying ‘the first shot must hit’ applied, so I invested all my energy to successfully continue and complete the project. It worked, and I had a successful start in my new job. A few weeks after starting, the vacation plan for my department for the following year had to be created. To my surprise, the employees expected me to do it, as it had always been done by their ex-boss. We discussed it, and eventually, I told them that they were all ‘more than 3 times 7’. They were capable of writing NC programs for a machine park worth over €100 million, and almost all of them had families with children. So, as a team, they could create their vacation plan themselves. I shared my criteria with them and they agreed, “Create a matrix with the machines and the names of the programmers. Then mark who can program which machines. All machines must be covered by at least one programmer during the vacation period. Then create the plan.”