“Abandon everything you’re familiar with and learn to do things 100 percent differently.” The challenge put before the ITT Industries, Cannon circular connectors group in Weinstadt, Germany, was that simple — and that daunting.

It became clear in early 2003 that traditional manufacturing methods were no longer adequate. The plant needed to shorten the time it took to make and deliver the interconnect components used in servomotors, diesel engines and other applications. Less-than-stellar on-time delivery rates were providing an opening for the competition. Change wasn’t an option; it was a survival imperative.

Today, Weinstadt’s circular connectors operation isn’t just surviving, it’s thriving. On-time delivery has soared to 90–95 percent, orders are streaming in and more than 40 new industrial and military customers have signed on.

The total transformation of manufacturing processes in little over three months took a more than new systems, equipment and training. It

took new outlook toward work and considerable risk on the part of employees.

Small, step-by-step improvements would not have turned things around fast enough. So the plant opted for a high-stakes “greenfield” approach, starting with a vision of world-class performance and revamping everything at once to achieve it.

From robotics to flexible work hours to job rotation, employees have embraced the changes and lean manufacturing concept. “Operators no longer see a full line as a healthy sign; our goal is to produce only what’s needed to fill each day’s orders,” says VBSS champion Isolde Buehne.

Because employees at every level helped to create the new paradigm, a widespread feeling of ownership underpins the culture change. Confident they can push performance levels even higher, employees have taken aim at new best-practice targets: slashing lead times for customers to just five days and assembly cycle time to a single day.