Navigating the path to operational excellence: Insights from Beca's Industrial Advisory services

Cultivating a culture of continuous improvement, harnessing the power of digital and embracing customisation are all at the forefront of our pursuit of operational excellence at Beca.
 

In the ever-evolving industrial landscape, achieving operational excellence is more than just a goal - it’s a necessity. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. It requires a nuanced strategy that blends deep industry knowledge with innovative techniques tailored to your unique challenges. We explore the five essential steps to create a tailored plan for operational excellence, drawn from our extensive experience and insights in industrial advisory services.

1. Understand the Landscape:

Operational excellence starts with a deep understanding of the complex interplay between processes, technologies, and people within an organisation.

You need to start by undertaking a holistic assessment to uncover the root cause of inefficiencies and identify improvement opportunities. Embracing customisation is key to developing strategies that align with an organisation’s unique challenges and objectives.

Business Director – Industrial Advisory, Aymeric Levasseur, said, "We prioritise context and stakeholder collaboration. Through a systematic bottom-up approach, we engage with field personnel to understand challenges and make evidence-based decisions. This enables us to implement quick wins, engage teams, and customise solutions for sustainable change from within."

He added, “Many of our clients appreciate our assistance to gain an even deeper understanding of what is happening in their organisation and the associated challenges. Recently, an industrial client was blown away by our ability in a matter of days to engage with key stakeholders, establish a simple and clear understanding of the situation, and align the business towards its key priorities. The outcome was unprecedented, with many low-hanging fruits being implemented and great buy-in from the workforce. These improvements still sustain today.”

2. Harness the Power of Digital:

Leveraging digital technologies is essential for operational excellence in today's digital age. Digitalisation, data analysis, simulation modelling, AI, and digital twins enhance efficiency, improve decision-making, and uncover new opportunities for innovation. They are key to gaining unparalleled insights and driving continuous improvement.

Aymeric shared his insights: "I’m always blown away by the synergy between digitalisation and visualisation and the way it has unlocked boundless possibilities for our clients, uncovering insights and opportunities previously unseen! For example, we have recently greatly reduced the CAPEX of a remote mining camp by developing a model that precisely calculates and forecasts the capacity, availability, and utilisation of its rooms. Different scenarios were tested, and a new hoteling strategy leveraged to reduce the CAPEX while improving the experience of the residents. This is how a small investment in simulation and modelling can unlock millions of dollars of savings. Through the lens of data-driven visualization, organisations gain clarity, foresight, strong engagement, and the ability to navigate complex landscapes with great precision.”

3. Cultivate a Culture of Continuous Improvement and Navigate Change with Confidence:

Operational excellence is an ongoing journey of refinement and adaptation. By cultivating a culture of continuous improvement, teams are empowered to embrace change, experiment with new ideas, and learn from both successes and setbacks. Implementing transformative initiatives can be challenging, but with the right guidance, organisations can navigate change with confidence and resilience.

"Recently, a new minerals and metals client was highly impressed by our approach to change management and our ability to implement recommendations. Understanding the daunting task of transformative initiatives, we provided comprehensive assistance, going far beyond proposing strategies. Our Industrial Advisory services ensured seamless execution, leaving our client empowered to navigate change with newfound confidence and resilience," Aymeric said.

4. Foster Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing:

Effective collaboration and knowledge sharing are foundational to achieving operational excellence. Engaging through forums, workshops, and networking opportunities facilitates the exchange of ideas and best practices. Learning from each other’s experiences accelerates collective progress and helps organisations drive operational excellence.

"We take great pride in engaging our clients in benchmarking exercises, where learning from others is a powerful way to fast-track operational excellence. Seeing what success looks like changes the dynamic for key stakeholders, inspiring and guiding them. We recently connected one of our industrial clients with a former client to benchmark their Management Operating Systems (MOS). It was an eye-opener for our newest client, who immediately saw the benefits of the work we did and acknowledged the path and challenges ahead. This is why benchmarking is key to our approach," Aymeric said.

5. Prioritise Sustainability:

Operational excellence lies heavily on strong Management Operating Systems (MOS). When you remove key personnel from your organisation, these systems are what keep you running efficiently; this is the sustainability of your operational excellence. These routines, processes, systems, and sustaining disciplines are the backbone of any organisation and tend to be overlooked or misunderstood. This is the foundation for developing a culture of performance.

"There is still a misconception about the amount of effort required to implement a strong MOS. At Beca, we believe that less is more and that focusing on a few key aspects of the MOS while developing a culture of performance will immediately deliver great value for your organisation," Aymeric said.

Conclusion:

By focusing on these five key areas, organisations can achieve and sustain operational excellence. At Beca, we are committed to helping organisations navigate this journey and unlock their full potential. You won’t believe how rewarding it is to see our clients striving and taking ownership of their operational excellence. We trust our approach is highly efficient and are looking forward to helping you on your journey.

Interested in delving deeper into our range of services or discussing a specific project? Don't hesitate to reach out to us. We're here to assist!

Read more about our Industrial Advisory capability here and our growing Minerals and Metals capabilities here.