Create examples, through models: this is what auxiell aims to do when it accompanies organisations along the lean transformation journey. But what are the 10 topics, the pillars that identify a model company in 2020? They have been picked by auxiell, after analysing global trends and drawing on its own experience to tell the stories that have become the paradigm of a new cultural growth and awareness.
Ten keywords to unlock the hidden potential of a company. Ten inspiring success stories, but also ten stages of a unique journey towards improvement, which, by studying some exemplary cases, can in turn lead any organisation to become a source of inspiration for others. During 2020 we will regularly take an in-depth look at each of the 10 topics.
1. Lean
The first article will be dedicated to lean transformations and to operational excellence in the era of Industry 4.0: the courage of those who undertook a profound and at times radical journey, re-evaluating conventional practices in light of the technological revolution currently taking place.
2. People
We will also talk about the courage of those who know how to attract, conserve and develop talent through a carefully devised people strategy. These days a simple recruitment process is not enough. An attractive working environment requires people care: attention paid to wellbeing and engagement, which means making sure everyone is involved in the improvement process. This is also a way to improve business and productivity.
3. Value
The third fundamental pillar is the one we have chosen to call value: a term that describes the focus on the client and on the creation of value, the first of the seven principles that make up auxiell’s Lean System. We will hear from people who have been able to create value, producing a positive impact on the end consumer, thanks to an efficient sales process.
4. Sustainability
In 2020 the three areas in which action is required to achieve sustainability – economic, environmental, and company social responsibility – are no longer just a question of ethics, but also an opportunity that must influence business models. There is no shortage of examples of managerial and organisational structures that guarantee reductions in emissions, waste and pollution, while generating a positive social impact at the same time.
5. Digital
Nowadays 90% of organisations have no alternative but to operate digitally. We will talk about how the digital transformation can be truly lean. Automation, cloud, data driven mindset: knowing how to manage ever larger and more complex information flows is a key to growth.
6. Leadership
Those able to provide and develop leadership in a company are also models, perfectly combining personal and communicative skills, and transferring passion and enthusiasm to colleagues. They also tackle a fundamental question for many SMEs – that of generational change – correctly and at the right time.
7. Innovation
The innovation of products and processes go hand in hand. But as well as the intuition that leads us to act early and always be forward-looking, the drive towards transformation must reach the market quickly and efficiently, using well planned flows. Because those who are in control of the present tend to be those who reach the future first.
8. Diversity
Among the 10 topics of 2020 we can’t forget diversity: a challenge that can be overcome by promoting an inclusive company culture, which recognises and values differences, and uses them to increase competitivity.
9. Strategy
Success also comes with the awareness that we are operating in an increasingly VUCA world. VUCA is an acronym that stands for ‘Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity’, which was invented in a military context to describe a world without reference points after the end of the Cold War, and later used to describe the hidden pitfalls and opportunities in the global market. This complexity should be neither ignored nor eliminated, but rather used as a source of precious information. The key word in order not to sink into the shifting sands is strategy.
10. Profitability
Last but not least, the guiding star for all companies is profitability. This also means knowing how to make the right choices in terms of M&A and other important procedures. At times the best way to add value to a company can be to make an alliance with a stronger partner, other times it can mean vertical integration with other companies in the supply chain.