Annual Report 2011 (5.07 MB, PDF-File) - Oerlikon

Productivity gains boost
profitability by CHF 3 million
Each Oerlikon coating center knows exactly where it stands in
internal benchmark rankings. Up to 20 000 parts are coated at
a center each day, particularly precision tools such as drills and
end mills. Because the activities of each of the 87 coating centers
around the world are very similar, they are easy to compare.
And so is their individual profitability.
Every six months, the profitability of the centers is ranked in a
graph that is posted at all sites. The graph shows employees
where their respective center ranks overall, but the other centers
are not identified. At a glance, each employee can see if the center’s
ranking has improved or fallen since the last measurement.
This results in healthy internal competition at a global level.
In an effort to further improve the centers’ performance, the
company conducts technical and process-oriented audits. As
part of the Operative Excellence initiative, the number of audits
conducted in 2011 more than doubled from 25 to 55. “We now
audit each coating center at least every two years,” says Roland
Schmid, who carries out the audits with a four-member team.
Thanks in part to the technical audits and the ensuing improvement
programs, profitability again increased by CHF 3 million in
2011.
9 000 specific measures
“The audits and the benchmark ranking are like hockey. We’re
on a power play – at a global level,” Schmid says. He and his
team inspect the machines and work equipment, review procedures,
give technical and business advice and introduce
improvement programs. Each day, innovative approaches
emerge in the global network of 87 centers. These best
practices are uncovered by Roland Schmid’s team during the
audits and then shared with the other centers. Each year, the
center that has provided the best practices and most successfully
implemented them is honored.
Benchmarking has become a part of the corporate culture.