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CASE STUDIES
Operational Excellence Transformation
Global and Local Airlines Maintenance Teams
Background
Two airlines were facing persistent challenges with maintenance quality, timeliness, and cost efficiency. Their operations lacked consistent control systems and standardised daily working practices, resulting in inefficiencies and potential safety risks. Recognising these issues, both airlines sought external expertise to improve overall performance and establish a more disciplined, high-quality maintenance culture.
Approach
A structured Lean Management approach was introduced to transform the maintenance processes. This involved conducting Value Stream Mapping sessions to identify and remove waste while implementing Visual Performance Management systems to enhance transparency and accountability.
Leaders and staff received hands-on coaching and training to adapt to new, efficient ways of working. The initiative also involved close collaboration with directors to align efforts across departments and create a sustainable feedback loop for continuous improvement and action.
Results
The transformation delivered substantial and measurable improvements. Visual Management systems were successfully established across all teams, supported by a five-day Lean “Gold” training program. Value Stream Mapping fostered stronger cross-team collaboration and eliminated significant amounts of waste.
Visual Management boards—focused on Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Morale—were deployed within all maintenance units, coupled with continuous coaching for leaders and staff.
The results included reduced safety incidents (LTIF), improved aircraft uptime through more accurate maintenance scheduling, lower inventory levels, enhanced team morale, better workload balancing (Yamazumi), and overall cost reduction. These changes not only improved operational performance but also built a long-term culture of efficiency and excellence within the airlines’ maintenance divisions.
Division of a Major Oil & Gas Company
Challenges
Following the implementation of SAP, the division’s focus shifted toward achieving measurable results from their technology investment. The Process Management team, which had primarily been involved in requirements gathering and system rollout, had fulfilled the initial implementation goals. However, the organisation now faced the challenge of delivering tangible business outcomes and aligning operations with strategic value.
This required a comprehensive re-evaluation of the BPM (Business Process Management) team’s role and structure, moving beyond system deployment to a performance-driven management approach.
Approach
The transformation began with interviews and workshops conducted with shareholders to identify and align key value drivers. The team then reviewed the existing process repository in detail and developed a simplified, “company-on-a-page” process view to improve clarity and communication.
Next, Process Architects collaborated with business leaders to perform process impact assessments and prioritise a list of targeted business interventions. Finally, business initiatives were combined with BPM development initiatives to create a unified, strategic Process Agenda—ensuring alignment between business priorities and operational execution.
Outcomes
The project achieved strong alignment between value delivery and business priorities across all stakeholders. The BPM team evolved from a reactive support function into a proactive enabler of benefits realisation.
Key results included the introduction of a common process language across the organisation, establishment of robust BPM governance between business leaders and shareholders, and significant progress in realising business value from the SAP implementation. The division now had clearer visibility, improved communication, and early measurable results, all enabled by well-defined and integrated business processes.
Cultural Transformation for Improvement
Major Shipping & Logistics Company
Background
This major shipping and logistics company had undergone two mergers and was struggling to integrate its diverse operations amid global trade cycle disruptions. The organisation faced challenges in unifying its workforce and improving efficiency across multiple regions while targeting a 25% cost reduction.
As part of the senior leadership team, the objective was to build a Continuous Improvement culture across the company’s second-largest division, comprising over 1,000 staff directly impacted by these transformation goals. The effort encompassed multiple areas of the value chain, including offshore service centres in India and the Philippines.
Approach
A comprehensive Lean Six Sigma methodology was deployed across all levels of the organisation to standardise improvement efforts and drive measurable change. Extensive training and coaching programs were conducted to help leaders and employees adopt new, efficient ways of working.
Close collaboration with the HR and Works Councils helped manage change sensitively, focusing on staff reduction optimisation and cost efficiency while preserving morale. The team also worked intensively with Change Management specialists to integrate employees from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds, ensuring a unified, performance-driven organisational culture.
Results
The transformation produced remarkable results. Visual Management practices were successfully implemented across all teams, with 24 Green Belts trained and certified and more than 500 employees trained in Continuous Improvement principles.
The company achieved direct cost savings exceeding USD 10 million and met all its staff reduction goals. Value Stream Mapping and waste removal initiatives enabled rapid improvements, while staff morale and engagement rose significantly during a challenging period of structural change.
Customer satisfaction and NPT scores improved, driving further business growth. The organisation achieved sustainable change through continuous focus on training and development, leadership coaching, and strategic alignment around cultural transformation. Ultimately, the company experienced measurable economic growth through improved customer satisfaction and enhanced internal capability.
Global Shipping and Logistics Company
Challenges
The company had experienced a strong period of growth in previous years, but this momentum had begun to slow. Operating margins were coming under increasing pressure due to a highly commoditized service offering, reducing differentiation in a competitive market.
Multiple initiatives had been launched to expand the company’s market proposition, but these efforts lacked focus and coordination. Leadership recognised the need for clear validation of strategic priorities, improved resource allocation, and a sharper focus on execution to sustain long-term growth.
Approach
The project began with a comprehensive review of the business strategy and execution framework to identify critical strategic initiatives. Plans were developed to better understand resourcing and investment requirements, ensuring that future initiatives were supported by the right structure and capability.
A phased implementation roadmap was created, complete with a detailed business case for each strategic area. Additionally, a performance management framework was introduced to monitor progress against key milestones and KPIs, providing leadership with the visibility needed to make data-driven decisions.
Outcomes
The engagement resulted in greater strategic clarity and alignment between management and the board. Business priorities were clearly defined, with the most significant areas of contribution receiving focused attention.
Resourcing and investment decisions became better aligned with strategic objectives, leading to faster delivery of key initiatives. Within the first year, the company demonstrated tangible progress, with measurable improvements in operational efficiency and innovation capability.
As a result, the organisation was placed firmly back on track for substantial and sustainable business growth, supported by disciplined planning, execution, and governance.
P&IP Lean Transformation
Petroleum Development Oman – October 2008 to March 2009
Background
As part of Shell’s global initiative to improve efficiency in Well and Reservoir Management, Lean methodology was introduced as a strategic tool. Accenture was engaged to conduct a pilot project in Oman, focused on reducing lead time in the Gas Lift Valve Change-out process.
The early success of this pilot inspired leadership to explore how Lean could be expanded to other business areas. The goal was to drive consistent improvement in production, maintenance, and operational performance throughout the organisation.
Approach
A standardised DMAIC project management framework was implemented, incorporating Kaizen principles into the pilot project. The outcomes from this pilot served as a foundation for broader Lean adoption across Petroleum Development Oman.
The team worked closely with the Board of Directors to ensure alignment between Lean project priorities and the company’s strategic objectives. Dedicated coaching supported individual project teams, helping them to apply Lean methods effectively in both production and maintenance operations.
Comprehensive Lean awareness and training programs were rolled out to management and staff, while Green Belt practitioners were developed to sustain long-term change. Projects were conducted across production, HR, finance, maintenance, and training departments.
Results
The initiative achieved significant performance improvements. The Gas Lift Valve Change-out process lead time was reduced from 143 to 29 days, while oil deferment dropped from an average of 85 to 20 days, cutting deferments by 50% and generating an additional 0.5–1 million barrels per annum.
Over 200 staff, including all management, received Lean training, and 16 Green Belts were certified under a full-time Lean coach. The company experienced a cultural transformation driven by leadership engagement, embedding continuous improvement practices throughout the organisation.
The benefits and tools developed during the project were sustained and replicated across Oman and other Shell entities globally. The program also fostered a stronger innovation mindset, encouraging collaboration, use of technology, and communication across departments. Ultimately, the initiative became a model for long-term operational excellence and continuous improvement within the Shell group.