Collaborative Change

Lasting change starts from within. That’s why our change management approach harnesses the collective wisdom of front-line employees. To ensure our projects have “no bystanders or victims,” we seek employee input and participation every step of the way.

For example, an equipment manufacturer recently asked Kormac for assistance in improving inventory control and management. We began with a series of Kaizen events that engaged over 200 employees.

To encourage candid conversations, we initially excluded senior executives. The cross-functional teams identified 318 issues across 18 themes, which they collectively distilled into 4 key priorities. The collaborative process cultivated true employee ownership of the new processes and solutions we co-developed. Our partnership ultimately yielded a sustainable process for inventory management and a $20 million inventory reduction in the first year.

Employee engagement is also crucial for sustainability. Our projects follow an “I do, we do, then you do” transition process as our client team’s readiness to drive the change increases over time. We often follow an 80-15-5 model:

• We engage front-line employees during the needs assessment.
• We provide 80% of the initial change structure and leadership.
• We then co-lead the change with client staff (15%).
• We coach briefly (5%) before stepping away completely.

This approach ensures our client’s team is heavily involved in issue discovery, plan development, project execution, and ultimately leading the effort. A gradual transition fosters lasting change.