A Global Top-Down Initiative by KORN CONSULT GROUP
In today’s fast-paced industrial landscape, operational excellence is no longer optional—it’s a strategic imperative. At KORN CONSULT GROUP, we had the opportunity to lead a high-impact Business Excellence Project for a global client in the industrial goods sector, designed to drive sustainable quality performance from the top down.
This article highlights the structured approach, key actions, and impactful results of this transformation initiative—rolled out from a pilot plant to the global organization.
Project Objective: Strategy Meets Quality
The client aimed to further develop its corporate strategy by embedding holistic quality awareness across all international locations. The key driver? Leadership behavior—starting from the CEO to shop-floor employees. The goal was clear:
Introduce a unified quality strategy
Align leadership behavior with strategic objectives
Ensure long-term sustainability of quality culture
Strengthen top-down communication and accountability
Our Approach: Top-Down Transformation
At the heart of the program was a top-down development and implementation model supported by practical tools and cultural change mechanisms:
Key Methodologies:
Benchmarking & Best Practice Integration
Change Management & Executive Coaching
Action Area Definition for Improvement Programs
PDCA Cycle Integration (Plan – Do – Check – Act)
We facilitated strategy alignment workshops across all management levels—from the CEO to functional leaders—ensuring a consistent quality vision globally. KPIs were restructured, tied to management bonuses, and monitored regularly to foster accountability.
Execution Highlights
To ensure sustainable results, several foundational elements were introduced:
Defined roles for global functions and plant managers
New global KPIs linked with performance-based HR targets
Weekly communication loops at the functional level
Monthly board review meetings
Quality Gates in project management
Improvement circles in operations and field service teams
This structured and data-driven approach helped cascade the quality strategy down to every employee level, bridging the gap between strategy and execution.
Results: Excellence Made Measurable
The Business Excellence Program delivered measurable impact:
A new global quality strategy fully integrated into the company’s core strategy
Top-down leadership commitment across all plants and global functions
Restructured KPI system with transparent communication and ownership
Performance-linked accountability (weak performance = loss of bonus)
Continuous improvement loops implemented through PDCA cycles
Improved cross-functional alignment and quality awareness
Final Thoughts
This project is a strong example of how leadership-driven excellence, when combined with strategic clarity and robust execution tools, can transform global operations.
At KCG we believe that quality is not just a department—it’s a mindset. And when that mindset starts from the top, excellence becomes inevitable.
Curious how we can help elevate your organization’s performance? Let’s connect and start a conversation.
