Context
A production factory was asked by its parent organisation to significantly reduce maintenance costs in response to increasing market pressure. The industry was characterised by overcapacity and intense competition, making cost efficiency a critical factor for long-term viability. To remain competitive, the factory needed to improve how maintenance and development investments were prioritised and executed — without compromising operational stability.
Challenge
The challenge was shaped by both structural and cultural factors. Production ran 24/7 for four months of the year, followed by eight months dedicated to maintenance activities.
The leadership group consisted of highly experienced technical experts, many of whom were stronger in specialist problem-solving than in structured leadership practices. Historically, issues were addressed through trial-and-error approaches until problems were resolved — often at considerable cost and without a shared prioritisation framework.
My Role
I was engaged for 18 months to help reduce maintenance spending. Following an initial analysis, it became clear that the core issue was not technical competence, but the absence of a structured approach to prioritisation, problem analysis and investment decisions. Hence, my role was to improve leadership capability and decision-making around maintenance and development initiatives.
Approach
We initiated a long-term leadership development and change journey, starting immediately after the production cycle ended to ensure sufficient time before the next cycle began.
The leadership team met one full day each week. Early efforts focused on creating shared understanding and commitment to both the challenges and the proposed framework.
Together, we co-created practical tools, established a structured backlog of maintenance and development initiatives, and introduced a disciplined approach to analysing problems before investing in solutions. Learning and application happened in parallel — leaders applied the new methods directly to real maintenance challenges as part of their daily work.
Outcomes
The initiative required significant dedication, but delivered tangible improvements. Twenty-five leaders and managers committed approximately 20% of their time to the programme, resulting in more disciplined prioritisation, improved decision-making and more efficient use of maintenance budgets.
Regular reporting to the parent organisation’s steering committee ensured transparency, alignment and sustained momentum throughout the engagement.
Insight
Sustainable improvements in cost efficiency are rarely driven by tools alone. In this case, lasting change depended on consistent leadership commitment — not just at launch, but throughout the entire transformation journey.
Client Recommendation
Anna worked as a consultant with me and my team in a challenging and important change project in a technical organization. Anna’s strong ability to set direction and focus in a highly motivating way was an essential element for the success of the project.
Anna is easy to cooperate with and gets people to challenge status quo by an open, honest and professional approach. It was a great pleasure to have Anna on board and I will anytime give her my highest recommendations.
– Runi Ditlev Egholm