Focus on human behavior

A PRACTICAL STUDY ON A PROJECT CONFIRMS THAT LEADERS’ ADHERENCE TO THE LEADERSHIP TASKS RECOMMENDED BY STAUFEN LED TO A 67% REDUCTION IN SAFETY DEVIATIONS, A 62% IMPROVEMENT IN COMPLIANCE WITH ACTION PLANS, A REDUCTION IN OVERTIME COSTS AND AN INCREASE IN PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY.

*Por Breno Rodrigues
Project manager da Staufen

Shop Floor Management is a method widely used in industry to develop leadership, engage people, improve the efficiency of operations and make it easier for teams to achieve targets. However, the journey of implementing Shop Floor Management is quite challenging, as it involves a major cultural change.

One of the main reasons why journeys like this fail is that they only focus on implementing management instruments or tools. In these cases, the behavioral issue, which is the spark for cultural transformation, is left out. It is therefore essential to focus on changing the behavior of leaders, who in turn must develop their entire team. To do this, the 5 Tasks of Leadership must be carried out consistently: Regular Communication, Structured Problem Solving, Confirming Processes, Promoting Continuous Improvement and Developing People.

In order to improve people’s adoption of the Leadership Tasks, a recent study carried out at a pulp and paper company in northeastern Brazil proposed an innovative approach: monitoring and quantifying leaders’ behaviors based on the Five Leadership Tasks to quickly identify opportunities for improvement in implementation and increase their success in the client’s operations.

Another innovative aspect of the study was the application of Shop Floor Management in a forest environment, which is still little explored in academic literature.

THE CHALLENGE OF IMPLEMENTING SHOP FLOOR MANAGEMENT IN FOREST AREAS

The great geographical dispersion and the difficulty of communication in the forest areas represented an obstacle to the implementation of SFM practices. To overcome this challenge, the team opted to use digital management boards, allowing indicators to be updated in real time and consulted remotely.

The survey revealed that although the training and tools implemented were working, the change in behavior expected of leaders could still be improved. Leaders had not internalized all the behaviours expected in Shop Floor Management, and adherence to the tools on a day-to-day basis was limited.

That’s when the mapping of Leadership Tasks and behaviors by each leader came into play, an innovative technique used to identify opportunities for improvement in the execution of SFM in leadership. From then on, each leader received weekly coaching and feedback sessions, focusing on aligning their behaviors with the model’s expectations.

SIGNIFICANT RESULTS AND FUTURE CHALLENGES

After weeks of monitoring, the results began to show. Adherence to the proposed model increased significantly, and unit M, where Shop Floor Management was implemented in the forestry area, became a benchmark for the company throughout Brazil. The leaders’ adherence to the expected behavior jumped from 13% to 77.8% in just a few months.

67%FEWER SAFETY DEVIATIONS

62%FEWER DELAYED ACTIONS

This change in attitude was reflected in tangible operational improvements: a 67% reduction in safety deviations, 62% fewer delayed actions, lower overtime costs and an increase in production efficiency. Unit M consistently achieved its operating cost targets, demonstrating the positive impact of focusing on human behavior.

On the other hand, other units faced difficulties, such as resistance to incorporating communication routines and dependence on limited internet connections in some regions. Even so, the success of unit M confirms that prioritizing human development is crucial to the success of initiatives such as Shop floor Management.

A MODEL FOR THE FUTURE

The research showed that the focus on human behavior is a decisive differentiator for the successful implementation and sustainability of Shop Floor Management. With this, the proposed model offers a new perspective for areas of the economy facing similar challenges. The digitalization of management tools and behavioural mapping could be the key to overcoming geographical and cultural difficulties in operational management.

As a suggestion for future work, the research suggests using artificial intelligence to facilitate the analysis of the indicators generated daily in operations and to help identify the root causes of recurring problems. This could be a promising way to further optimize management processes in any business.

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