We Must Think Outside the "Cockpit" to Develop
GKN Aerospace Norway has been and continues to be in a very exciting period. The aviation industry is constantly evolving, and it is strategically important for the company to continue changing in 2023. As a company in transition, we have clear goals to maintain quality and content.
If we are to develop, we must dare to think outside the “cockpit.”
Henrik Willgohs
Goals and Challenges in 2023
The past few years have been marked by a lack of access to materials and rising prices.
The price per kWh is higher, as is the price per liter of fuel. Increased mortgage rates and food budgets—everyone feels the changes in their daily lives. Some companies do not see a future, while others barely keep their heads above water. Globally, businesses are in transition. Due to clauses in most of our contracts, price increases are generally manageable for GAN. Material availability, however, is another story.
The challenging material availability we see globally affects the industry in several areas. If we don’t receive materials, we can’t produce anything. This directly impacts sales, so we had to find measures to counteract these effects.
This requires some smart minds and good cooperation. At GAN, we have nearly 350 of the former, and we gathered everyone in a collaborative arena where we discussed goals and measures.
An Arena for Goal Setting, Discussion, and Task Allocation
On Friday, January 13, 2023, we shut down the entire production and gathered all our employees for a strategy session. Nearly 350 smart minds worked across departments and disciplines to discuss how we will achieve our goals for 2023.
In a large company, it’s easy to work in your own little bubble. Cross-departmental collaboration is underrated—it’s about relationships and understanding, knowledge and breaking patterns. To meet the challenges we face, we must do just that—break a pattern. This gives us the understanding and knowledge we need to tackle the challenges.
The most important goals from this session are those that help solve the challenges we face, including limited material availability. We have worked on goals and measures that support getting parts to the finished goods warehouse and shipping them to our customers. This involves securing materials, improving production quality, reducing lead times, increasing operator efficiency, and providing even better follow-up for our machines.
Promising Prospects for 2023
One of our goals for 2023 is to reduce business risk. Based on this, and other goals, we are making important investments such as friction welding, super polishing, multitask mill/turn machines, and a washing machine for our cases, a new ventilation system, and a new logistics layout.
These investments provide the company with increased safety, increased engagement through an improved daily work environment, improved product quality, new capabilities, increased competitiveness, increased capacity, and higher turnover.
A good starting point for the coming year. Stay tuned!
