I systematically look beyond the immediate problem to understand the wider system, often uncovering additional issues and opportunities that affect overall performance.
The cases below illustrate how this approach has been applied across engineering, manufacturing, operational excellence, innovation and product development — both as an engineer and as a consultant.
I was trusted by Audi (Main Engine Plant) to investigate an exceptionally difficult engine failure problem at its main engine plant. The issue had remained unresolved for approximately two years and had resulted in around 60 engine failures.
Although I was not an engine technology specialist, I used Six Sigma and Design of Experiments to introduce new approaches to the investigation and broaden the scope beyond its initial focus. Within four weeks, we identified the first critical issue, and within six weeks, two previously unrecognized problems underlying the engine failures had been identified.
I subsequently presented the findings to senior Audi management, including the CEO. My contribution was not to redesign the engine, but to provide the breakthrough in problem understanding that had eluded the investigation for two years. Audi ultimately concluded that the existing engine design could not be corrected and proceeded with the development of a new engine.
Audi’s sponsor subsequently wrote:
“His knowledge in methods like Six Sigma and Design of Experiments led our team the way to new approaches to the problem and new methods of solution that we had not found without him.”
— Frank Niessen, Head of Quality Assurance, V-Engines, Audi Hungaria
The engagement was largely performance-based, meaning that my remuneration was directly linked to the value generated for Brunswick. Over five and a half months, this resulted in approximately €350,000 in consulting revenue.
The figure itself is perhaps the most revealing part of the story: it gives an indication of the scale of the value that had to be created for Brunswick to justify such a level of performance-based remuneration.
The technical problems at Richbond were for the most relatively straightforward. The real challenge was organizational: turning management commitments into executed actions. I introduced a digital accountability system and a visual management approach while leading a portfolio of Lean Six Sigma projects across the plant.
Within the first couple of months, five strategic projects represented 3,667,940 MAD in projected savings.
Early in my engineering career, I encountered a recurring reliability problem involving a machine used to turn bitumen sheets before magnetization. Rather than trying to make the machine more reliable, I questioned why the turning operation was necessary in the first place. By changing the upstream calendering process, I eliminated the need for the turning operation — and with it, the reliability problem itself.