Building Cross-Border Service Capabilities Successfully.
Introduction.
A leading Polish-Ukrainian manufacturer of shopfitting and automated parcel machines (APMs), faced a critical challenge when they secured a large contract to produce and deliver, but also install and provide around the clock maintenance, of 2000 advanced APMs within 8 months. The company had a very advanced production capability in Ukraine, but it did not have the adequate service structures in Poland needed to quickly establish a robust maintenance and installation capability to meet this unprecedented demand. To navigate this high-stakes project, the company enlisted an experienced Interim Manager..
Background.
The primary goal was to build this large-scale maintenance and installation capability almost from scratch, whilst assuring quality, reliability, flexibility, reactiveness, cost-effectiveness and profitability. The objectives were clear: establish effective workflows, recruit and mentor key personnel, and ensure timely delivery of high-quality services, all under very strict SLA conditions and substantial penalty risk.
Approach.
Creation of new structures:
A new “services” division was created within the company, combining three new departments: terrain preparation, installation, and maintenance. This restructuring was essential for achieving the required capabilities – an autonomous structure with an agile approach and its own way of managing itself and its rapid growth within larger international structures.
Recruitment and Mentorship:
Key department managers for the three entities were diligently recruited and mentored into their new challenging roles.
Workflow Implementation:
Adequate tools, workflows, processes and procedures necessary for effective services delivery in Poland were defined, developed and integrated with existing systems in Poland and Ukraine, ensuring seamless and effective operations.
International Team of Teams:
The division built in-house maintenance, R&D (for maintenance purposes) and installation capabilities by forming several teams of engineers and technicians. Additionally, a network of external, regional partners was established to manage the workload and assure quick reaction times and coverage of the whole territory.
The whole operation required intense cross-border coordination, where design, production, and testing were conducted in Ukraine, while all service delivery structures were in Poland.
Quality Focus:
Very high-quality service delivery was prioritized, continuous improvement was literally based on learning from every mistake made, which allowed the company to achieve a level of satisfaction of the end customer that led to securing further large-scale APM manufacturing contracts.
Results.
All 2000 APM’s were deployed within the project’s tight timeframe
The stringent SLA conditions were met
In the end customer’s own words: “The company achieved the highest standard of service in Europe”
Ambitious Financial targets were met
Key Learnings.
The project’s success wouldn’t have been possible without the following:
Unity of purpose
Clarity of goals
Cross cultural communication
Professionalism
Engagement
By leveraging good will, perseverance, professionalism, and patience, all participants — from ground teams to lab personnel, department managers, and up to the shareholders — contributed to a spectacular result. This project stands as a testament to international teamwork and the effective management of cross-cultural operations.