German Engineering Company
Finds Yankee Ingenuity Is Key to Success

Situation:

The North American division's research and development team working inside a German technology company found that their German counterparts discounted their teams' contributions because the products were innovative but took too long to come to fruition. At the same time, the home office in Germany insisted upon a rigorous but heavyweight product development process that discouraged innovation. As a result, the long term viability of the North American team was in doubt.

Actions:

We assisted the North American division with adapting the German product development process to better meet both parties' needs, and incorporated better practices to grow and share technical knowledge among development teams worldwide. Then we facilitated the development of a product platform strategy that shortened time to market for new products, and enabled faster innovation.

Results:

The German home office now sees their American counterparts as the most dynamic, innovative part of the company. They have begun to look to the North American R & D team as the leaders in innovation and as experts in key product technology. As a result, time to market is down company-wide, and the company has achieved significant growth.