A critical bottleneck affecting 14 software applications
The work is carried out within the embedded software management teams (10 people), who are responsible for delivering engine control and after-treatment solutions. Initially, the management of 14 after-treatment projects was concentrated in the hands of a single person. For any given project, the engine software solution and the after-treatment software solution are managed by two different people, which fragments management and desynchronizes workflows.
This configuration causes operational instability across the 14 after-treatment projects, resulting in the following findings:
- High peaks in workload for this one and only person with every delivery
- Recurring delivery delays of up to two weeks
- This employee is under a high level of stress
This centralisation constitutes a major bottleneck. An initial attempt at decentralisation, involving the transfer of half the portfolio to me, was not enough to stabilise the organisation. Despite this reinforcement, processing capacity remains saturated and operational risk continues to be concentrated on a workforce that is too small. The organisation was unable to ensure the predictability of deliveries and operational continuity.
Decentralised management and load levelling
I proposed and led the reorganisation of workflows to eliminate this structural bottleneck.
Proposal and approval:
- Decentralisation of after-treatment project management by delegating responsibility to each of the ten engine software project managers
- Unified management: each person in charge now manages the engine portfolio and the associated after-treatment one
- Alignment of my counterparts to demonstrate that the profit on the overall delivery justified the adjustment to the individual load
Deployment:
- Implementation of a handover plan that includes a phase to build up expertise in the technical specifics of the projects being transferred
- Synchronisation of delivery milestones to ensure technical consistency between the engine and after-treatment modules.
Secure deliveries and operational resilience
Decentralisation has helped the overall load levelling by distributing responsibility among ten people, without the need for any additional recruitment. The consolidation of the management of the engine and after-treatment systems under the same leaders has ensured:
Synchronisation of milestones
Improved communication with stakeholders
Operational predictability through reliable deliveries
Thanks to the handover plan and the skills development initiative I led, the organisation has stopped placing the entire burden of risk on a single individual and now harnesses the full extent of its collective capacity to ensure the predictability and compliance of deliveries.
As an Operations Manager in Business Operations, I restore predictability to R&D and Support functions to ensure the operational continuity and operational resilience of organisations.
