Empower your shopfloor, NG Manufacturing Summit told

Greater engagement with frontline employees was vital to achieving strategic goals the NG Manufacturing Summit in Spain heard. Big businesses were too remote from their core workforces, leaders at blue chip manufacturers told delegates. Firms must improve communication of roles and responsibilities and how they fit in with wider operations, the Next Generation (NG) Manufacturing Summit heard. Michel Zarka MD at consultancy firm, Oliver Wyman Delta said: "We had to advise a company with tremendous plans, which were very well refined. Unfortunately most of these goals were not met and the question was why? "Most of the problem was coming not out of the plans but about complexity of the organisation and a lack of clarity about roles, responsibilities and accountabilities." The comments came as manufacturing leaders from across Europe gathered to discuss the sector's future at the NG summit. Successful businesses will be the ones who adopt a more dynamic and inclusive leadership style, the conference heard. Zarka added: "In some companies the hierarchical structure is very welcome but when you are in matrix organisation it's not enough..The key point is to deal collaboratively with persons with who don't report to you, you have a reporting line on one side and an influencing line on another." The call was backed by Andreas Backhaus, VP at chemical company BASF. "The people we get nowadays are not just going to accept orders they ask why am I doing it? What is the value behind it. You have to give them food for thought and empower them."