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Airbus Space Case Study
Aerospace supplier secures new prime contract
Situation
Airbus Space was aiming to retain prime contractor status with a customer. However, this was threatened by a turbulent relationship on a project to develop and build a sophisticated scientific satellite. Issues included:
- A lack of clear communications and poorly managed change protocols introducing delays and frustration.
- Entrenched attitudes preventing effective engagement and leading to problems being in a confrontational way.
- Budget over runs causing regular leadership intervention.
Our Task
We were tasked with:
- Understanding the sources of their core problems.
- Identifying the barriers to resolution.
- Highlighting people, process and systems issues to be fixed.
- Providing expert facilitation to create an effective environment to improve communications.
- Identifying and prioritising areas of risk.
Action We Took
- Gathered, analysed and then prioritised the customer’s expectations of an ideal service provider.
- Use these expectations to run a baseline performance survey.
- Facilitated feedback workshops to ensure everyone understood and accepted the results and the implications.
- Identified priorities for improvement and helped both parties agree a collaborative plan to deliver the changes.
- Supported implementation activity with regular action reviews to ensure momentum was maintained
A complex and difficult project, but well supported by senior leaders on both sides keen to see results.
Results
Positive outcomes included:
- A step change in the quality of communications between the operational teams.
- More focused and effective project reviews.
- New, non confrontational approach to problem resolution.
- The client and customer were part of, and jointly benefitting from, a shared improvement process.
- A follow up survey recorded a 25% improvement in relationship quality, when conducted several months later.
- New partnership work methods and operational improvements noticed by both leadership teams.
- Client was awarded a significant new prime contract by their customer as a result.
Project take-away
Showing Airbus Space how they were performing against their customer’s expectations was the key that unlocked the rapid resolution of issues and helped them build a stronger, more profitable long term relationship.