Hilti is a $7B world leader in designing and manufacturing cutting-edge technologies, software, and services for the professional construction industry. Before partnering with KaiNexus, Hilti relied on Excel and other systems to manage and oversee its continuous improvement initiatives. This approach left them grappling with limited visibility into team initiatives, ineffective cross-departmental collaboration, and no unified process for sharing improvement ideas.

Recognizing the need for a centralized CI platform, Hilti Global Logistics implemented KaiNexus to around 2,000 employees across multiple locations worldwide. This strategic decision aimed to create a standardized process for problem-solving and idea-sharing, ensuring CI efforts were both impactful and scalable.

Hilti’s rollout process stands out as a model for how organizations should implement KaiNexus, but often don’t. Their disciplined and thoughtful approach can serve as an inspiring guide for others navigating the complexities of implementation. Here’s how Hilti set themselves up for success:

Strong Executive Engagement

Hilti understood that executive buy-in is essential for a smooth rollout. Fortunately, they had a champion at the executive level who fully embraced CI and recognized KaiNexus as a vital platform for supporting their initiatives.

This executive effectively evangelized KaiNexus to their peers by addressing existing pain points, such as limited visibility into ongoing work and the inability to track its impact. By showcasing how KaiNexus could resolve these issues, they secured support across the leadership team.

Beyond highlighting immediate ROI and KPIs, the executive framed KaiNexus as a long-term learning platform—a repository for institutional knowledge and a driver for continuous organizational growth. This perspective shift was instrumental in securing leadership commitment.

“Without that Executive’s support and the subsequent support of the other Executives, this initiative wouldn’t have gained the momentum it needed to succeed,” Alejandro shared.

Mapping Out the Rollout Plan

With executive approval secured, Hilti turned their attention to middle managers, a critical link in gaining adoption. To gain their buy-in, the team developed and shared a detailed rollout plan that addressed key aspects, including:

• Identifying the CI Team: Clearly outlining the roles of CI leaders, their responsibilities, and the communication channels managers could rely on for support.

• Cultural Fit: Demonstrating how KaiNexus aligns with Hilti’s established CI culture and how it will enhance existing improvement efforts.

• Transparent Communication: Providing a clear and comprehensive timeline for the rollout process.

• Voluntary Pilot Groups: Inviting enthusiastic leaders to participate in the pilot, ensuring initial users were already motivated to drive change.

Train-the-Trainer Approach: Offering extra training to pilot participants so they could effectively train and evangelize KaiNexus within their teams.

A Strong Communication Strategy

Hilti prioritized clear and consistent communication, leveraging multiple channels to ensure their message reached every level of the organization. One particularly effective medium was their internal intranet, where they shared engaging updates about KaiNexus. Here are three key examples of their effective communication:

In this example, Hilti communicated the "why" behind introducing KaiNexus, spotlighting the teams involved, and featuring a special video from the Executive team. This video highlighted how KaiNexus would drive improvements in their CI initiatives. Gaining visible support from leadership proved invaluable in building excitement and trust around the rollout. 

When you are trying to gather engagement across your organization, model Hilti by collaborating with your communication and marketing teams to create engaging video content and utilize your executive support.

Hilti didn’t stop with executive input; they also gathered video testimonials from employees across the organization. Hearing peers share their excitement and the benefits they expect by using KaiNexus helped to create authentic excitement.

In another communication, Alejandro and his team reiterated the value of KaiNexus, emphasized how it would benefit employees, and provided a roadmap of upcoming stages. Including a photo of the Hilti and KaiNexus teams during an onsite visit added a personal touch, strengthening trust and collaboration.

"After sharing this post, we received more questions from Executives about KaiNexus, further gaining buy-in and excitement at high levels of the organization.” 

Effective communication also means addressing different learning preferences. Hilti made great use of existing materials by sharing a recording of their Weekly Lean Showtime Meeting. This session explained the "why" behind KaiNexus and their vision for the future.

Remember, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel for every communication. Repurpose content for different formats—whether it’s videos, graphics, blogs, or recordings—to ensure your message resonates with everyone.

Lessons Learned for a Successful Rollout

Hilti’s rollout of KaiNexus is a masterclass in strategic implementation. They didn’t just adopt the platform—they created a framework for success. While their journey is still in its early stages, their approach has already laid a strong foundation for long-term impact.

For organizations embarking on a similar path, here are the key takeaways from Hilti’s experience:

1. Secure executive engagement early, and frame the platform as a long-term investment in organizational learning.
2. Develop a comprehensive rollout plan that addresses cultural alignment, clear timelines, and targeted training for key stakeholders.
3. Prioritize communication, leveraging multiple channels to reach your audience, and make use of authentic testimonials and multimedia content to drive engagement.

By focusing on these proven strategies, you can maximize your chances of a successful rollout and set your team up for meaningful, sustainable results.