The Challenge

As Tirlán scaled their continuous improvement efforts organization-wide, they found themselves constrained by MS Excel and MS PowerPoint-based systems for managing 3M work, which included KPIs and projects. They needed a robust solution to eliminate duplication of efforts, drive accountability, and accelerate strategic initiatives across the organization.

The Outcome

With KaiNexus, Tirlán transformed its approach to strategy execution, real-time visibility into cross-functional KPIs and projects now empowers leadership to make data-driven decisions, while streamlined collaboration has eliminated wasted efforts and accelerated organizational excellence. 

Before KaiNexus

Since 2012, Tirlán has demonstrated a commitment to continuous improvement through 3M work, including KPIs and projects. What began as a factory floor initiative using whiteboards evolved into an organization-wide commitment by 2019. Once the entire organization started participating, they shifted towards standardizing this work through the use of cross-departmental Excel templates.

However, as their ambitions grew, so did their challenges:

• Limited Visibility: Despite organization-wide participation, teams struggled to see the full picture of KPIs and projects across departments through Excel, which led to duplication of efforts.

• Accountability Hurdles: The CI team found themselves constantly following up with individuals and teams, diverting valuable time from strategic initiatives.

• Resource Maintenance: Technical issues with Excel templates consumed significant time and effort to resolve.

• Inconsistent Progress Tracking: Relying on individual surveys for project updates made it difficult to establish accurate benchmarks and best practices for the projects and KPIs being done.

The Search for a Strategic Solution

The CI team at Tirlán was spread too thin; they were growing tired of chasing down teams to submit their updates and manually driving accountability. After enough frustration using Excel, they began searching for a new digital solution. Through their professional network, they discovered KaiNexus, which had already been successfully implemented by another Irish company. After learning about their success with KaiNexus, they were sure this was the right solution to solve their needs. Next, they had to undergo a rigorous executive approval process to get approval for KaiNexus.

The steps to get approval included:

1) Selling the Idea. The team articulated the strategic value, emphasizing how KaiNexus would
eliminate duplication of effort and drive organizational efficiency.

2) Prove No Other Platform Could Solve Their Needs. Next, they had to prove to the
Architecture Review Board that no other software platform in their business already that
effectively solved this problem. They conducted an exhaustive review to confirm no existing
internal systems could meet their needs.

3) Create a Business Case. Finally, it was time to create the official Business Case. In the
Business Case, they highlighted the reduction of duplication of effort, time savings, and made
sure to show the financials involved in the decision.

After this was approved, they officially brought on KaiNexus in 2023.

A Partnership Built on Trust

What set KaiNexus apart wasn't just the technology—it was the partnership. When Tirlán identified a critical feature requirement nearing the end of implementation, the Tirlán and KaiNexus teams came together to quickly find a solution.

"The trust developed through KaiNexus' commitment to finding solutions and the transparency in their approach meant that when we hit a roadblock, we knew we were truly partnering to find a win-win solution."

- Michael Phelan, Head of Operations & Supply Chain Excellence.

Through close collaboration, they developed and delivered a new feature within the agreed timeline, ensuring Tirlán could launch successfully.

Early Impact: Transforming Strategy Deployment and Execution

Although it is still early in their process, the following outcomes they've seen include:

• Increased visibility and connectedness of KPIs across the organization helped to advance business-wide strategy deployment

• Data-Driven Leadership: Clearer insights into KPIs and projects enable more proactive, informed decision-making

• Reduced duplication of efforts compared to previous Excel and PowerPoint-based approaches

• Increased support & accessibility to enhance cross-functional working across departments

• Enhanced User Experience: Streamlined updates and edits allow the CI team to focus on strategic initiatives rather than administrative follow-ups

"Before KaiNexus, our 3M leads spent countless hours chasing updates and managing spreadsheets; now they can instantly see project and KPI status' and focus on what truly matters. With all the time saved on administrative work, our leaders can finally tackle important continuous improvement initiatives they never had the capacity for before."

- Michael Phelan, Head of Operations & Supply Chain Excellence

Tirlán's journey showcases how the right technology, combined with a strong continuous improvement culture, can transform strategy deployment. As they continue to leverage KaiNexus, Tirlán is well-positioned to further amplify their organizational excellence and drive strategic outcomes.