Process optimization in a municipal workshop

Initial Situation and Project Context

The customer is a municipal workshop operation with approximately 30 employees in the workshop, responsible for the maintenance and repair of an extensive municipal vehicle fleet. The workshop performs a central function in ensuring the operational readiness of the vehicles and thus the performance capability of the connected municipal entities.

In the years prior to the project, the organization faced mounting pressure from several directions. Escalating requirements for vehicle availability, the increasing technical complexity of the fleet, and constrained staffing resources resulted in a growing proportion of repairs being outsourced to external providers. Concurrently, vehicle standstills were lengthening significantly, which placed further strain on operational scheduling and deployment planning.

Assignment and Objectives

The aim of the project was to Optimize internal repair processes to better utilize existing resources and significantly reduce dependence on external service providers. Specifically, the following should be achieved:

  • Reduced outsourcing to external workshops,
  • Reduced vehicle downtime,
  • and increased efficiency within the existing workshop organization.

It was clear from the outset that these goals It was clear from the outset that these goals could be achieved.

Special challenge: Public employer and co-determination

One of the key particularities of the project stemmed from the specific constraints imposed by operating as a public-sector employer. Being a municipal entity, the workshop was subject to extensive works council co-determination. The implementation of mandatory time standards, performance-based pay schemes (e.g., piecework models), or individual performance appraisals was expressly prohibited.

As a result, many conventional process optimization methods were excluded right from the start. The core challenge was to uncover and implement efficiency gains without placing pressure on individual staff members or violating applicable labor law restrictions and co-determination requirements.

Approach and Role of the Consultants

The consulting approach consistently relied on Transparency, participation, and structural improvements. At the outset, the existing repair and work processes were documented in detail. The focus here was not on measuring individual performance, but on the analysis of:

  • process flows,
  • interfaces,
  • information flows,
  • as well as organizational framework conditions.

Through workshops and structured conversations involving workshop leadership, staff members, and works council representatives, the existing workflows were collectively reviewed and reflected upon. This participatory method allowed weaknesses to be identified openly while avoiding the creation of mistrust or resistance.

In the next step, structuring measures were developed, including:

  • clearer order acceptance and prioritization processes,
  • improved material supply,
  • defined handover points between work steps,
  • as well as optimized deployment planning of existing skills.

The consultants provided close, hands-on support and moderation throughout the implementation phase to guarantee that the measures were not only organizationally effective but also gained broad cultural acceptance within the team.

Results and impact achieved

Through the optimization of processes, internal repair capacities could be utilized much more effectively. The number of repairs outsourced to external service providers was noticeably reduced, without placing additional strain on the employees. At the same time, vehicle downtime periods were shortened, as waiting times, queries, and organizational delays were minimized.

A key success of the project was the increase in efficiency. not through time pressure, but through better organization. This led to a high level of acceptance of the measures among both employees and the works council.

Conclusion:

The project demonstrates that sustainable process improvements are possible even under the restrictive framework conditions of the public sector – provided that market and organizational understanding are combined with sensitivity to the operational realities on the ground.

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