Operational Excellence – The production system of Roto Frank Fenster- und Türtechnologie GmbH

Benefits for customers and the company

“ROPEX” is more than an internal optimisation initiative. Thiemermann emphasises: “It is the value proposition that we make to our customers: stable processes, the very highest quality, implementation of our group-wide Roto climate goals (ftt.roto-frank.com/en/sustainability) in production and delivery reliability. This creates real added value for window and door manufacturers.” At the same time, the system makes the company more competitive by promoting flexibility, efficiency and innovation, and enabling best practices to be shared within the global production network. 

Kaizen: change for the better

A key element of this is the Kaizen principle, which means continuous improvement in small yet effective steps. Improvement routines systematically analyse problems, test solutions and standardise successful measures. Stephan Strohbücker, Head of Production Management & Technology at Roto FTT, adds: “Our aim is to increase the speed of Kaizen, in other words to implement improvements faster and achieve measurable effects.”

Leading with integrity: the right mindset

The implementation of the Road to Operational Excellence requires staff and managers to have a growth-oriented mindset. Against this backdrop, the Roto management principles are based on trust, a focus on results, and prioritising what matters. Managers should act as role models, actively help shape change and motivate their teams to give their very best. “Management is a key factor in our success. We take responsibility, want ourselves and our staff to continuously develop, and deal openly with mistakes, seeing them as a learning opportunity,” sums up Thiemermann.

Structure for lasting improvement

The production system combines coordinated principles, methods, and tools that together form the foundation for an excellent value chain. The decisive criteria for Operational Excellence are quality, cost, time, and sustainability.

The four fundamental pillars are the principles of zero defects, value stream, agility and clarity. They are complemented by methods such as shop floor management with on-site leadership, workplace design, value stream design, visual management, and many others. Mindset and management, as well as the Kaizen continuous improvement process, form the basis.

Principles with an impact: from clarity to zero defects 

Each of the four principles is linked with specific methods, tools and best practices from the world of Roto. The zero-defects approach is geared towards robust processes, autonomous quality and preventive mistake-proofing using the Poka-Yoke method. This is not only applied in Roto production, but also in the upstream product development process. Value stream orientation focuses on a waste-free flow of materials and information – from customer inquiry to delivery.  Agility means being able to flexibly respond to changes on the market. Some of the ways in which this is achieved include interlinked systems, a consistent control principle, and by striking the perfect balance between capacity and cycle times in continuous production. Clarity represents a safe, ergonomic working environment, visual standards for detecting non-conformities, and transparent communication. 

Strohbücker underlines: “‘ROPEX’ is not set in stone; rather, it is a living modular system made up of different methods and tools. These must always be used in conjunction with each other and together they create a stable foundation for continuous improvement.” 

Global vision, local implementation

The global "ROPEX" system is used across all 18 Roto FTT plants, tailored to local needs but following a common goal.  The initiative was created in 2024 and is being continuously developed. The interdisciplinary project team includes plant managers, regional plant experts and employees responsible for the global processes based at company headquarters in Leinfelden-Echterdingen. “All 18 plants operate according to the same principles. This creates transparency, comparability and a shared language in production,” summarises Thiemermann.

The journey is the destination

With “ROPEX”, Roto FTT has set up a practical production system which is based on proven lean principles yet at the same time is tailored to the specific requirements of Roto. It links strategy with practice, management with culture, and methods with impact. The path to Operational Excellence is thus clearly mapped out – and is being pursued a little further every day.