How We Operate and Serve Customers
Two documents describe how RPGMotor Works runs every day: the RPG Operating System, which sets out our values and the habits behind them, and the RPG Production System, which sets the standard for every plant. Download both from this page.
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How we operate
The RPG Operating System
The RPG Operating System is how we run the company: the values we hold, the processes every plant and office follows, and the habits that turn good intentions into results. It applies in Stuttgart and in Pune, on the shop floor and in the sales office.
Each value has three parts. Foundational processes are the basics every team must have in place. Growth drivers are where we invest to win and keep business. Levers of excellence are the habits that separate a good team from a great one.
Our customers keep running
Foundational processes
- Order acknowledgement within one business day
- Field failure reporting through RPG ServiceLine
- Quarterly voice-of-the-customer reviews in every division
- A single point of contact named on every order
Growth drivers
- Application engineering support from quote to commissioning
- DriveSense® monitoring offered on every new installation
- Spare parts stocked for every active SKU
- Account plans for our top customers in each division
Levers of excellence
- On-time delivery measured against the date we promised
- Root cause shared with the customer within 10 days
- Personal follow-up on every low customer survey score
We build it together
Foundational processes
- Safety first, on every shift at every site
- Cross-functional design reviews before release
- One set of engineering standards across all eight facilities
Growth drivers
- Joint development projects with key customers
- Rotations between plants and R&D centers
- Mentoring for new engineers and technicians
- Supplier development with our strategic partners
Levers of excellence
- Problems solved at the level closest to the work
- Recognition for help given across teams
- Lessons learned published, not filed away
We act like owners
Foundational processes
- A named owner and budget for every cost center
- Standard work for recurring tasks
- Honest reporting of misses and near misses
Growth drivers
- Capital spent where the return is proven
- Make-or-buy decisions reviewed every year
- Pricing discipline on quotes and renewals
Levers of excellence
- Waste removed through daily kaizen
- Decisions made at the lowest sensible level
- Working capital reviewed every week
- Leaders on the floor every day
We earn tomorrow
Foundational processes
- A current roadmap for each of our 15 product families
- Certified quality systems at every plant (ISO 9001, IATF 16949, AS9100)
- Energy use and emissions tracked at every site
Growth drivers
- R&D investment in BLDC efficiency and power density
- New business in EV traction and renewable energy
- Software and data services through DriveSense®
- Apprenticeships with local technical schools
Levers of excellence
- Share of revenue from new products tracked every year
- Customer feedback built into every roadmap review
- Learning time set aside for every employee
- Succession plans for every critical role
The RPG Production System
The RPG Production System (RPS) sets out how our plants run day to day, from the winding line in Greenville to the traction motor plant in San Luis Potosí. Each principle has five maturity levels, from 1 (getting started) to 5 (sustained and teaching others). Every plant assesses itself twice a year, and the operations leadership team confirms the score during a site visit. A plant moves up a level only when the practice has held for six months.
Each principle matures through five levels.
Safety, quality, delivery, cost (SQDC) and tiered huddles
1SQDC results are collected once a month and discussed only in management meetings.
2Each cell has an SQDC board updated daily, and team leaders hold a short huddle at the start of every shift.
3Tier 1, 2 and 3 huddles run on a fixed schedule, and issues that can't be solved at one tier reach the next on the same day.
4Every huddle action has an owner and a due date, and the plant manager reviews open escalations at the tier 3 huddle each morning.
5Huddles run well without a manager present, and teams use SQDC trends to choose their own improvement projects.
Sales and operations planning
1Production plans are built from open orders only, and schedule changes reach the floor by email or a phone call to the supervisor.
2A monthly meeting compares the sales forecast with plant capacity for the next three months.
3Sales, operations, supply chain and finance agree on one plan each month, covering an 18-month horizon.
4Forecast accuracy and schedule adherence are measured by product family, and every gap has a named owner.
5The agreed plan drives hiring, capital and inventory decisions, so trade-offs are made before customers feel them.
Problem solving with A3 and PDCA
1Problems are fixed as they appear, nobody records the cause, and the same failures tend to come back within weeks.
2Team leaders use the standard A3 template for repeat defects and customer complaints.
3Every major problem has an A3 with a confirmed root cause, a countermeasure and a check step before it is closed.
4Operators lead A3s on their own lines, and finished A3s are shared between plants through the RPS library.
5Plan-do-check-act is the normal way of working, and the plant can show a falling trend in repeat problems over three years.
Visual management on the line
1Work areas have little labeling, and the only way to learn a line's status is to ask someone.
2Floor markings, labeled locations and shadow boards are in place and follow the plant 5S standard, with a monthly audit.
3Every line shows planned versus actual output by the hour, so anyone walking past can see whether it is ahead or behind.
4Andon signals bring support within minutes, and response times are tracked on the SQDC board.
5A visitor can judge the health of the whole plant in a single walk, without a guide or a report.
Standard work for operators and leaders
1Operators learn tasks from each other, the method changes from shift to shift, and quality depends on who is working that day.
2Illustrated work instructions exist for every critical station, including winding, magnet insertion and end-of-line testing.
3Instructions are reviewed after every process change, and operators are certified on each station they run.
4Team leaders, supervisors and managers follow written leader standard work with daily, weekly and monthly checks.
5Operators propose improvements to standard work, and the best method is adopted at every plant that builds the same family.
Coaching
1Leaders give instructions and solve problems on behalf of their teams, so people wait for answers instead of looking for them.
2Leaders ask open questions on the floor and have completed the basic RPS coaching course run by the plant excellence team.
3Every team leader has a named coach, and sessions follow a standard set of coaching questions.
4Coaching is part of every leader's annual goals, and the plant runs regular coaching walks with written feedback.
5Leaders are judged by the capability of the people they develop, and the plant lends coaches to other sites.
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