Driving Operational Excellence at Teleste

What is Operational Excellence?

Operational excellence (OpEx) is a concept that highlights continuous improvement, efficiency, and the alignment of people, processes, and technology to achieve company’s performance and strategic goals. When implemented actively, it should bring results with increased revenue, lower operational risk, decreased waste and costs, and motivated employees.

At Teleste, OpEx is not just a program—it’s a mindset. It’s about aligning people, processes, and technology to continuously improve performance, eliminate inefficiencies, and deliver greater value to our customers.

Why OpEx Matters

Today’s business environment is increasingly competitive. Globalization, rising costs, and the shift from supplier-driven to demand-driven markets are reshaping how companies operate. At the same time, customer expectations are higher than ever—demanding not only competitive pricing but also consistent quality, on-time deliveries, and seamless service experiences.

In this landscape, OpEx is no longer a choice but a critical enabler of long-term success. At Teleste, we see it as the foundation for meeting customer expectations, strengthening our competitiveness, and building long-term trust.

Here’s how OpEx directly supports our business success:

• Strengthens strategic direction and execution
• Enables solid growth
• Increases employee engagement & involvement
• Optimizes process excellence
• Reduces operational costs
• Improves customer satisfaction

Our Core OpEx Methodologies at Teleste

We have defined core methodologies for improving operational efficiency: Process Optimization—including daily performance management and continuous improvement — Lean Six Sigma and Lean management.

Process Optimization in Operations, Logistics & Sourcing (OLS)

In our Operations, Logistics & Sourcing (OLS), we are currently focusing on process optimization to improve operational efficiency and profitability. This involves detailed mapping of process steps and phases to identify bottlenecks or weak points.

In practice, we use tools like Value Stream mapping (VSM) to detect non-value-adding activities and identifying and eliminating Muda – meaning processes or activities that don´t adda value. By eliminating Muda, we can achieve greater efficiency, faster lead times, better quality and overall lower costs.  

We are also implementing a new type of KPI (Key Performance Indicator) tree structure that spans factory, department and team levels to ensure visibility and alignment.

To support daily operations, we are implementing a standardized Teleste Daily Performance Management System, designed to align routines and drive consistent performance across teams.

Lean Six Sigma: Data-Driven Improvement

Six Sigma is a data-driven methodology that targets at reducing variation and eliminating defects and waste from the processes using statistical tools. We are excited to launch our first Lean Six Sigma training module in Finland in H2 2025, in collaboration with external trainers.

This journey will help us develop our competencies and empower our team to lead process improvements and implement the best practices across the organization.

Lean Management: Empowering a Culture of Continuous Improvement

Lean Management focuses on eliminating what is unnecessary while fostering a mindset of continuous improvement across all levels of the organization. At its core, it brings and grows a culture where everyone can seek out ways to do things better or more smoothly.

At Teleste, we are embedding Lean principles into our daily operations by establishing a structured review process for key development projects and launching a systematic continuous improvement framework. This approach empowers employees to share ideas, propose improvements, and contribute to meaningful change – regardless of their role or function.

We believe that everyone has a role in identifying better, more efficient ways of working—and encouraging everyone to take initiative, we’re laying the groundwork for long-term success and resilience.

Putting Customers at the Center

The Voice of the Customer (VoC) is the heart of our improvement efforts. It not only shapes our approach to operational excellence but also ensures that our efficiency initiatives lead to better quality and a more seamless customer experience.

By minimizing waste and non-value-adding activities (NVA), we are able maximize the share of work that directly creates value for our customers. Listening closely to their needs allows us to design processes that are smarter, more efficient and truly customer centric.

Stay tuned for my next blog, where I’ll dive deeper into the specific OpEx activities we are working on!