High productivity throughout the supply chain is a key to WACKER’s success. WACKER boosts productivity along the entire supply chain via its Wacker Operating System (WOS) program. Our goal is to continue to reduce specific operating costs every year. WOS results are regularly reported to the Executive Board.

2013 and 2014 saw the implementation of more than 1,000 projects at our operating divisions and corporate departments. Some 700 of these concerned our operating divisions, with the corporate departments accounting for 300. The focus of WOS was on improving plant utilization levels, specific energy consumption and raw-material yields, and optimizing specific maintenance costs. The WOS measures implemented over the two-year reporting period yielded a business value contribution of some €280 million.

Established by WACKER in 2009 to further cement WOS within the company, the WOS ACADEMY offers training in productivity topics. Participants are given hands-on training in specific projects at the various plants and are thus able to apply the methods immediately. The WOS ACADEMY instructors act as advisors during these projects. In 2013 and 2014, the WOS ACADEMY trained some 180 employees in the application of new productivity methods, such as Six Sigma.