Leadership in action: The planning of Bentley's Dream Factory

How prototypes for simulating cycle changes on the production line can increase employee acceptance of the measures and improve the interventions through employee feedback.

Sebastian Benndorf used to manage the final assembly at VW and Bentley. Today, as head of the planning department, he is designing the new Dream Factory for future electric cars at Bentley in Great Britain. The Dream Factory is a central component of Bentley's Beyond 100 strategy. This groundbreaking plan ensures that Bentley is exclusively electric and fully carbon neutral by 2030. This is one of the most significant changes in Bentley's history. After the company has been making petrol cars for 100 years, it is a revolution.

During an earlier project, Sebastian had an eureka moment that shaped his management style for this new challenge. At the time, the central department was planning a necessary change in the pace of the production line in isolation. This often goes hand in hand with changes in volume or efficiency requirements. The problem was that the employees who worked directly on the line were not included in the planning process. However, since they build the cars day in and day out, they are the experts regarding the processes.

As a result, the project met with strong resistance from the workers. They rejected the proposed changes partly because they did not reflect the production reality. It was a project without a happy ending.

Sebastian learned the following lesson: “We need to change the way we plan and implement change within our organization. It's about engaging the right teams at the right time without losing the disruptive approach.”

He made the following decision: from now on, critical proposals for further cycle changes in the production lines will be built as paper prototypes. This makes ideas more tangible and enables direct feedback from the workforce.

Early in the process, he worked with the workers to test how they could optimize their routes, capacity utilization, and the processes for assembling the parts. Their feedback greatly improved the prototypes. Financially, it was not a significant investment. The low-resolution paper prototypes were inexpensive to produce. However, learning about the needs and ideas of the actual users directly was extremely valuable. This human-centered approach allowed necessary changes to be implemented faster, better, and more successfully. The cost-benefit calculation was outstanding, and the whole thing was an excellent example of agile leadership.

Since that Aha-Moment, Sebastian has been involving teams in projects differently. Before anything made of iron and steel is built in the Dream Factory, the employees involved test it. To do this, they have moved from paper prototypes to digital simulations – fully in line with digital leadership.

When Sebastian started this endeavor, he had to start from scratch and found himself as a visionary. His only constraint was the available space on site. He used 2D sketches of the basic structure for the initial ideas. He presented them on slides to get the various stakeholders on board.

2D prototypes are a good starting point for a project, but usually cannot map all the complexities and interdependencies. That is why he moved on to a 3D simulation prototype. This allowed users to experience the future building more intensively and get a precise idea. He was also able to integrate feedback from all parties directly.

Sebastian's goal is to optimize workflows directly. He conducts simulation tests and ensures that all parties involved in the value chain can work together. It is important to test the processes and touchpoints before planning the structure and technical infrastructure. Involving the relevant employees from the outset creates a dynamic journey that everyone is fully committed to.

• Strong commitment from all departments
• Establishing a sense of unity
• A shared understanding of the vision
• Mutual appreciation, respect, and understanding
• Cost savings and risk minimization
• Early detection of potential problems

“My team looks forward to the opportunities ahead and is happy to take on new tasks.”
Sebastian Benndorf

Sebastian's vision goes even further. The 3D simulation of the Dream Factory also shows how people's training will change: future employees will walk the production lines in digital training sessions with virtual reality equipment, test processes, and learn about the specific work involved. The final 3D simulation will include every part of the vehicle production process.

Moreover, the 3D simulation will act as a virtual twin of the future production site. It can be virtually redesigned and tested without interrupting the processes. Sebastian describes this as “simulating changes in the virtual twin, rather than performing open-heart surgery”.

As a leader, Sebastian had to create a clear vision despite many uncertainties. He had to communicate consistently to let everyone participate in the journey. He had to foster new collaborations with technology and software companies and build trust in their technology.

Sebastian Benndorf says: “My team is looking forward to the tasks ahead and is happy to take on new responsibilities.” This, too, is the result of agile leadership.