Flextronics is a provider of vertically integrated advanced design, engineering and electronics manufacturing services to original equipment manufacturers, with more than 200 factories in 30 countries. Serving customers through full-function "mini-factory" teams is a hallmark of its success. After two years of growth, Flextronics found its program managers did not sufficiently understand the multifunctional interdependencies across planning, engineering, finance and other essential functions to be effective and efficient in a low-margin industry with an even lower tolerance for error. Flextronics tapped the experiential learning expertise of TRI Corporation to develop and deploy an immersive training experience that transformed the abilities of Flextronics’ managers and functional leads. Managers are convinced of the immediate and long-term ROI — more than 170 managers on three continents have participated, and 354 are on a waiting list for the next round. The program benefits include successful teamwork and functional interdependency; stronger skills in business strategy formulation and execution; prioritization of financial results; strong management bench; and more satisfied customers. Carmella Granado, Senior Director, Organization Effectiveness, Flextronics Inc.

1. Experiential Learning:
Breaking Through Barriers
to Profitability and
Customer Satisfaction
Carmella Granado
Senior Director, Organization Effectiveness
Flextronics
with
TRI Corporation

2. TRI Corporation designs and delivers
state of the art business simulations
and experiential learning programs for
global market leading organizations.
We are committed to helping our
clients develop their leaders, improve
executive business acumen and
enhance shareholder value.
Our mission is to be the preferred
experiential learning partner to
organizations dedicated to leadership
development. We seek to deliver
exceptional organizational benefits by
establishing deep long term
relationships of lasting value to select
clients.

3. TRI Corpora*on Copyright 2010

4. 4Design. Build. Ship. Service.
Scale. 200,000 employees operating in 30 countries spanning four continents.
Breadth. Integrated solutions and services that span the full product lifecycle,
from design to manufacturing to distribution and a broad range of after market services.
Depth. Best-in-class service offerings ranging from high volume/low mix to
complex low volume/high mix.
Customer Segments & Business Units. Dedicated segment and
customer focused commercial and operational teams across
five strategic segments and five business units.
Stability. Fiscal year 2010 revenues of US$24.1 billion. Strong balance
sheet with a diversified customer and segment portfolio. Leader in
Lean Six Sigma operations and vertically integrated supply
chain solutions.
About Flextronics

5. 5Design. Build. Ship. Service.
Flextronics – Breadth and Depth
Design.
• Industrial Design
• System Architecture
• Mechanical Design
• Embedded
System Design
• Software Systems
• Product Launch/NPI
• DFx Services
• Optomechatronics
Build.
• PCB/Flex Circuits
• Camera Modules
• LCD Displays
• Cables
• Machining
• Plastics
• Metal Fabrication
• SMT Assembly
• System Integration
and Final Test
• Optomechatronics
Ship.
• Build-to-Order
• Configure-to-Order
• Distribution and
Direct Fulfillment
• Outbound Logistics
and Hubbing
Service.
• Repair/ Refurbishment
and Warranty Support
• Service Parts Logistics
• Remarketing
• Retail Technical
Services
• Asset Recovery
• Reverse Logistics

6. 6Design. Build. Ship. Service.
Diversified Business Model

7. 7Design. Build. Ship. Service.
Business Situation
• Explosive growth via acquisition resulted in diverse skill set
• Low-margin business can’t afford errors
• Fast-paced, pressured environment drives need to be good at
thinking and acting on our feet
• Needed to “grow” our own General Managers, tear down
functional silos and increase collaboration
• Best Practices appeared one step removed and didn’t teach
problem solving

8. 8Design. Build. Ship. Service.
The Solution: Action Learning
Action Learning Sets – Reg Revans
Business-Driven Action Learning – Short Burst – GE, Boeing
Action Learning Long-Term Projects -- Siemens, Others
BUT
As Yury Boshyk says:
“The house of Action Learning has many doors”
“Traditional” Action Learning--

9. 9Design. Build. Ship. Service.
TRI Corporation Partnership
1. Flextornics Leadership
Development Team found TRI
2. TRI custom fit its simulation to
Flextornics
• Business model
• Margins
• Typical challenge
• Overall culture
3. Piloted and deployed
Simulating the real world as close as possible stimulates the mind
My FlexFactory – San Jose

10. 10Design. Build. Ship. Service.
My FlexFactory
• 18-month business cycle into 3
intense days
• 3 cross-functional teams compete
for best financial results and
highest customer satisfaction
• Real-life role play – demanding
customers, short deadlines, ever-
changing objectives,
unresponsive suppliers
• Quarterly business reviews
My FlexFactory – Venray

11. 11Design. Build. Ship. Service.
Simulation Components
• Understanding the environment
• Setting and meeting
commitments
• Creating high-performing teams
• Breaking self-imposed constraints
• Critical thinking
• Innovation and creativity
• Negotiating and influencing
• Benchmarking assignments
• Executive operating reviews
• Dealing with ambiguity
• Risk assessments and mitigation
• Second order consequences
• Seeing around corners
• Understanding the big picture
• Decisions and consequences

12. 12Design. Build. Ship. Service.
My FlexFactory Is Action Learning
Teams learn how factories run
• Give formal Operations Reviews
with senior execs
• Have to deliver product, profit and
customer satisfaction
• Must collaborate for best results
• Learn to question everything
• Finance on team optimizes “the
box”
• Great questions get you “outside
the box”
• Learning is immediately applied
to projects back at work
My FlexFactory – China

13. 13Design. Build. Ship. Service.
Benefits
• Successful teamwork and
functional interdependency
• Stronger skills in business
strategy formulation and
execution
• Prioritization of financial results
• Strong management bench
• More satisfied customers
• Managers are convinced of the
immediate and long-term ROI
"We've implemented weekly P&L reviews so
all managers (test, process, product,
manufacturing, industrial) understand,
prioritize and document the actions they need
to take to meet or improve our targets.“
Engineering Manager
"The training opened my eyes to the value of
team expertise and to how functions work
together so we can drive results cohesively.“
Business Development Manager

14. 14Design. Build. Ship. Service. 14
Observations
NO ONE asks any questions!!!
• Finance people optimize “The Box” they are in
• Curious teams that ask more questions get the
best results...they learn how to think outside
“The Box”
• Teams impacted throughout the program
Let’s see the quality and quantity of your questions!

15. 15Design. Build. Ship. Service. 15
Mindset of Curiosity - Exercise
Use open-ended, exploratory questions
and listen deeply…
NOT to discover WHAT the person is,
but rather to…
learn as much as possible about what it is like to be
whatever your partner has chosen

16. 16Design. Build. Ship. Service. 16
Debrief
• What was comfortable/uncomfortable about this exercise?
• How easy or difficult was it?
• How different is this from how you usually operate?
• What are the implications for Action Learning?

17. 17Design. Build. Ship. Service. 17
In Sum . . . The Best Contemporary Business Simulations
• Built around real business situations and problems
• Anticipate and model future situations and problems
• Incorporate live, real-time interactions between stakeholders
• Allow mistakes with no negative impact to the business
• Force rigorous considerations of risk and unintended consequences
• Are truly experiential “learning by doing”
• Encourage the right questions
• Demolish self-imposed constraints
• Incorporate reflection by After Action Reviews
Would you fly in an airplane flown by a pilot who had
never been in a flight simulator?

18. Q&A

19. Thank You!