Turning an aircraft roll-out into a catalyst for merger integration

Project Recovery + Communication

How we used an identity-building live event to unite 150 employees, rebuild trust and strengthen commitment to a new business strategy

Initial Situation

The executive board of a Swiss technology group with over 7,500 employees (turnover: CHF 1.7 billion) had developed a new business strategy for its recently acquired subsidiary in Germany with around 650 employees.

The tradition-rich subsidiary should start to build aircraft like it used to, instead of just maintaining and repairing them (worth over 150 million euros).

The idea of the project recovery was to build a modern version of the once very successful aircraft Dornier Do228. The Swiss parent company anticipated an average global demand of six Do 228 NG (New Generation) per year.

Personnel and technical resources for this were still largely available.

A post-merger integration (PMI) had to be set up.

Challenge

The workforce had gone through multiple changes in the previous years: Changing owners & company name, constant staff reductions.

The major challenges for the new owners from Switzerland therefore included the following aspects:

To establish a new identity, a new sense of unity among the remaining employees.

To motivate the 150-strong development and production team to give their best in the resumed aircraft construction.

Solution

We at viadoo were contracted with the global marketing communication for the new aircraft.

When it could be presented to the professional public, we were also responsible as general contractor for the planning & realisation of the roll-out, which we used for a post-merger integration event.

Together with our client, we wanted to achieve the following goals with the event: (1) Create a sense of unity for the 150-strong core team, (2) Strengthen confidence in the project recovery (new strategy), and (3) To offer the market a convincing performance show.

We were responsible for invitation management, press relations, planning, implementation and documentation of the event, including coordination of all trades (film, sound, lighting, licences).

We succeeded in creating an emotional and identity-forming event for guests and staff in Hangar 338.

Representatives from politics, industry and military were able to experience the new aircraft up close – topped off by the first official flight at 12:30 p.m. – accompanied by two old Dornier 228 aircraft (German Navy and German Aerospace Center, DLR) .

During the event, we gave the 150 members of the core team a central role (e.g. ceremonial entry) and created a motivating new sense of unity among them.

Results

At the end, the 150-person core team gained greater confidence in the new strategy and in the commitment of the Swiss parent company.

Employees developed renewed pride in their company and stronger identification with its future. As a result, our documentary video of the event garnered over 8,000 views in the first few months — with the client’s core team consisting of just 150 people.

At the same time, the successful roll-out of the Do228 NG demonstrated the company’s technical capabilities to customers, political representatives, industry stakeholders and the media.

The event therefore strengthened both internal integration and the external credibility of the aircraft programme.

Documentation roll-out Do228 NG

Facts & Figures about Do228

The Swiss company acquired the type certification for the predecessor, the Dornier 228, from the insolvency estate of Fairchild Dornier. Key components of the aircraft are now manufactured under license by EASA-certified Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) in Kanpur, India. The fuselage, wings, and tail are then transported to Oberpfaffenhofen. Final assembly, outfitting, and installation of special equipment take place there.

Among other things, the aircraft are equipped with two five-blade fiber composite propellers (MT Propeller, Straubing), a modern glass cockpit, new avionics, and two optimized Garrett TPE 331-10 engines with hot & high performance.

The Do228 NG’s outstanding flight characteristics include its short takeoff capability (STOL) and its ability to take off and land on unpaved runways with limited ground support. It also has a high payload and range.

Delivery of the first Do228 NG was scheduled for early 2010. In 2009, orders and options for ten aircraft have been received from Vietnam, Japan, Australia, Mexico, and Argentina, among others. These include airlines as well as authorities and organizations with security tasks (BOS). After appropriate conversion, they intend to use the aircraft for coastal, environmental, and border surveillance, among other things.

Meanwhile, General Atomics AeroTec Systems GmbH maintains the Do228 and developed the latest version called Do228 NXT.