Even well-designed systems can work against you. Just ask the orthopedics division of a life sciences medical device company that found itself in a downward spiral — not because its people weren’t trying but because its systems were silently sabotaging them.

This is the case study of how a tiger team turned dysfunction into dominance. And it’s a blueprint for any tech executive staring down performance decay and wondering: Where do I even begin?

The Burning Platform Was Real — But So Was The Fog

Revenue was falling. Investor confidence was eroding. A new product launch was floundering. The CEO had made public commitments to reverse the trend. But inside the company, teams were flying blind — tracking transformation in spreadsheets, shifting goalposts midcycle, and reporting “watermelon KPIs” (green on the outside, red on the inside).

The tiger team didn’t just fix broken processes. They rewired the organization’s nervous system.

The Four Threads Of Transformation

The team’s success came from weaving four threads into a single fabric of operational excellence:

  1. Mindset Before Mechanics

Before changing the business, they changed how the business thought. They challenged legacy assumptions, fostered psychological safety, and audited KPI credibility. This wasn’t just culture change — it was cognitive realignment.

  1. Tracking Before Talking

They replaced fragmented spreadsheets with McKinsey’s Wave platform. Real-time visibility, version control, and formal change governance turned chaos into clarity. No more quiet goalpost-shifting. No more watermelon KPIs.

  1. Maps Before Moves

They used customer journey maps, value stream maps, and business capability maps to surface the truth. Sales wasn’t failing — the supply chain was. Manufacturing was producing what was easiest, not what was needed. These maps revealed the “as is” state and lit the path to “to be.”

  1. Governance Before Glory

They didn’t just launch initiatives — they sustained them. A PMO enforced change control. A six-month postclose audit validated results. Executives made ceremonial commitments to continuity. The transformation stuck because it was built to do so.

The Results: From Reactive To Resilient

  • Supply chain performance surged. Inventory stabilized. Manufacturing aligned with demand.
  • Sales readiness improved. Reps were retrained, assets deployed, and leading indicators tracked.
  • New product launches recovered. Cross-functional coordination restored momentum.
  • Margins expanded. SG&A costs dropped. Distribution savings tripled. Low-ROI spend was cut.

Ten Guideposts For Your Own Tiger Team

Forrester codified the transformation into 10 enduring truths — from “start with a clear mandate” to “plan in waves.” These aren’t commandments; they’re compass points. Use them to navigate your own journey from firefighting to foresight.

What You Should Do Next

If your systems are silently working against you, don’t just fix the symptoms — reconnect the signals. Build your golden thread — the one that ties customer needs to operational execution.

Start with mindset. Track with tech. Map the truth. Govern the change.

Your tiger team awaits … and if you need help, let’s talk. Schedule an inquiry or guidance session with me. I offer a sharper lens for selecting and enabling transformation teams — aligning execution with your strategy for lasting improvement through tech, governance, and culture.

Forrester clients can learn about the 10 enduring truths: How A Life Science Medical Device Organization Transformed Its Supply Chain.

Forrester clients can also read The Golden Thread From CX To Value Streams Reveals Optimization Opportunities to learn the approach of using tiger teams to kick-start an integrated approach to process optimization.