Lean Business Solutions.
Lean Master
ASQ Certified Quality Engineer
Certified Six Sigma Black Belt
byronheadrick@theleanleap.com

Approach

For over 15 years I have successfully implemented lean across a diverse set of business models, ranging from Service businesses to Production Manufacturing Companies to Small, Make-to-Order Job Shops. My experience has shown that many people believe that a business can reap the benefits of lean by simply deploying lean technical tools. In fact many believe that Lean IS these tools: 5S, Pull, Standardized Work, and so on. Often they pick and chose which lean tools to deploy by the latest customer crisis or an assessment that points to specific opportunities. Often when lean tools are picked from like a Smorgasbord or applied in localized areas, ONLY limited improvements are made. Over time many improvements made fall to the way side.

The key to success lies in understanding that to “lean” a business it must start with the people and what they think. It builds into a system. The tools come last.

Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA)

The Planning phase begins by conducting a base level assessment of your business environment, assessing your organization’s readiness by meeting with key managers, getting to know your products/services, and developing an understanding of what your customers’ value. I get to know your business. This is done quickly – in hours and days rather than in weeks or months. This is followed by your team and I developing Strategic Current and Future State Value Stream Maps. Depending upon your business size and complexity the Strategic Value Stream might cover your entire business or an initial strategic product line/service provision. This process will provide you and your team with the vision, the understanding and the plan to drive value to your customers while creating competitive advantages.

The Do phase starts with quickly fixing the obvious things that we see as we map your current state to add immediate value. There is NO DELAY. We fix the obvious as we go. Often times these immediate “low hanging fruits” pay for the initial deployment startup cost. We continue “doing” by pursuing your Future State through the deployment of the lean technical tools via kaizen events and longer term improvement projects. Also we focus on building a sustainable, continuous improvement culture with techniques such as daily accountability; leadership standardized work, visual work place, standardized work checks, Gemba walks and so on.

The Check and Act phases are done continuously during attainment of the Future State. Status of the implementation is tracked via a Strategic Value Stream Leadership Team that is composed of key staff members. This team monitors progress and communicates the status of deployment throughout the organization. This team adjusts or re-deploys resources to ensure that the Future State is being achieved and also validates the improvements made. Once the Future state is achieved, the cycle starts a new. In a larger company, this time the Strategic Value Stream Mapping process will spread to more and more product lines/service provisions. Annually an assessment of the entire organization is conducted to ensure that progress is being made and that no gaps are missed during each Strategic Value Stream Mapping Cycle. The PDCA Approach is continual, repeating as your business matures and spirals upward always in pursuit of your organization’s perfect state.

Advantages You Can Expect

In Manufacturing Environments:

  • Productivity Increase 25% per Year
  • Scrap & Rework Reduction up to 90%
  • Inventory Reduced by up to 50%
  • Setups Reduced from Hours to Minutes
  • Lead Times Reduced from Weeks to Days

In Service/Office Environments:

  • Paper Work Process Time Reduced up to 90%
  • Paper Work in Process Reduced up to 90%
  • Reduce Paper Work Errors by up to 50%
  • Improve On Time Performance by up to 90%

If you would like to see how my self-funding PDCA approach to lean deployment can leap your business ahead, please give me a call or send an email to arrange for a no-cost consultation.  If you have a few minutes, why not take the time to complete a brief self-assessment of your current situation.  You will have your self-assessment results in an instant with highlights on how I can help leap your business ahead.

 
 

1. Lean works across all businesses: Although Lean manufacturing was originally developed as an improvement tool with a manufacture-centric approach, of late; businesses ranging from hospitals to call centers have successfully implemented Lean to improve their businesses.

2. Lean focuses on increasing value for your customers: Often companies get so focused on what needs to be done faster or better that they seldom pause to ask why they are doing it at all. Increased, tangible customer value means that while the customer of products or services enjoys a better experience in terms of increased utility and reduced prices the company achieves improved bottom line results.

3. Lean drives immediate functional improvements: Implementation of Lean results in faster-than-expected reductions of production/process time and costs due to the rapid engagement of people and quick application of Lean through Kaizen events.

4. Lean drives vision: Lean links strategic priorities with improvements in operations so that top management goals produce higher returns and improved customer experiences.

5. Lean produces a sustainable continuous improvement culture: Lean is woven into every aspect of business. Real results can be witnessed, thus it leads to the creation of sustainability at all levels of the organization.