For sustained improvements and culture change, this is the step-by-step approach
for companies that want to deliberately shape their future. We provide expert guidance
in lean system design, heavy education and coaching through value stream transformation
activities to achieve and stabilize performance gains, then move forward.
Effective change comes from inside the organization, through the creative energy
and talent of the workforce and the leaders. Our Strategic Transformation Partnership
allows the members of an organization to achieve a rapid, successful, and sustainable
transformation to The Lean Way. This partnership integrates hands-on education and
action to build a more capable and motivated work force.
Without a mandate from the highest levels of leadership, the lean journey never
gets going. Therefore, our partnership launches with executive alignment. We begin
with a preliminary assessment so that we understand your operations in detail. We
then lead your executives through a strategic look at the lean system, exploring
a wide variety of lean topics, and help them shape a plan to deploy through the organization. The plan drives the sequence of activities
in the overall transformation of the organization.
Transformation of your operational systems begins with building a skilled transformation
team. This partnership provides the practical, hands on learning the team will need
through three intensive week-long transformation sessions, each separated by 4 to
6 weeks, during which the participants complete assigned projects building on the
learning from each facilitated session. All projects are coordinated and supported
to have an impact on the target value stream. Teams and leaders hold each other
accountable as we progress through this phase of learning and doing.
The Strategic Transformation Partnership is customized to the clients greatest needs,
but the sequence of activities typically goes from a focus on systems, then to processes,
and finally to problem solving and kaizen.
Session one typically focuses on systems. During this week, we complete Value Stream
Maps that will turn the plan into a detailed action plan at the operational
level. ILS coaches will teach the teams how to develop a future state map and identify
the key opportunities and transformation sequence, then begin executing that sequence
immediately. A critical project (or multiple projects) will become the learning
vehicle, where we introduce a topic then take action to apply that concept in the
workplace immediately. Our facilitators teach the basics of lean systems, understanding
and applying lean tools, problem solving, and an array of other topics to enable
the participants to work the project through to completion before the end of the
week. Expect long days of focused work. Projects will end with detailed presentations.
The second session focuses on processes. Several teams (typically 4) will work in
parallel on a set of major projects to reach the learning and improvement objectives.
The objectives center on topics such as workstation design, standardized work development,
5S and visual management, changeover time reduction, pull systems development, or
source quality. This week will also be long days, but the teams bond, and begin
seeing the fruits of their efforts and sharing enthusiasm with the rest of the workforce.
The third session focuses on problem solving and kaizen. This week will introduce
participants to designing and implementing a daily management system, defining key
performance indicators and rapid response systems, and developing a suggestion system
that builds problem solving skills. This session ends with a detailed discussion
about implementation plans for remaining projects in the plan and training plans for each participant to assure
they continue moving forward and carry the obligation to teach the next set of teams.
These future plans may or may not involve ILS trainers, but ILS stands by to provide
support for these companies and would expect to revisit them frequently to assess
the progress and prevent backsliding.
With each week of projects, we expect to secure substantial cost savings that pass
through to the bottom-line. Companies benefit both from these savings and from having
a highly skilled team to continue the efforts. If we discover that certain projects
are particularly challenging, we may recommend that one of our project managers
work with you on site for a few weeks in order to complete the activities effectively.
Throughout the process, the ILS coaches are with you, challenging the leaders and
the teams to reach higher, dig deeper, go further. Together, we get - that generate enough cost savings to pay for the
training many times over. Plus, there are intangible - something more than what a standard consulting engagement
can deliver. After all, your people will have done this themselves. They will have
built tremendous skills. They will be proud that they have earned the ILS Lean Systems
Certificate, a credential that will advance them in their future careers. They will
have become teachers and coaches and will have taken on the role of educating your
entire workforce.
When the is finished, we’ll do it again, with another
set of transformation teams, and watch the energy and improvements spread across
your entire enterprise and spill into the supply chain.
This partnership creates a culture of internal entrepreneurs; a culture of lean
thinkers, bent on continuous improvement. To further sustain the momentum, you’ll
select a group of the very best team members, leaders, and champions to complete
the This series of courses is designed
to qualify your own people to serve as internal consultants, making you completely
self-sufficient. Our involvement shrinks to periodic visits, answering questions,
and providing on-going personal coaching as needed.
to discuss
scheduling, funding options, and possibilities. We’re looking forward to working
with you.
Click here to read through the our Case Studies.
See how we helped this company bounce back from a bad financial situation.
Strategic Transformation Process Flow Diagram
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