Lean Management
Lean on the shop floor, not in the meeting room
Almost every industrial company has run a Lean project by now. Many are left with a board on the wall and little else. The difference is not the method, which has been public knowledge for decades, but who runs it and how long they stay.
Why the second attempt usually works better
When companies call us, it is rarely their first encounter with Lean. What failed before was almost never the tool. It was that nobody stayed to hold the change in place once it stopped being new, or that the easy things got measured instead of the painful ones.
- The previous project ended with the final presentation
- Metrics were introduced that nobody uses to make decisions
- The improvement lasted exactly as long as the consultant was present
- A system was copied from another plant without adapting it
- Supervisors were trained, but what is expected of them never changed
Where it shows first
We do not start with a complete value stream map. We start where the company is visibly losing money. That produces a result early, and an early result is what convinces the shop floor to believe the rest.
- Lead times and on-time delivery
- Quality, complaints and cost of poor quality
- Changeover times and machine availability
- Inventory and work in progress
- Information flow between production, quality and purchasing
How we work
We are on the floor with the people doing the work, not in a room with senior management. We train the supervisors while the work happens, because they are the ones who will have to sustain it after we leave, and we document what changed and why.
- Assessment on site, using the company's own data
- Supervisor training on the real case, not in the abstract
- Metrics that support decisions rather than decorate walls
- Documented handover, so it keeps working without us
Consulting, training or interim: what fits when
| Situation | What fits | What remains afterwards |
|---|---|---|
| Team in place, method missing | Training | Supervisors can apply it themselves |
| Method in place, nobody to drive it | Interim management | The change implemented and a person trained |
| Unclear where the losses are | Assessment | Priorities and figures to decide on |
| Tried before, did not stick | Hands-on support | Improvement sustained and measured |
Frequently asked questions
How long does a project like this take?
It depends on scope, but we work in phases with a visible result in each one. We prefer a short, verifiable first phase over a one-year plan that nobody can assess until the end.
Does production have to stop?
No. The work happens while the plant is running, precisely because that is when the problem becomes visible. Changes are tested on one line or one shift before being rolled out.
Does this work in a small company?
Yes, often better: there are fewer layers between the people deciding and the people doing. The scope changes, the approach does not.
Can you train our team as well?
Yes, and in Spain part of that training is often funded through FUNDAE. We check that when preparing the proposal.
What happens when the project ends?
What changed, who sustains it and which metrics to watch are all documented. We can review again later if you want, but the intention is that you should not need us to.
Do you need support at short notice?
Describe the situation. You will receive a first assessment and suitable profiles within 48 hours, free of charge.
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