Not Another “Lean” Consultant: How to Achieve Operational Excellence

The pandemic certainly threw a monkey wrench into the workings of many businesses, and Just-in-Time became way too late as supply chains stumbled. But as things emerged, we saw many businesses getting back on track.

How has your business changed since 2020? Has your team dug in and taken a new look at operations recently? What could you do better if you had a lean management system or one that is working well? Let’s find out.

Analyzing the big picture

Recently, I’ve been in conversations that confirmed that many companies want to put their teams’ focus back on track. But the turbulence of the past few years has instead led to shorter-term focus. Businesses are patching the holes instead of looking long-term. Turnover is another issue as staff change positions or leave the organization. They often are in a situation where the staff doesn’t have the time to look at the whole picture. I noticed this with my warehousing clients.

Instilling continuous improvement

Being associated with Toyota Material Handling North America (TMHNA), I’ve fortunately experienced the Toyota Production System (TPS). When TMHNA purchased Raymond in 2000, I saw firsthand the quality improvements in the equipment, service, and sales process. It’s hard to believe it’s been 24 years, and it’s still going strong!

I remember the Lego forklift building team exercises as part of our TPS training. It showed how well the system works. The instructor gave our team of six a pile of Legos, and each member slowly assembled forklifts. Then, each member was assigned a particular portion of the building process, and one member focused only on material sorting and distribution. This standardized method reduced the build time. We significantly improved after a few trials and minor adjustments, including a quality inspection and feedback down the assembly line. Now, imagine if these weren’t Legos.

A lifetime of Lean

Let’s take The Raymond Corporation, for instance. It is built on this proven foundation. When TPS principles were applied, the workers were more efficient, and continuous improvement was achieved throughout the organization. Since 2006, Raymond has saved roughly 20,000 days of work from the employee ideas submitted for process improvement (Kaizens) that have been implemented!

Time to get back on the efficiency track

I use the Kaizen 5S methodology weekly to organize my time and often to make my daily life more productive. However, I’m not a lean analyst, but we have a team of skilled Continuous Improvement Specialists ready to do this work for you. Recent successes have shown me many clients can benefit from revisiting Lean Management with quick ROIs and long-lasting improvements.

Today’s business leaders are stretched thin, so we’re here to help. Let’s have a conversation and see if our lean management teams can work together to overcome the upheaval of recent years. We can use Lean principles to improve your warehouse’s productivity and process flows and develop a value stream map that will create optimization.

Consider this: Abel Womack, a Raymond solutions and support center, offers a complimentary walkthrough by its Toyota-trained staff. What is there to lose? Or should I ask what there is to gain?

Download the Lean Management white paper.