Modern manufacturers understand the concepts of Lean manufacturing. When considering a Lean transformation for your company, you have studied everything available to you about the benefits of a Lean operating system. By now, you are quite knowledgeable with very little a consultant can tell you about the benefits of Lean manufacturing that you don’t already know. Many manufacturers even have excellent internal staff members capable of completing a Lean manufacturing transformation project themselves. In fact, I wrote my books to provide these knowledgeable manufacturers with a step-by-step implementation methodology they can use for transforming their factories into a Lean operating system.
But even with a knowledgeable staff and a good methodology for completing their transformation project, companies sometimes need a little help with their projects. Third party guidance can often be an extremely helpful tool as you work to achieve your Lean manufacturing goals. Value-added services of a third party include project course corrections, project management skills, Lean training, mentoring and third party conflict resolution. Telling you how great Lean is, what some other company has done, or what you should be doing one more time provides no value to you.
The Mfg. Matters Lean business transformation model is not based on some esoteric discussion of Lean theory. You are way beyond that! You do not need to learn a new foreign vocabulary to make your transformation possible. Standard engineering terminology is all that is necessary for the Mfg Matters transformation methods. The Mfg Matters methods are a series of objective, repeatable, real world tools that can be used for transforming a traditional operating system into a Lean operating system. These tools are totally transferable to you and are yours to keep to be used over and over again for subsequent transformation projects.
If third party assistance can help move your transformation project forward, achieve better results, or provide the catalyst for getting your project started, please contact Mfg Matters. The Mfg Matters business model is designed to provide you with as much or as little help as you need with your important Lean business transformation project. Mfg. Matters prefers to mentor your project as needed.
Examples of Where Mfg. Matters Can Help Your Company with Your Lean Transformation
Kick-off Activities: Even when armed with the necessary knowledge, getting your project started can sometimes be awkward for even the most experienced project manager. An outside third party often brings instant credibility to a skeptical audience. Mfg. Matters can train your change agents and perform necessary training workshops. We can assist the Steering Committee and the Lean coordinator to establish teams, address concerns and answer questions, demonstrate process maps and software applications and generally get your project off to a fast start.
Single Focus Project Managers: In most companies, it is unlikely qualified project managers or team members are just waiting around for some project to come along to become engaged. Good project managers are either not available or are juggling several ongoing projects at a time. The benefits of Lean manufacturing are too great for a company to delay as other projects are being completed. Mfg. Matters can establish the pace of implementation by setting project goals, assessing progress and monitoring the completion dates of key milestones.
An Extra Pair of Hands: Your talent resides in your everyday staff with each person having day-to-day responsibilities for which their performance is measured. Therefore, transformation team members don’t have time to waste going down blind alleys. Sometimes, your project may just need an extra pair of hands to help make the transformation project as efficient as possible. Mfg Matters can help by managing project priorities so the valuable time of your staff is not wasted.
Specialized Experience: While following the Lean manufacturing methods is not complex, they are not always intuitive to first time practitioners. Mfg Matters has years of experience with dozens of Lean transformations under its belt. Since 1994, Mfg. Matters has seen almost every type of transformation scenario! Do not suffer in silence. Mfg Matters can help you over those first time transformation hurdles.
Assure Maximum Benefits: Implementing the Lean manufacturing methods will assure a successful Lean transformation in your company. However, even when using a proven methodology, there are often nuances of implementation known only through previous experience that can help to yield maximum benefits. Mfg. Matters knows many tricks and shortcuts gained through years of transformation experience that can be used to help your Lean project achieve the maximum number of benefits..
A Catalyst for Cultural Change: As with any change of the magnitude of a Lean business transformation, the greatest challenge to success is often the cultural changes required by the entire organization. Mfg. Matters understands the impact to the big picture beyond the shop floor that determines lasting success. Change communicated to the organization through an objective third party often projects neutrality that supersedes a legacy of conflicting objectives and softens internal political differences.
Software Support: The Lean methods used by Mfg. Matters to balance processes, link workstations, model the optimum factory layout, implement a material strategy, establish production rates, and monitor manufacturing performance are all mathematically based. Each of these methods use a series of process maps, spreadsheet programs, and project management tools to help design the ideal Lean factory. All of these factory modeling tools are available to manufacturers and have been designed to assist with their Lean transformation.
Flexibility: Mfg. Matters believes it’s value added proposition is the training and project management of the Lean business transformation. While other consulting firm’s business model is to keep their methods as secret as possible, Mfg. Matters instead acknowledges these concepts as public domain and is happy to assist manufacturers with their Lean initiatives by making as much information as possible available to them. Check out Mfg. Matters books, “Lean Manufacturing Implementation – A Complete Execution Manual for any Size Manufacturer” and Applied Lean Business Transformation- A Complete Project management Approach”
Take advantage of our years of Lean Manufacturing implementation experience.