What is Lean?

Lean production is an approach to business management that focuses on cutting out waste and inefficiency, whilst ensuring quality. This approach can be applied to all aspects of a business – from planning, through production to distribution.

Lean production aims to cut costs by making the business more efficient and responsive to market needs.

This approach sets out to cut out or minimise activities that do not add value to the production process, such as holding of stock, re-working or maintaining stock and unnecessary movement of people and product around the business.

Lean production originated in the manufacturing plants of Japan but has now been adopted well beyond large and sophisticated manufacturing activities.

The lean approach to managing operations is really about:

• Doing the simple things well

• Doing things better and more efficiently

• Involving employees in the continuous process of improvement

• …and as a result, avoiding waste, reducing cost and improving profitability

The concept of lean production is an incredibly powerful one for any business that wants to become and/or remain competitive.

This initial LEAN information workshop will cover a range of topics including:

• What is LEAN and the significant benefits to be gained in applying LEAN in your business

• How to improve quality, reduce costs and increase customer satisfaction

• How to identify waste and improvement opportunities in everyday activities

• Understanding the cumulative costs of waste in processes and the bottom line impact to your business

• Ways to reduce and/or eliminate waste and evaluate the measurable benefit to the business by calculating return on investment

• How to build skills and knowledge in individuals and teams to boost productivity

• How to combine core LEAN thinking with modern Leadership principles to improve the profitability and performance of your business

• The value of building skills, knowledge and experiences into positive LEAN and Leadership business habits in your workplace.

• How LEAN workshops can enable effective networking with like-minded LEAN Leaders who share similar issues, challenges and experiences

• Live work-based activities for practical, real-life application in your workplace to drive improvement

Who should attend the workshops?

This LEAN workshop is ideally suited to current and emerging leaders in your workplace e.g. Business owners, senior leaders, operational leaders, key and emerging staff

The Workshop Facilitators:

The program will be facilitated by Bruce Yelland, with support from Wayne Fraser.

Bruce Yelland – Bruce has been working and consulting in LEAN and Continuous Improvement for more than 15 years. Originally with a background in Agriculture and Warehousing & Distribution, Bruce has extensive experience working with businesses across many industries, including: Food & Wine Production, Warehousing & Distribution, Computing & Technology Systems, Utilities, Engineering & Fabrication, Business Services & more recently Horticulture. Bruce brings a practical, real-world approach to his facilitation and coaching. Bruce has also been Consulting and Facilitating Leadership Development for over 10 years.

Wayne Fraser – Wayne has over 30 years of Continuous Improvement and Leadership experience in the precision based Automotive Manufacturing industry, both domestically and internationally. Wayne has also worked with organisations across the Defence, Engineering & Fabrication, General Manufacturing & Water Utility industries. Wayne has a natural coaching style and invests heavily in supporting his clients to achieve measurable outcomes.

Workshop Dates:

The workshops will run for approximately 4 hours on a fortnightly basis. Locations may vary.

Friday 19 July
Friday 2 August
Friday 16 August
Friday 30 August
Friday 13 September
Friday 27 September
Friday 11 October
Friday 25 October
Friday 8 November
Friday 22 November