Long-Term Transformation

Sustainable Business Improvement

You don’t need another flavor-of-the-month program full of big promises that doesn’t have any impact on your organization’s financial results. It’s not worth the effort. Our Approach is different. Over almost two decades TBM has emphasized a holistic, enterprise-wide lean methodology that allows our clients to attain operational superiority and achieve a sustainable market advantage.

Following the examples set by the likes of Toyota and Danaher, you should expect your business-improvement initiatives to deliver dramatic, consistent, bottom-line benefits year after year. Our long-term clients continue to discover new opportunities to transform their businesses, often in completely unexpected ways. Some characteristics of these market leaders include:

• Uncommonly high customer satisfaction levels in excess of 95%
• Superior customer retention rates
• Service lead times that are 75% to 50% less than the industry average
• Annual productivity increases of 15% or more
• Product introduction rates 2X to 3X more frequent than the competition.
• Sales growth 3X to 5X higher than the industry average
• Steady market share growth

Sustained from month to month, these results stem from an embedded customer-centric culture that adapts quickly to changing market needs. This culture is supported by deep knowledge of LeanSigma tools, a non-stop focus on problem solving, and a genuine, executive-level commitment to employee growth. Following a detailed improvement plan, these companies develop new products that exceed customer needs, and work in tandem with their supplier partners to meet those needs.

While the journey is never finished, a Long-term LeanSigma Transformation takes root over a three- to five-year period. The level of engagement with TBM depends on the complexity, desired pace and client focus. Through the our training arm, the Lean Sigma Institute, we work with your senior leaders and continuous improvement teams to establish a foundation for Lean Leadership and Culture Change. We encourage executive management to quickly adopt a Policy Deployment process to provide a framework for selecting breakthrough projects and establishing expectations and clear resource alignment and accountability.

Managers and lean leaders must be fully engaged to successfully transform a culture that generates ongoing results. A typical engagement with TBM starts with a lean assessment that includes a small team of consultants and your key managers. This assessment provides an implementation roadmap that includes an analysis of performance today, current and future state maps, prioritized improvement opportunities, work plans, and projected costs and the payback. It establishes baseline performance measures and helps senior managers and site managers understand their roles in driving change. Early introduction of our Kaizen Breakthrough Methodology and Managing for Daily Improvement builds understanding of time-based management strategies and establishes new management habits to sustain your gains.

As your company becomes more flexible and responsive within your operations, our advisors will help you improve business planning and scheduling, and extend your efforts out into the Value Chain with your suppliers and with customers. Ultimately, you will be able to leverage your operational advantage and utilize Lean Sigma as a strategy to differentiate, innovate, acquire and grow.

For example, to hit the sweet spot between operational effectiveness and strategic positioning (being both better and different) starts by taking a broad view of the market. Our strategic Voice of the Customer (VOC) process helps you identify trends, needs, strategies and opportunities for technology and business investment. Plotting such information on a Value Innovation Curve rates the key factors of a potential offering against what’s now available in the market. Moving from such insights to product launch then follows a disciplined development and testing process that matches VOC needs to high-value market opportunities. The net result: Radically superior value for your customers at a low cost.

Long-term Transformation is the ultimate objective of any lean business initiative. Contact us at 91.124.437.5995 to discuss how TBM consultants can help you transform your business and stay at the competitive edge.

RECOGNIZING EXCELLENCE

TBM periodically recognizes companies and facilities that have successfully transformed their businesses with our Perfect Engine Award. Past recipients have included:

Hubbell—A multi-billion manufacturer of residential and commercial wiring and communication systems, lighting systems and electrical products, Hubbell initially implemented Lean Sigma to streamline its production operations. Today, in addition to enhanced flexibility and more rapid product development, Lean Sigma has helped it reduce inventory and working capital requirements, and achieve consistent sales growth and improved profitability.

Vermeer Corporation—Based in Pella, Iowa, the global manufacturer of construction and agricultural equipment executed hundreds of kaizen events to collectively improve productivity 26% and achieve total savings of $29.7 million. As a result of their commitment to Lean over the past 10-plus years, Vermeer weathered the current economic downturn and leveraged value innovation and voice of customer to accelerate new product development.

Hayward Pools—This privately held manufacturer of swimming pool equipment implemented Lean Sigma in three U.S. plants (allowing it to consolidate a fourth plant), made customer-focused improvements throughout its value chain, and used Design for Lean Sigma to develop and launch a constant stream of new products.