Region: United States

Delivering Process Improvement

Posted on by Ailsa Carson

We all want to improve the way that we work. Process improvement (digital or otherwise) doesn’t just happen though, someone has to drive these projects. Whose responsibility should this be? Should we ask our divisions to improve their own processes or do we create a transformation team to do it for them.  

 

To start, let’s quickly recap S A Partner’s Improvement journey:  

SA Partners Improvement Journey 

The model explains that to reach excellence, you need to: 

  1. Standardise the way that work is done 
  2. Optimise your process by removing waste  
  3. Use technology to scale your processes  

While there are more nuances, at a high level it really is that simple. The question then becomes, how, or rather who, needs to support this journey.  

There are three approaches that you can take when it comes to improvement:  

Centralised 

Under a central model, a central team is formed of skilled and experienced people whose day job it is to deliver improvement. These central resources may be employees of the organisation itself, external consultants, or a combination of the two. The division will remain involved; however, they will be stakeholders rather than being responsible for delivering projects.  

Decentralised 

Under a decentralised model, the responsibility for process management and improvement will sit with the division themselves with limited, if any, central support.  

Hybrid 

Under a hybrid model, a central team exists however the delivery work is shared with the division. The role of the central team can vary, and be anything from providing centralised planning and oversight, all the way through to doing the lion’s share of the delivery work.  

As you might imagine, there are advantages of each approach.  

A centralised approach:  

  • Helps ensure that the quality of development is consistent and in accordance to the established standards  
  • Accelerates the development of solutions by providing dedicated resources 
  • Reduces the time and cost of development through specialisation and economies of scale 
  • Helps to prevent shadow IT  
  • Minimises the duplication of work through the creation of reusable assets  
  • Allows the business to focus on their day job  
  • Ability to implement strong governance frameworks  

A de-centralised approach:  

  • Empowers Process Owners and Participants to improve their own processes  
  • May result in higher adoption from the business for solutions that they build  
  • Uncovers use cases that would otherwise have not been known 
  • Reduced the need to wait on a central team to become available  
  • Has lower central resource overhead requirements  

Clearly then there is no one best approach. In making the decision there are a few things to consider:  

  • Your strategy. Is there a business benefit for your division to diverting time from their day job to work on process improvement?  
  • Capability. Do your people have the skills needed to successfully deliver improvement themselves?  
  • Capacity. Do your people have the time to be able to deliver improvement projects while continuing to perform their day job?  

 

Again, while there is no one answer, I can offer some best practice guidance depending on the type of improvement work being done. Broadly speaking, we can split improvement work up into two arms, process management and process digitisation.  

Process Management  

Process Management involves documenting as-is processes, standardising the way that work is done, and improving these processes by removing waste. My recommendation is to decentralise this work.  

There is a huge strategic benefit of the division doing this work – they are the ones with their boots on the ground and therefore have the best understanding of where the process can be improved, what pain-points exist, and what the root cause of the underlying issues are. I would argue that asking your team to do this work is not taking time away from their day job, it is their day job.  

This of course does not mean that there is no need for a central team. You may have some large strategic projects that are too complicated to ask the division to deliver themselves, so you still should have access to central, highly skilled and experienced resources to deliver these projects as well as to support the division as they deliver projects themselves.  

Having agreed that there is a strategic benefit to decentralising this work, we now need to consider capacity and capability.  

Starting with capacity. There’s no point asking your divisional team to perform improvement work if they are already working at 110% utilisation. Something will need to change and overtime you need to ensure that everyone has time formally built into their performance plans to focus on improvement.  

Capability is much easier. Everyone across your organisation should have some amount of process management, improvement, and problem-solving skills; the level to which will depend on the extent to which they are expected to participate and lead improvement initiatives. As a starting point, here is our guidelines for the skills required:  

 

Process Digitisation 

The second arm of process improvement is digitisation and automation. This involves using technology to improve processes which may be as anything from implementing an off the shelf tool, automating process steps, or building custom applications.  

These activities do not necessarily have a strategic benefit of being performed by the division. Once we identify that our process has a step that can be automated for example, there is no strategic benefit for the division to build the automation itself. In this case, you would be better off leveraging experienced, competent professionals to perform the technical build and testing while the division focuses on their day job. There is however a benefit in the division receiving basic training on process digitisation and automation as, by understanding the art of the possible, they will then be well placed to flag where there are opportunities to incorporate technology in their processes.  

In summary then, as obvious as it sounds, if you want to improve your processes you need to consider who is going to perform the improvement work. This decision needs to be anchored in strategy and supported by realistic capability and capacity planning. Finally, this decision needs to be fluid, as your organisation and the environment in which it operates evolves, so too should your execution model.  

 Please do reach out if you would like to discuss this in any way. 

Ishan Sellahewa 

ishan.sellahewa@sapartners.com 

Speak To Lead: How To Embrace Your Challenge Voice Full Recording

Posted on by jordansquire

Why Curiosity is Essential for Gemba

Posted on by jordansquire

In the world of effective leadership, one invaluable skill often goes overlooked—Gemba. While Gemba is often associated with process improvement, its true power lies in its ability to transform leadership communication. In this blog, we’ll explore the critical role of communication in Gemba and provide you with two essential tips to enhance your Gemba skills in this regard.

The Power of Communication in Gemba

Effective communication is at the heart of Gemba. When leaders engage in Gemba, they’re not just inspecting processes; they’re building connections, fostering understanding, and driving positive change through dialogue. It’s not about talking; it’s about listening, observing, and engaging in meaningful conversations.

Tip 1: Embrace Active Listening

Listening is the cornerstone of successful Gemba. To truly understand your team and their challenges, you must become an active listener. Here’s how:

  • Be Present: When you’re in Gemba, be fully present. Put away distractions, clear your mind, and focus on the person you’re engaging with.
  • Ask Open-Ended Questions: Encourage open dialogue by asking questions that invite discussion. Instead of closed questions with yes/no answers, use inquiries that begin with “how,” “what,” and “why.” This encourages your team to share their insights and concerns.
  • Paraphrase and Clarify: After someone speaks, paraphrase their statements to show you’re actively listening and to ensure you’ve understood correctly. Ask for clarification when needed.
  • Resist the Urge to Interrupt: Allow the speaker to finish their thoughts without interruption. Interrupting can stifle open communication and prevent valuable insights from emerging.

Tip 2: Practice the 80/20 Rule

Ritsuo Shingo’s advice to have “Big Ears, Big Eyes, and a small mouth” in Gemba couldn’t be truer. Aim to spend 80% of your Gemba time listening and observing, and just 20% talking. Here’s how to implement this rule effectively:

  • Observe Actively: Pay attention to details in the workplace. Observe how tasks are performed, note any obstacles or inefficiencies, and identify areas for improvement.
  • Encourage Feedback: During your Gemba visits, encourage your team members to share their thoughts and experiences. Create a safe space for them to provide feedback, knowing that their input is valued and will lead to positive change.
  • Lead by Example: As a leader, your actions speak volumes. When you prioritize listening and observing, your team will follow suit. By modeling the 80/20 rule, you set a standard for open communication.

In conclusion, Gemba is not just a tool for process improvement; it’s a powerful means of leadership communication. By actively listening and adhering to the 80/20 rule, you can enhance your Gemba skills and transform your leadership approach. These skills will not only improve your ability to lead effectively but also foster a culture of open communication and continuous improvement within your team. So, start your Gemba journey today, and watch your leadership skills soar to new heights.

 

 

 

Mastering Automation: Why patience pays off in digital transformation

In the past, the question was always ‘How can we do more with the same or the same with less?’, but today the question is ‘how can we do more with less?’. 

As the expectations of the impact of our improvement and transformation initiatives increase, our old techniques for improvement and transformation are no longer sufficient. Faced with this challenge, organizations see technology as the solution and have attempted to digitally transform their processes wherever possible.

These Digitial Transformations have however returned mixed results, indeed numerous studies suggest that 70% of Digitial Transformation initiatives fail to meet their objectives. This presents a challenge; we know that to remain competitive we need to Digitally Transform our work, but we need to find a way to do so effectively.

In this webinar, Digital Transformation Specialist, Ishan Sellahewa will:

  • Explore why the failure rates for Digital Transformation efforts is so high
  • Review the pitfalls from failed efforts to ensure your success
  • Show how you can beat the odds by utilizing a ‘Digital Excellence’ framework

Unlocking Digital Transformation: The Importance Of Standardization

Most, if not all organizations, have embarked on a Process Management initiative at some point or other.

The outcome of these initiatives is mixed. For some organizations, process management becomes part of their DNA, and they successfully develop a process-driven culture where everyone understands the importance of standardization and continuous improvement. Other organizations, however, struggle to make process management stick and end up with process documents that are forgotten.

In this webinar, Ishan sellahewa will:

  • Delve into the difference between process documentation and process management
  • Underline the importance of process management
  • Unfold why so many process management initiatives fail
  • Present you with a best-in-class approach to process management

Shingo Enterprise Alignment – UTA, Salt Lake City, UT

This two day virtual workshop integrates classroom and on-site experiences at a host facility to build upon the knowledge and experience gained in the DISCOVER EXCELLENCE* workshop. It takes you deeper into the Shingo Model™ by focusing on the principles identified in the Enterprise Alignment dimension:

• Think Systemically

• Create Constancy of Purpose

• Create Value for the Customer

To succeed, organizations must develop management systems that align work and behaviors with principles and direction in ways that are simple, comprehensive, actionable, and standardized. Organizations must get results, and creating value for customers is ultimately accomplished through the effective alignment of every value stream in an organization. The ENTERPRISE ALIGNMENT workshop continues the discussion around defining ideal behaviors and the systems that drive them.

*DISCOVER EXCELLENCE is a prerequisite to this workshop.

For further information about this course please email: events@sapartners.com

Shingo Continuous Improvement @ Utah Transit Authority

Workshop Outline

Certified Shingo IMPROVE workshop delivered over 2 x 8-hour days 

About this Event

Course Overview

This workshop integrates classroom and on-site experiences at a host facility to build upon the knowledge and experience gained in the DISCOVER EXCELLENCE* workshop.

It begins by teaching you how to define value through the eyes of your customers clearly. It continues the discussion about ideal behaviors, fundamental purpose, and behavioral benchmarks and takes you deeper into the Shingo Model™ by focusing on the principles identified in the Continuous Improvement dimension:

  • Seek Perfection
  • Embrace Scientific Thinking
  • Focus on Process
  • Assure Quality at the Source
  • Improve Flow & Pull

The CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT workshop will deepen your understanding of the relationship between behaviors, systems, and principles, and how they drive results.

How it is delivered:

The course will be delivered Face-To-Face:

  • Over 2 days
  • Start time: 08:00 am MT
  • Finish time: 05:00 pm MT
  • Pre-reading will be provided prior to the course.
  • Booking is essential.

This workshop is accredited by The SHINGO Institute. Following successful completion of the course you will receive your certificate.

*DISCOVER EXCELLENCE is a prerequisite to this workshop.

Who should attend?

Senior leaders and Continuous Improvement professionals from enterprises, big or small, from any sector, wanting to understand the essential ingredients needed to create a sustainable business Improvement culture.

Video

Attendees of the Shingo Discover Excellence Workshop give their thoughts on the learning outcomes.

The SHINGO© Model that drives Enterprise Excellence & the focus on Culture & Behaviours that matter

Posted on by Ailsa Carson
By John Quirke, Author

In 1988 as a recognition for his work across a broad range of industry sectors, Shigeo Shingo was awarded an honorary Doctor of Management from Utah State University.  Over the course of his life Dr. Shingo wrote eighteen books on the improvement of work and the processes that support the effectiveness of work.  Many terms we use widely today such as ‘single minute exchange of die’ (SMED) and ‘go see activity’ or ‘going to Gemba’ originated in Dr Shingo’s writings.  The adoption and expansion of Dr. Shingo’s thinking and philosophy led to the development of the Shingo Enterprise Excellence Model, and the formation of the Shingo Institute, within the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University.

The Shingo Institute

has drawn on a wide range of expertise and research to expand the philosophy behind the original model to include a critical focus on the quality of leadership, organisational culture, and the critical link between desired behaviours and the impact of business system on these behaviours.

The outcome of the majority of business activity is based on a human behaviour and the actions that result for that behaviour.

The behaviours that count, are the ones that result in an action that we could see or hear.

  • An employee may see a problem but fail to raise it as an issue.
  • A leader fails to react to an obvious breach of agreed standards of work or safety protocols.
  • A supervisor may angrily chastise a team for poor performance.
  • A quality engineer develops a poor corrective action without seeing or ‘touching’ the process.

All the above are behaviours that will result in possible customer dissatisfaction, loss of trust, or loss of integrity.  At S A Partners we refer to these behaviours as ‘NIBs’, ‘Not Ideal Behaviours’.  Consider all the NIBs in your organisation.  How many have a direct impact on your bottom line?

I like to use the ‘two click rule’ to get serious about dealing with NIBs.  If that employee allows the damaged product to pass their workstation (click 1), and that part is missed during quality sampling (click 2), there will be an impact on the bottom line and the integrity of our product in the marketplace.

As an example, we regularly see a focus on generating improvement ideas in organisations.  This is seen as key behavioural indicator.  The idea being, that incremental ideas add together as marginal gains to improve overall performance.  This is a fine a laudable approach when process is stable, and we are seeking incremental improvements.  But when the process is in the red zone of variation and firefighting there are many KPI’s, alarms and often customers screaming at us to tell us what the problems/opportunities are now!  Yes, we need improvement ideas, but these ideas must be focused on the issues and problems at hand.  They require strong direction and good leadership to ensure teams are not distracted and get the time and support to implement their ideas effectively.

So where should focus behavioural measures in the above example?  Good implementation of employee ideas?  Well maybe.  But initially the behavioural measures must focus on the quality of leadership.  Are leaders spending time with their teams to support and understand their issues?  Are leaders appropriately recognising effort and exemplar behaviours within their work teams?  Are leaders actively involved in supporting and facilitating cross functional problem solving.  Gaining control and exiting the ‘red zone’ is dependent on the quality of leadership not on the random improvement suggestions of employees.

The point is organisations can spend a lot of effort measuring behaviours that do not have a direct impact on the effectiveness and efficiency of the work that needs to take place to meet customer expectations.  At the end of the day, it is about delivering measurable results.

The Shingo Model’s focus on culture and behaviour is there so that organisations become laser focused on the behaviours necessary to make the difference between winning or losing.

Systems Thinking

An important insight brought by the Shingo Enterprise Excellence Philosophy is that expressed behaviours (actions or conversations) whether they are good or bad are a result of the quality of the systems within the business, or the absence of them.  The employee who passes a defective part may be measured for the most part on units produced per minute.  The quality engineer is driven by a corporate quality system that focuses on corrective action closeout rather than effective problem solving.

“If you need to change behaviour you must consider the systems and processes that drive the behaviour you need to change.”

S A Partners Improvement Journey Model

The power of the guiding principles

Many companies speak to high level values.  But very few connect these values to what is important for business success.  Even fewer translate values into observable effective winning behaviours. The ten guiding principles within the Shingo Enterprise Excellence model give organisations ‘lenses’ through which to view the work that they do and give insight into the necessary ideal behaviours necessary to support sustainable excellent performance.  The principles can be backed into’ set organisational values yet give a firm guide as to what aspirational values need to look a feel like where the value adding work gets done.

Taking some examples:

Does everyone in your organisation feel respected as an individual? Are they are listened to?  If their concerns or ideas are not listened to, if they are not developing as individuals or the organisation is not keeping them safe physically and psychologically, then they are not being respected.

If leaders spend their time telling teams what they should or should not do they are not leading with humility and the team will become dependent.  There will be no organisational learning, and poor leadership habits at senior level will be amplified as we travel down the organisational layers.

Equally if we consider some of the principles within the Shingo dimension of Continuous Improvement, do you see a true Focus on Process within your teams where standards are clear current, understood and regularly reviewed and improved by those who use them?

Or how about Flow and Pull?  Do we have a clear line of sight as to how you flow customer value through all aspect of work?  From sales to delivery and receipt of payment?  Do processes really flow or are they overly complex, bound up in compliance culture and continually prone to error and delay?  The flow of value in response to the pull or demand of the customer, thrives on elegance in process and work design.  It requires detailed knowledge of the work and the factors that impact the speed and reliability of the work.  The individuals who discover and cherish this knowledge are those individuals who are closest to the work. These individuals have incredible leadership who are excited by these discoveries and actively celebrate the constant improvement of the work by the team.

I encourage the reader to read their definitions along with the remaining principles in the freely available Shingo Handbook from the Shingo.org website.

While the Shingo Enterprise Excellence Model is an incredibly powerful approach to developing sustained levels of excellence in an organisation it does bring challenges.  It requires real and genuine commitment for a site leadership team.  They as a team must own it.

Another challenge we see arises from the complexity within corporations and their approach to enterprise excellence.  Often, we see sites who have gone on a ‘solo run’ having gained initial approval for the approach but then find themselves in a sea of confusion as attempts are made to align the Shingo Model with corporate values, improvement systems even branding!

Personally, I see the Shingo Enterprise Excellence model as providing an extremely powerful framework to develop a holistic approach to sustainable organisational excellence.  Many existing programmes and systems can be aligned to a clear unambiguous focus on excellence.  A focus that is supported by leadership skills that enable their teams to be brilliant at what they do.

It is a tough journey, but it can also be extremely rewarding.

Please do, get in touch or join us at an upcoming Intro to Shingo Workshop

Best

John

John.Quirke@sapartners.com

About John Quirke

John Quirke is a partner with S A Partners and is a Shingo Examiner.

John holds a BSc, MSc and BCL degrees and has over twenty five year experience in the area of operational excellence.

John co-authored the Shingo Prize winning Publication TPM a Foundation of Operational Excellence with colleagues Peter Wilmott (RIP) and Any Brunskill.

John has recently published Deep Excellence – Seeing and Hearing a Culture of Deep Excellence, with contributions for colleagues Juliette Packham, Bryan Cutliff and Simon Grogan.

For more information please visit www.sapartners.com and www.shingo.org

 

 

Beyond The Buzz: Building Your Future Through Digital Transformation

Today everyone wants to Digitally Transform, they know they need to Digitally Transform; The problem is most people don’t actually know what Digital Transformation means let alone how to do it.

This results in organizations buying technology assuming that the more technology they use the more productive they are. Unpredictably, this approach fails to deliver results.

The thinking is sound. Working in an environment where we are forced to do more with less, the only viable way to make the equation work is to use technology effectively. The reality is that Digital Transformation is not the same as implementing technology. It needs to be considered, strategic, and done with a clear end in mind. Only then do you stand a chance at delivering results.

 

Join SA Partners in this webinar where we:

  • Define Digital Transformation
  • Explain how your business maturity impacts your ability to successfully transform digitally
  • Introduce a ‘Digital Excellence’ model that outlines what you need to consider to transform successfully digitally

SHINGO Discover Excellence @ Hilti, Mississauga, Toronto

Course Content

This two-day SHINGO DISCOVER EXCELLENCE workshop will be delivered onsite at Hilti (Mississauga, Toronto, Canada) between January 23-24, 2024 in 8 hr sessions between 08:00 am & 05:00 pm each day.

About the course

The workshop will be led by experienced Shingo facilitator Brian Hatter, and you will hear firsthand, how Shingo principles drive behavior throughout the organization to deliver world-class results.

DISCOVER EXCELLENCE is the foundational workshop that introduces the SHINGO MODEL, the Shingo Guiding Principles, and the Three Insights to Organisational Excellence. With active discussions, this workshop will provide a highly interactive experience. It is designed to make your learning meaningful and immediately applicable as you discover how to release the latent potential in your organization to enable you to achieve organizational excellence. It provides the basic understanding needed in all Shingo Workshops, therefore is a pre-requisite to them.

The Shingo Workshops are powerful because each workshop includes a reflection on an organization (the Host Site). This allows participants to reflect on the theory and apply their learning by interviewing various people in the organization. In workshops held onsite, this usually takes the form of a Gemba walk where team members are interviewed at their workplace.

As a participant, you will:

LEARN and understand the Shingo Model.

DISCOVER the Three Insights of Organizational Excellence.

EXPLORE how the Shingo Guiding Principles inform ideal behaviors that ultimately lead to sustainable results.

UNDERSTAND the behavioral assessment process through an interactive case study and on-site learning.

How this is delivered:

The interactive online training consists of:

2x 8-hour sessions (08:00am – 05:00pm).
Over 2 days

Why Attend

Why attend?

Organisations who have adopted the Shingo principles, have seen an increased level of success in areas such as Costs (increased revenue, reduced inventory, reduced lead times etc), Safety & Quality ( zero lost time for accidents, reduction in scrap, defects and non-conformance), On Time in Full & New Product Introduction (increases in OTIF by as much as 95%  & NPI up to 100%).

More benefits of implementing Shingo can be found in our Shingo section.

graph showing 100% accomplished and 33% outstanding for the SHingo Discover Enterprise Excellence workshopcourse delvery

What have attendee’s thought of the Shingo Discover Excellence Workshop?

Attendee’s of our Shingo workshops have rated them very highly, with 98% having no hesitation in recommending them to colleagues.

  • 100% of all attendees rate our delivery as ‘Accomplished’.
  • 33% rate our delivery as Outstanding
  • 98% would recommend this course to a colleague

“Very good, enjoyed the course, looking forward to working on this in the future.”

“Very beneficial, thank you! Filled a gap in my understanding.”

“Challenging and excellent workshop, food for thought.”

A sample of companies who have attended the workshops:

 

Some of our Shingo Discover Excellence clients

Cant make this workshop?

Can’t make this workshop?  Then fill in the form below to get notification of our next planned Shingo workshops

Achieving Excellence: How to leverage process optimisation & automation

Join us for this two part workshop with industry experts Ishan Sellahewa (Digital Transformation Manager, S A Partners); Robin Jaques (Partner, S A Partners) & Justin Short (COO, Synergi) to find out how you can firstly optimize your processes and then automate.

According to BCG, 70% of Digital Transformation projects fail to meet their objectives. While a portion of this may come down to poor implementation, more often than not the problem arises when organisations attempt to automate all of their problems away. While less obvious, the reverse of this equation holds true – organisations who fail to consider process digitisation and automation will be left behind in an increasingly digital world.

Why attend? 

In this webinar you will:

  • Learn how process optimisation can significantly reduce costs and improve operational performance.
  • Gain insights into a tried and tested process improvement methodology.
  • Understand how to combine both optimisation and automation for the best results.
  • Discover how to ensure your process automation is successful.
  • Explore real-world case studies of successfully implemented automation.
  • Develop the skills to ensure both digitisation and automation can deliver results.

Attendees will also be provided with a free assessment and the option of a free consultation with our industry experts.

Shingo European Conference

This year’s conference will focus on “Connecting People and Technology” with a hands-on learning experience like no other conference. We are including in your conference fee the opportunity to benchmark a company that is using the Shingo Model and learn how it complements their Lean efforts to make sustainable cultural change. You will learn how the country of Ireland has embraced the Shingo Model and used it as a driver to become the best in the world. In addition, you will learn from thought leaders and practitioners all over Europe and see how they are leading operational and organizational change from their part of the world. In addition, you will discover how the Shingo Guiding Principles have helped organizations enable successful integration of Industry 4.0. Be sure to mark your calendars to attend this event to expand your knowledge, to network with like-minded professionals, and to improve your own organization.

Can’t make this workshop?  Then fill in the form below to get notification of our next planned Shingo workshops

Speak To Lead: How to Embrace Your Challenge Voice

Are you ready to revolutionize the way you communicate and lead? Doctor of Psychology Bryan Cutliff leads this webinar centred around the transformative concept of the “challenge voice”. Discover how this unique and dynamic vocal technique can reshape your interactions, amplify your influence, and supercharge your team’s productivity.

🗣️ The Challenge Voice: Unveiling a Potent Tool 🗣️

In the opening segment, we will delve into the intriguing world of the challenge voice. Explore how this distinctive vocal modality is often perceived as an attack and learn the nuances that can make or break your message. Understand the psychology behind it and gain insights into harnessing its power for positive impact.

🎯 Mastering the Art of Using Your Challenge Voice 🎯

Unlock the secrets to wielding your challenge voice effectively and ethically. Discover techniques that allow you to assert your ideas confidently without alienating your audience. Learn to strike the perfect balance between assertiveness and collaboration, enhancing your ability to influence outcomes and drive positive change.

🚀 Elevating Team Productivity Through the Challenge Voice 🚀

Imagine a workplace where your team’s productivity soars as a result of powerful and respectful communication. In this segment, we will explore how leveraging the challenge voice can foster collaboration, streamline decision-making, and ignite creativity within your team. Witness firsthand how this tool can transform workplace dynamics and fuel unparalleled success.

💡 Implementing Change Today: Actionable Steps for Immediate Impact 💡

Take the reins of change by discovering three practical strategies you can implement right now to enhance your use of the challenge voice. These actionable steps will empower you to immediately integrate this powerful technique into your communication toolkit, ensuring your voice is heard and your ideas are embraced.

🤝 Engage, Inquire, and Enlighten: Live Q&A Session 🤝

Your voice is your most influential instrument, and we’re here to help you fine-tune its mastery. Our live Q&A session provides an exclusive opportunity to interact with our expert panel. Get personalized insights, clear up any doubts, and solidify your understanding of the challenge voice, leaving you equipped to lead and inspire with unwavering confidence.

Don’t miss this chance to become a true communication trailblazer. Join us and embark on a journey of vocal empowerment that will forever transform your leadership and team dynamics. Secure your spot today and get ready to amplify your impact like never before!

Align, Engage, Improve with Effective Tiered Meetings

Posted on by Ailsa Carson

By Sonja Allen Image of Sonja Allen

Have you ever considered…

  • How many meetings you have a week?
  • How many of these meetings could be an email?
  • How many of these meetings have few or no results?
  • How many rabbit holes do your meeting conversations go down?
  • How regularly do you talk about what really matters, in a focused fashion?

And more importantly have you asked if there is a way to ensure you and your team leave every meeting feeling it had value and purpose and moved you forward.

Getting the right team together to make the right decisions at the right time is hard. Often it’s made harder by the fact that we don’t naturally approach communications and decision-making in the same intentional and systematic fashion as we would other business processes.

To sustainably deliver great customer results all organisation must align their business systems and processes to deliver on the organisation’s purpose…

⇒ engage all their people into that purpose

⇒ and into continuously improving the business processes they are responsible for

In the world of Enterprise Excellence, we achieve this by deploying a Management System – a structured, interlinked set of measures, meetings, actions and decisions which allow us to run today’s business and shape tomorrows. It provides a right time, right place, right focus, right pace decision-making focus at every level of an organisation, or, as we call it at S A Partners: The Align Engage Improve System (AEI for short).

AEI brings all of the elements together to make your improvement journey successful. It aligns teams on the organisational purpose, engages everyone in delivering towards it and surfaces opportunities to improve, which is why embedding AEI into a transformation journey means rooting it in the culture and behaviours that will sustain it.

You may think “HUH?” at this point. How practical is this? The answer is simple – management systems really are at their core just a better way of organising our meetings.

To be effective Meetings need to visually focus on the things that are most important to each team.  To do this we use a few basic principles:

  • Make organisational goals / purpose clear and visual.
  • Help your team understand their personal contribution to goals and track the actions required to achieve them.
  • Show where you are winning and where you are losing.
  • Help your team understand the expected behaviours.
  • Create a standard approach for all meetings across the business.
  • Define clear escalation & feedback pathways.​

Organisations embed AEI or any management system, to align to & deliver on strategic priorities, speed up problem solving and escalation, reduce time spent in meetings, reduce fire-fighting, shape organisational culture in an intentional fashion and engage and empower the whole organisation to become part of their Enterprise Excellence journey.

After you have stabilized your meeting structure you can focus on taking a holistic view of the organization. In this phase you will create a schedule of meetings, also known as an inventory of meetings. This is where you hold information on all regular pulse meetings, attendees, frequency, purpose and  how the effectiveness of the meeting is reviewed. As with all other processes – meetings should be subject to review and refinement. Redundant meetings can cease, duplicate meetings merged – by holding this information in one place the senior leadership team have complete oversight of how the various meetings contribute to the companies objectives.

If you want to find out how we can help you develop and deploy an effective tiered meeting system please do contact me..

Sonja.Allen@sapartners.com

SHINGO Forum Virtual Meet-Up

The Shingo Forum exists to encouraging the sharing of ideas and inspiration between organizations. This virtual networking group meets monthly and includes a guest speaker; interactive workshop and expert facilitation.

There is no cost to join, but to participate you need to have an interest in Continuous Improvement and Enterprise Excellence. If you are interested in registering for the Forum please do email info@shingoforum.org

Join Now

This monthly virtual forum will provide you with a chance to hear from Shingo Facilitators, Examiners and Award-Winners.

  • Benchmarking
  • Sharing ideas & Inspiration
  • Networking (in a fun way – no selling!)
  • Discounts to Best Practice Visits
  • Access to Webinar Recordings & Resources

Guest Speakers: TBC

Hosted By: John Quirke – Shingo Facilitator

Can’t make this workshop?  Then fill in the form below to get notification of our next planned Shingo workshops

SHINGO Forum Virtual Meet-Up

The Shingo Forum exists to encouraging the sharing of ideas and inspiration between organizations. This virtual networking group meets monthly and includes a guest speaker; interactive workshop and expert facilitation.

There is no cost to join, but to participate you need to have an interest in Continuous Improvement and Enterprise Excellence. If you are interested in registering for the Forum please do email info@shingoforum.org

Join Now

This monthly virtual forum will provide you with a chance to hear from Shingo Facilitators, Examiners and Award-Winners.

  • Benchmarking
  • Sharing ideas & Inspiration
  • Networking (in a fun way – no selling!)
  • Discounts to Best Practice Visits
  • Access to Webinar Recordings & Resources

Guest Speakers: TBC

Hosted By: John Quirke – Shingo Facilitator

Can’t make this workshop?  Then fill in the form below to get notification of our next planned Shingo workshops

SHINGO Forum Virtual Meet-Up

The Shingo Forum exists to encouraging the sharing of ideas and inspiration between organizations. This virtual networking group meets monthly and includes a guest speaker; interactive workshop and expert facilitation.

There is no cost to join, but to participate you need to have an interest in Continuous Improvement and Enterprise Excellence. If you are interested in registering for the Forum please do email info@shingoforum.org

Join Now

This monthly virtual forum will provide you with a chance to hear from Shingo Facilitators, Examiners and Award-Winners.

  • Benchmarking
  • Sharing ideas & Inspiration
  • Networking (in a fun way – no selling!)
  • Discounts to Best Practice Visits
  • Access to Webinar Recordings & Resources

Guest Speakers: TBC

Hosted By: John Quirke – Shingo Facilitator

Can’t make this workshop?  Then fill in the form below to get notification of our next planned Shingo workshops

SHINGO Forum Virtual Meet-Up

The Shingo Forum exists to encouraging the sharing of ideas and inspiration between organizations. This virtual networking group meets monthly and includes a guest speaker; interactive workshop and expert facilitation.

There is no cost to join, but to participate you need to have an interest in Continuous Improvement and Enterprise Excellence. If you are interested in registering for the Forum please do email info@shingoforum.org

Join Now

This monthly virtual forum will provide you with a chance to hear from Shingo Facilitators, Examiners and Award-Winners.

  • Benchmarking
  • Sharing ideas & Inspiration
  • Networking (in a fun way – no selling!)
  • Discounts to Best Practice Visits
  • Access to Webinar Recordings & Resources

Guest Speakers: TBC

Hosted By: John Quirke – Shingo Facilitator

Can’t make this workshop?  Then fill in the form below to get notification of our next planned Shingo workshops

SHINGO Forum Virtual Meet-Up

The Shingo Forum exists to encouraging the sharing of ideas and inspiration between organizations. This virtual networking group meets monthly and includes a guest speaker; interactive workshop and expert facilitation.

There is no cost to join, but to participate you need to have an interest in Continuous Improvement and Enterprise Excellence. If you are interested in registering for the Forum please do email info@shingoforum.org

Join Now

This monthly virtual forum will provide you with a chance to hear from Shingo Facilitators, Examiners and Award-Winners.

  • Benchmarking
  • Sharing ideas & Inspiration
  • Networking (in a fun way – no selling!)
  • Discounts to Best Practice Visits
  • Access to Webinar Recordings & Resources

Guest Speakers: TBC

Hosted By: John Quirke – Shingo Facilitator

Can’t make this workshop?  Then fill in the form below to get notification of our next planned Shingo workshops

SHINGO Forum Virtual Meet-Up

The Shingo Forum exists to encouraging the sharing of ideas and inspiration between organizations. This virtual networking group meets monthly and includes a guest speaker; interactive workshop and expert facilitation.

There is no cost to join, but to participate you need to have an interest in Continuous Improvement and Enterprise Excellence. If you are interested in registering for the Forum please do email info@shingoforum.org

Join Now

This monthly virtual forum will provide you with a chance to hear from Shingo Facilitators, Examiners and Award-Winners.

  • Benchmarking
  • Sharing ideas & Inspiration
  • Networking (in a fun way – no selling!)
  • Discounts to Best Practice Visits
  • Access to Webinar Recordings & Resources

Guest Speakers: TBC

Hosted By: John Quirke – Shingo Facilitator

Can’t make this workshop?  Then fill in the form below to get notification of our next planned Shingo workshops

Lean Forum Virtual Meet-Up

The Lean Forum exists to encourage the sharing of ideas on Best Practice, Continuous Improvement and lean through networking, visits and workshops.  We have groups in the Solent, Humber, West Midlands and South Wales but in this virtual world we are extending invites to companies across the UK & Ireland.

The meeting will be delivered via Teams.

Guest Speaker: TBC

Can’t make this workshop?  Then fill in the form below to get notification of our next planned Shingo workshops

Lean Forum Virtual Meet-Up

The Lean Forum exists to encourage the sharing of ideas on Best Practice, Continuous Improvement and lean through networking, visits and workshops.  We have groups in the Solent, Humber, West Midlands and South Wales but in this virtual world we are extending invites to companies across the UK & Ireland.

The meeting will be delivered via Teams.

Guest Speaker: TBC

Can’t make this workshop?  Then fill in the form below to get notification of our next planned Shingo workshops

Lean Forum Virtual Meet-Up

The Lean Forum exists to encourage the sharing of ideas on Best Practice, Continuous Improvement and lean through networking, visits and workshops.  We have groups in the Solent, Humber, West Midlands and South Wales but in this virtual world we are extending invites to companies across the UK & Ireland.

The meeting will be delivered via Teams.

Guest Speaker: TBC

Can’t make this workshop?  Then fill in the form below to get notification of our next planned Shingo workshops

Lean Forum Virtual Meet-Up

The Lean Forum exists to encourage the sharing of ideas on Best Practice, Continuous Improvement and lean through networking, visits and workshops.  We have groups in the Solent, Humber, West Midlands and South Wales but in this virtual world we are extending invites to companies across the UK & Ireland.

The meeting will be delivered via Teams.

Guest Speaker: TBC

Can’t make this workshop?  Then fill in the form below to get notification of our next planned Shingo workshops

Lean Forum Virtual Meet-Up

The Lean Forum exists to encourage the sharing of ideas on Best Practice, Continuous Improvement and lean through networking, visits and workshops.  We have groups in the Solent, Humber, West Midlands and South Wales but in this virtual world we are extending invites to companies across the UK & Ireland.

The meeting will be delivered via Teams.

Guest Speaker: TBC

Can’t make this workshop?  Then fill in the form below to get notification of our next planned Shingo workshops

Lean Forum Virtual Meet-Up

The Lean Forum exists to encourage the sharing of ideas on Best Practice, Continuous Improvement and lean through networking, visits and workshops.  We have groups in the Solent, Humber, West Midlands and South Wales but in this virtual world we are extending invites to companies across the UK & Ireland.

The meeting will be delivered via Teams.

Guest Speaker: TBC

Can’t make this workshop?  Then fill in the form below to get notification of our next planned Shingo workshops

How to align, engage and improve using effective Tiered meetings

Join us for this bite size webinar where we will share how to improve the effectiveness of your tiered or cross-organisational meetings using the tried and tested AEI (Align, Engage, Improve) System.  The AEI system will help you align your teams to your organizational purpose, engaging everyone in delivering your objectives and surfacing opportunities for improvement.

Discover how you can:

  • Improve and streamline decision-making with effective tiered meetings. Provide clear guidelines for escalation and delegation of responsibilities.
  • Enhance collaboration – ensure teams across your organisation collaborate effectively, exchange ideas and contribute to solving challenges collectively
  • Improve productivity by focusing discussions on key priorities and eliminating unnecessary meetings.
  • Understand how organizations have used this system to drive their journey towards excellence.
  • What makes an effective tiered meeting structure; how can you create a best practice system that aligns, engages and improves the way you work.
  • Discover the principles and key benefits of deploying an AEI system
  • Learnings from industry on how to effectively deploy the system to drive Enterprise Excellence

The webinar will be hosted by Megan James, European Business Development Manager and Sonja Allen Delivery Partner and Head of Offer for Europe.  Both Megan and Sonja have supported a number of clients with the development and deployment of Enterprise Excellence programs.

Intro to SHINGO Workshop Australia

‘People are the only organisational asset with and infinite ability to increase in value’ The Shingo Institute.

Join us for this virtual workshop to discover why so many of the world’s leading organisations are embracing Shingo and the Shingo Model for Enterprise Excellence.

The Shingo Model is a proven philosophy and framework to move organisations towards sustainable ideal results.

In this half workshop we will introduce the origin and core philosophy behind the Shingo Model. We will review the process of challenging for a Shingo Prize and review what Shingo examiners look for.

We will hear from companies who have been successful in achieving Shingo recognition, but more importantly have achieved significantly improved business performance and improved their sites standing with their corporate stakeholders.

The workshop will provide ample opportunities for Q&A and the sharing of experience.

Learning Objectives

  • Understand why successful companies are using Shingo.
  • What it can do for your organisation and how it can support growth.
  • Understanding of the Shingo Model and Behaviours.

Who is this for?

Senior Managers, Operational Directors

Why Attend?

It will help you:

  • Understand the benefits to your organsiation of Shingo, and how it can support and drive organisational transformation.
  • Understand how Shingo provides a more sustainable model than traditional TPS & WCM as it focuses on Behaviours

Download the SHINGO Model Handbook

ShingoModelHandbook

Intro to SHINGO Workshop Australia

‘People are the only organisational asset with and infinite ability to increase in value’ The Shingo Institute.

Join us for this virtual workshop to discover why so many of the world’s leading organisations are embracing Shingo and the Shingo Model for Enterprise Excellence.

The Shingo Model is a proven philosophy and framework to move organisations towards sustainable ideal results.

In this half workshop we will introduce the origin and core philosophy behind the Shingo Model. We will review the process of challenging for a Shingo Prize and review what Shingo examiners look for.

We will hear from companies who have been successful in achieving Shingo recognition, but more importantly have achieved significantly improved business performance and improved their sites standing with their corporate stakeholders.

The workshop will provide ample opportunities for Q&A and the sharing of experience.

Learning Objectives

  • Understand why successful companies are using Shingo.
  • What it can do for your organisation and how it can support growth.
  • Understanding of the Shingo Model and Behaviours.

Who is this for?

Senior Managers, Operational Directors

Why Attend?

It will help you:

  • Understand the benefits to your organsiation of Shingo, and how it can support and drive organisational transformation.
  • Understand how Shingo provides a more sustainable model than traditional TPS & WCM as it focuses on Behaviours

Download the SHINGO Model Handbook

ShingoModelHandbook

Intro to SHINGO Workshop Australia

‘People are the only organisational asset with and infinite ability to increase in value’ The Shingo Institute.

Join us for this virtual workshop to discover why so many of the world’s leading organisations are embracing Shingo and the Shingo Model for Enterprise Excellence.

The Shingo Model is a proven philosophy and framework to move organisations towards sustainable ideal results.

In this half workshop we will introduce the origin and core philosophy behind the Shingo Model. We will review the process of challenging for a Shingo Prize and review what Shingo examiners look for.

We will hear from companies who have been successful in achieving Shingo recognition, but more importantly have achieved significantly improved business performance and improved their sites standing with their corporate stakeholders.

The workshop will provide ample opportunities for Q&A and the sharing of experience.

Learning Objectives

  • Understand why successful companies are using Shingo.
  • What it can do for your organisation and how it can support growth.
  • Understanding of the Shingo Model and Behaviours.

Who is this for?

Senior Managers, Operational Directors

Why Attend?

It will help you:

  • Understand the benefits to your organsiation of Shingo, and how it can support and drive organisational transformation.
  • Understand how Shingo provides a more sustainable model than traditional TPS & WCM as it focuses on Behaviours

Download the SHINGO Model Handbook

ShingoModelHandbook

Intro to SHINGO Workshop Australia

‘People are the only organisational asset with and infinite ability to increase in value’ The Shingo Institute.

Join us for this virtual workshop to discover why so many of the world’s leading organisations are embracing Shingo and the Shingo Model for Enterprise Excellence.

The Shingo Model is a proven philosophy and framework to move organisations towards sustainable ideal results.

In this half workshop we will introduce the origin and core philosophy behind the Shingo Model. We will review the process of challenging for a Shingo Prize and review what Shingo examiners look for.

We will hear from companies who have been successful in achieving Shingo recognition, but more importantly have achieved significantly improved business performance and improved their sites standing with their corporate stakeholders.

The workshop will provide ample opportunities for Q&A and the sharing of experience.

Learning Objectives

  • Understand why successful companies are using Shingo.
  • What it can do for your organisation and how it can support growth.
  • Understanding of the Shingo Model and Behaviours.

Who is this for?

Senior Managers, Operational Directors

Why Attend?

It will help you:

  • Understand the benefits to your organsiation of Shingo, and how it can support and drive organisational transformation.
  • Understand how Shingo provides a more sustainable model than traditional TPS & WCM as it focuses on Behaviours

Download the SHINGO Model Handbook

ShingoModelHandbook

TPM Masterclass @ Hain Celestial

Join us for this 3 day Masterclass hosted by Hain Celestial which focuses on the Total Productive Maintenance model developed by S A Partners. Delivered in partnership with Mantec
This workshop will explore both what and how to deploy an effective, systematic approach to TPM. We will not only look at the use of the appropriate Lean thinking tools and systems, we will also look at the leadership and engagement systems that will support sustainable change. This masterclass will include:
  • An introduction to TPM – theory & Practice
  • A day in the life of an Operator
  • Undertaking a TPM audit
  • Condition Appraisals
  • Refurbishment planning
  • Asset management
  • Problem-solving
  • Gemba walks to test the theory
  • Training & development for TPM
  • Leadership & behaviours
At the end of the course, you will have the opportunity to develop your own high-level TPM action plan with the support of the course leader. This course will also include a gemba.
How it is delivered:
Onsite Training
The training is delivered onsite over two days in 3 x 7-hour sessions. We will use case studies and activities to ensure the training is enjoyable, meaningful, and relevant.

Why attend?

You will understand how to develop and support TPM within your own organisation; how to use the 11 step model to make systematic and effective change. We will use both case studies and gemba walks to bring the theory into practice.

SHINGO Systems Design @ Zingerman’s Mail Order

Developing & designing the right Business Systems will support you deliver the organizational results you need.

About this Event

A successful organization is usually made up of complex systems that can be divided into layers of subsystems, each containing the necessary tools to enable the successful outcome of the system. An example of this would be the Continuous Improvement System which pulls together all of the tools & techniques used by an organization or the HR System which guides human resource activity.

The Shingo Model Insights tell us that:

  • Ideal results require ideal behaviors
  • Purpose & systems drive behaviors
  • Principles inform ideal behaviors

For this reason, Systems Thinking is fundamental to the success of Enterprise Excellence and this interactive workshop will provide you with the skills to recognize, define and establish the ‘right’ systems within your own organization.

This virtual training workshop builds upon the knowledge and experience gained in the DISCOVER EXCELLENCE* workshop and focuses on the Systems and Tools diamonds in the Shingo Model™. It begins by explaining that all work in an organization is the outcome of a system.

Systems must be designed to create a specific end objective; otherwise, they evolve on their own. Systems drive the behavior of people, and variation in behavior leads to variation in results. Organizational excellence requires well-designed systems to drive ideal behaviors that are required to produce sustainable results.

In this workshop, you will:

  • DISCOVER three types of essential systems.
  • EXPLORE five required communication tools for each system.
  • LEARN how to create and use system maps.
  • UNDERSTAND system standard work and how it drives improvement.

For further information, please email events@sapartners.com

Who should attend?

Senior leaders and Continuous Improvement professionals from enterprises, big or small, from any sector, wanting to understand the essential ingredients needed to create a sustainable business Improvement culture.

*DISCOVER EXCELLENCE is a pre-requisite to this workshop

SHINGO Discover Excellence @ Zingerman’s Mail Order, Ann Arbor, MI

Course Content

This two day SHINGO DISCOVER EXCELLENCE workshop will be delivered onsite at Zingerman’s Mail Order (Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA) between August 8th & 9th in 8 hr sessions between 08:00 & 17:00pm each day.

About the course

The workshop will be led by experienced Shingo facilitator Richard Guba, and you will hear firsthand, how Shingo principles drive behavior throughout the organization to deliver world-class results.

DISCOVER EXCELLENCE is the foundational workshop that introduces the SHINGO MODEL, the Shingo Guiding Principles, and the Three Insights to Organisational Excellence. With active discussions, this workshop will provide a highly interactive experience. It is designed to make your learning meaningful and immediately applicable as you discover how to release the latent potential in your organization to enable you to achieve organizational excellence. It provides the basic understanding needed in all Shingo Workshops, therefore is a pre-requisite to them.

What makes the Shingo Workshops powerful is that each workshop includes a reflection on an organization (the Host Site). This allows participants to reflect on the theory and apply their learning by interviewing various people in the organization. In workshops held onsite, this usually takes the form of a Gemba walk where team members are interviewed at their workplace.

As a participant, you will:

LEARN and understand the Shingo Model.

DISCOVER the Three Insights of Organizational Excellence.

EXPLORE how the Shingo Guiding Principles inform ideal behaviors that ultimately lead to sustainable results.

UNDERSTAND the behavioral assessment process through an interactive case study and on-site learning.

How this is delivered:

The interactive online training consists of:

2x 8-hour sessions (08:00 – 17:00pm).
Over 2 days

Why Attend

Why attend?

Organizations that have adopted the Shingo principles have seen an increased level of success in areas such as Costs (increased revenue, reduced inventory, reduced lead times, etc), Safety & Quality ( zero lost time for accidents, reduction in scrap, defects, and non-conformance), On Time in Full & New Product Introduction (increases in OTIF by as much as 95%  & NPI up to 100%).

More benefits of implementing Shingo can be found in our Shingo section.

graph showing 100% accomplished and 33% outstanding for the SHingo Discover Enterprise Excellence workshopcourse delvery

What have attendees thought of the Shingo Discover Excellence Workshop?

Attendees of our Shingo workshops have rated them very highly, with 98% having no hesitation in recommending them to colleagues.

  • 100% of all attendees rate our delivery as ‘Accomplished’.
  • 33% rate our delivery as Outstanding
  • 98% would recommend this course to a colleague

“Very good, enjoyed the course, looking forward to working on this in the future.”

“Very beneficial, thank you! Filled a gap in my understanding.”

“Challenging and excellent workshop, food for thought.”

A sample of companies who have attended the workshops:

 

Some of our Shingo Discover Excellence clients

Cant make this workshop?

Can’t make this workshop?  Then fill in the form below to get notification of our next planned Shingo workshops

SHINGO Systems Design Virtual Workshop @ Sevier

Workshop Outline

This Shingo Systems Design workshop is delivered on MS Teams (virtual) from Servier, Ireland over three days.

Developing & designing the right Business Systems will support you deliver the organizational results you need.

About this Event

A successful organization is usually made up of complex systems that can be divided into layers of subsystems, each containing the necessary tools to enable the successful outcome of the system. An example of this would be the Continuous Improvement System which pulls together all of the tools & techniques used by an organisation or the HR System which guides human resource activity.

The Shingo Model Insights tell us that:

  • Ideal results require ideal behaviours
  • Purpose & systems drive behaviours
  • Principles inform ideal behaviours

For this reason Systems Thinking is fundamental to the success of Enterprise Excellence and this interactive workshop will provide you with the skills to recognise, define and establish the ‘right’ systems within your own organization.

This virtual training workshop builds upon the knowledge and experience gained in the DISCOVER EXCELLENCE* workshop, and focuses on the Systems and Tools diamonds in the Shingo Model™. It begins by explaining that all work in an organization is the outcome of a system.

Systems must be designed to create a specific end objective; otherwise, they evolve on their own. Systems drive the behavior of people, and variation in behavior leads to variation in results. Organizational excellence requires well designed systems to drive ideal behaviors that are required to produce sustainable results.

In this workshop, you will:

  • DISCOVER three types of essential systems.
  • EXPLORE five required communication tools for each system.
  • LEARN how to create and use system maps.
  • UNDERSTAND system standard work and how it drives improvement.

‘DISCOVER EXCELLENCE is a pre-requisite to this workshop’

For further information, please email events@sapartners.com

Who should attend?

Senior leaders and Continuous Improvement professionals from enterprises, big or small, from any sector, wanting to understand the essential ingredients needed to create a sustainable business Improvement culture.

Questions ?

For further information contact John Quirke by using the contact from on his bio page.

Lean Management System – LEVEL 1 – Japan Study Tour

Study Tour

13 – 21 January 2024

Due to new restrictions we can advise on flights but not book on your behalf, pricing has been adjusted accordingly.

Join the leading Lean Training Programme in Japan this January for an experience of a lifetime.

We are proud to offer you this unique opportunity to gain practical knowledge and experience studying with Toyota gurus for one whole week in Japan.

The Lean Management System study tour covers a comprehensive view of Lean leadership and the Lean Production System. The tour provides you with an opportunity to study in Toyota’s own training centre with direct access to Toyota trainers and Toyota  production facilities.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to boost your leadership and management skills by learning from the very best in the world. You will also obtain your Certificate directly from Toyota. We have created a study week that combines intense learning with both fun and cultural immersion!

Understand Why and How to use LEAN

This Study Tour will provide you with a deep understanding of how to make the best use of Lean. This is a unique opportunity to visit Japan, Toyota, and some of their suppliers to train in Lean through seminars, Gemba visits, and participating in practical training at Toyota’s own training facility. The objective is to dig deep into the WHAT, WHY and HOW of Lean Thinking. What are the elements needed to run a successful Lean system? Why is it so popular in current thinking and How can it influence your own organization and support growth.

By understanding  the whole lean management system you will get an insight into what these leading Japanese companies are doing to compete in today’s fast changing environment.

You will learn to identify the tools and elements of Lean Methodology that can be applied to your own business to support profitable growth. The week in Japan will also provide an insight into Japanese culture and values.

Study Tour Package Includes:

  • Workshops and seminars
  • Study visits
  • Hotel Accommodation for the entire duration of the study visit
  • Local transfers in Japan
  • Full board Sunday – Friday
  • Farewell dinner

Costs & To Book

  • £6,500 plus VAT, due to new restrictions we can advise on flights but not book on your behalf, pricing has been adjusted accordingly.
  • Onsite Host Companies: 10% Discount on all Bookings
  • Group Discount: 10% Discount on 4 or more places

Need Help or Advice?

To book or for more Information:

For full terms and conditions and for details of our Company Insurance Policy please do contact us.

Any questions regarding the training, the travel to or within Japan – please do give us a call on +44 (0) 23 9246 8978.

The study tour is being delivered by SA Partners LLP and Onsite Insights in partnership with C2U Group.

The Programme

The training week will provide an invaluable insight into lean thinking. You will see it in action at Toyota and other leading-edge companies, where it originated and has matured over the last 100 years.

Learn the original thinking directly from former senior executives at Gifu Autobody, a Toyota-owned minivan manufacturer.  The Japanese sensei’s

(guru’s) will only teach based on real experience.

Time will be divided between the classroom, Gemba and practical workshops. The tour starts in the Nagoya region and ends in Tokyo, going from countryside to one of the largest cities in the world.

Day 1
Departure Europe

We depart from Europe and fly to Nagoya, Japan.

Day 2
Arrival and Tour Opening

Pick up/arrival in Nagoya and since it is a Sunday, we will take the opportunity to recover from jet lag and relax after the long flight by visiting the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology where we also will have lunch. In the museum we can follow the Japanese industrial history from looms to robotics. After the visit we take the bus to travel to the destination of
the day, Kakamigahara, where we will stay until Friday. The day ends
with a common dinner and introduction of the week.

Day 3
Classroom Training

The first day of training introduces the Production System by our host for the week. A Japanese senior manager will lead us through Toyota Production System from a manager perspective. From values, mindset to specific tools and methods. This session will prepare the group in what we can expect from the study visits, from the practice and from the following sessions. Your overall
picture of the production system will be confirmed or completed. In the afternoon we go for a first study visit, guided by our sensei. Q&A.
Group dinner will follow.

Day 4
Plant Tour and more Training

Next day, we continue to dig deeper into aspects of the production system and the Toyota way of managing and leading. How are all the puzzle pieces connected? How is Kaizen work organized and performed? Etc. After lunch, we go for another study visit and if time allows, we will also end with a visit to a traditional knife maker. Group dinner will follow.

Day 5
Training

The fifth day we spend in the Training Center where Toyota train their own people. We will increase our knowledge of Kanban when the group take part in a Kanban Role Play and we will train in how to perform a productivity improvement task following the Toyota methods. Group dinner will follow.

Day 6
Study Visit and further Training

The sixth day will start with a study visit before spending the rest of the day with a final Q&A and concluding the learnings for the week. Presentation by all participants. Followed by our group dinner.

Day 7
Conclusion

The last day ends with a study visit. We do final reflections before we board the bullet train that will take us to Tokyo. Free evening in Tokyo.

Day 8
Sightseeing Day in Tokyo

You will end the tour with a Free day in Tokyo where we will support you with travel advice and sightseeing recommendations. This will be followed up by a team farewell dinner.

Day 9
Departure from Tokyo

Who will you visit?

We have an extensive network of world class companies and for more than 10 years have been bringing managers to Japan. Our host sites embody World Class Manufacturing and include:

  • Toyota Motors
  • Denso
  • Calbee Foods
  • Asahi Breweries
  • Sekisui Heim
  • Gifu Autobody
  • Nissan Motors
  • Ishii Food Corp.
  • Asahi Motors
  • Mitsubishi Electric
  • Mazak
  • Pfizer
  • UD Trucks
  • Honda
  • Yamaha Marine
  • Mizawa Home
  • Suzuki
  • Isuzu Tokai

To find out more, you can email Ailsa Carson.

SHINGO Discover Excellence @ Lincoln Electric

Course Content

This two day SHINGO DISCOVER EXCELLENCE workshop will be delivered onsite at Lincoln Electric (Cleveland, Ohio, USA) between August 30th & 31st in 8 hr sessions between 08:00 & 17:00pm each day.

About the course

The workshop will be led by experienced Shingo facilitator Richard Guba, and you will hear first hand, how Shingo principles drive behaviour throughout the entire organisation to deliver world class results.

DISCOVER EXCELLENCE is the foundational workshop that introduces the SHINGO MODEL, the Shingo Guiding Principles and the Three Insights to Organisational Excellence. With active discussions this workshop will provide a highly interactive experience. It is designed to make your learning meaningful and immediately applicable as you discover how to release the latent potential in your organisation to enable you to achieve organizational excellence. It provides the basic understanding needed in all Shingo Workshops, therefore is a pre-requisite to them.

What makes the Shingo Workshops powerful is that each workshop includes a reflection on an organization (the Host Site). This allows participants to reflect on the theory and apply their learning by interviewing various people in the organisation. In workshops held onsite this usually takes the form of a Gemba walk where team members are interviewed at their workplace.

As a participant, you will:

LEARN and understand the Shingo Model.

DISCOVER the Three Insights of Organizational Excellence.

EXPLORE how the Shingo Guiding Principles inform ideal behaviours that ultimately lead to sustainable results.

UNDERSTAND the behavioural assessment process through an interactive case study and on-site learning.

How this is delivered:

The interactive online training consists of:

2x 8 hour sessions (08:00 – 17:00pm).
Over 2 days

Why Attend

Why attend?

Organisations who have adopted the Shingo principles, have seen an increased level of success in areas such as Costs (increased revenue, reduced inventory, reduced lead times etc), Safety & Quality ( zero lost time for accidents, reduction in scrap, defects and non-conformance), On Time in Full & New Product Introduction (increases in OTIF by as much as 95%  & NPI up to 100%).

More benefits of implementing Shingo can be found in our Shingo section.

graph showing 100% accomplished and 33% outstanding for the SHingo Discover Enterprise Excellence workshopcourse delvery

What have attendee’s thought of the Shingo Discover Excellence Workshop?

Attendee’s of our Shingo workshops have rated them very highly, with 98% having no hesitation in recommending them to colleagues.

  • 100% of all attendees rate our delivery as ‘Accomplished’.
  • 33% rate our delivery as Outstanding
  • 98% would recommend this course to a colleague

“Very good, enjoyed the course, looking forward to working on this in the future.”

“Very beneficial, thank you! Filled a gap in my understanding.”

“Challenging and excellent workshop, food for thought.”

A sample of companies who have attended the workshops:

 

Some of our Shingo Discover Excellence clients

Cant make this workshop?

Can’t make this workshop?  Then fill in the form below to get notification of our next planned Shingo workshops

SHINGO Discover Excellence @ Lincoln Electric

Course Content

This two day SHINGO DISCOVER EXCELLENCE workshop will be delivered onsite at Lincoln Electric (Cleveland, Ohio, USA) between August 28th & 29th in 8 hr sessions between 08:00 & 17:00pm each day.

About the course

The workshop will be led by experienced Shingo facilitator Richard Guba, and you will hear first hand, how Shingo principles drive behaviour throughout the entire organisation to deliver world class results.

DISCOVER EXCELLENCE is the foundational workshop that introduces the SHINGO MODEL, the Shingo Guiding Principles and the Three Insights to Organisational Excellence. With active discussions this workshop will provide a highly interactive experience. It is designed to make your learning meaningful and immediately applicable as you discover how to release the latent potential in your organisation to enable you to achieve organizational excellence. It provides the basic understanding needed in all Shingo Workshops, therefore is a pre-requisite to them.

What makes the Shingo Workshops powerful is that each workshop includes a reflection on an organization (the Host Site). This allows participants to reflect on the theory and apply their learning by interviewing various people in the organisation. In workshops held onsite this usually takes the form of a Gemba walk where team members are interviewed at their workplace.

As a participant, you will:

LEARN and understand the Shingo Model.

DISCOVER the Three Insights of Organizational Excellence.

EXPLORE how the Shingo Guiding Principles inform ideal behaviours that ultimately lead to sustainable results.

UNDERSTAND the behavioural assessment process through an interactive case study and on-site learning.

How this is delivered:

The interactive online training consists of:

2x 8 hour sessions (08:00 – 17:00pm).
Over 2 days

Why Attend

Why attend?

Organisations who have adopted the Shingo principles, have seen an increased level of success in areas such as Costs (increased revenue, reduced inventory, reduced lead times etc), Safety & Quality ( zero lost time for accidents, reduction in scrap, defects and non-conformance), On Time in Full & New Product Introduction (increases in OTIF by as much as 95%  & NPI up to 100%).

More benefits of implementing Shingo can be found in our Shingo section.

graph showing 100% accomplished and 33% outstanding for the SHingo Discover Enterprise Excellence workshopcourse delvery

What have attendee’s thought of the Shingo Discover Excellence Workshop?

Attendee’s of our Shingo workshops have rated them very highly, with 98% having no hesitation in recommending them to colleagues.

  • 100% of all attendees rate our delivery as ‘Accomplished’.
  • 33% rate our delivery as Outstanding
  • 98% would recommend this course to a colleague

“Very good, enjoyed the course, looking forward to working on this in the future.”

“Very beneficial, thank you! Filled a gap in my understanding.”

“Challenging and excellent workshop, food for thought.”

A sample of companies who have attended the workshops:

 

Some of our Shingo Discover Excellence clients

Cant make this workshop?

Can’t make this workshop?  Then fill in the form below to get notification of our next planned Shingo workshops

Your IT department might be unknowingly undermining your culture

Posted on by Jim Brydon

We all know humans are inherently lazy – we tend to take the path of least resistance. This makes sense; both mental and physical activity takes a lot of energy, something that was scarce at the time when we had to hunt and gather for our next meal. For a more recent example, if you put more bins out in the street, people are less likely to litter.

The Shingo Model© reinforces this thinking. The second Shingo insight states that system design influences the behaviour of individuals operating within a system. The model also states:

“Cultural transformation requires a shift in behaviours and systems drive behaviour. In the end, an organization will most likely need to adjust old systems, create new systems, and eliminate systems that no longer drive desired behaviour or are misaligned.”

Harvard Business Review suggests culture “guides activity through shared assumptions and group norms.” (Groysberg, Lee, Price and Cheng, 2018).

Shingo would say that these group norms are heavily influenced by the systems of work that exist within organisations.

However, a neuroscience study published on eLife online suggests that theory could go one step further. It suggests our decision-making abilities can be swayed by the level of difficulty involved in reaching the result. That doesn’t mean we knowingly settle for less because it’s easier – we see the easier result as being more desirable in the first place.

The study explains:

“Imagine you are in an orchard, trying to decide which of the many apples to pick. On what do you base your decision? Most research into this type of decision-making has focused on how the brain uses visual information – about features such as colour, size and shape – to make a choice. But what about the effort required to obtain the apple? Does an apple at the top of the tree look more or less tempting than the low-hanging fruit?” (Hagura, Haggard and Diedrichsen, 2017).

So, what on earth does this have to do with your IT department?

Most IT departments will play a central role in selecting and configuring digital systems deployed in organisations. These systems are having increasingly wide-reaching impacts on businesses, creating rigid frameworks and workflows that inform how teams can work. However, these digital systems can also contain loopholes.

Say, for example, that you have a system through which you manage the procurement of parts. The ideal employee should log the purchase by entering information such as part number, part name, and quantity, which then becomes a purchase record in a database, over time this builds a history of purchasing patterns. This part number should in theory be the individual part number, but the part number isn’t always easy to identify, there’s no system to look-up the part number, and their manager is currently pushing to minimise the time to place the order.

This leads someone to create an umbrella code for miscellaneous parts. There’s no control against this and no guidance in the system to advise against it. Now, despite a fixed system, you have a workaround that allows the purchasers to place the order in half the time. Only problem is, three years down the line, you have no record of what was purchased, severely restricting your ability to make informed decisions.

There are two things happening here.

Firstly, the lack of available solution for easily and rapidly identifying the part number is creating a challenge for the end-user to overcome – it’s making the standard process hard to execute. Secondly, the lack of control within the digital system is providing the option for the end-user to bypass the standard. The human mind is generally not capable of consistently selecting the harder option when an easier option exists, particularly in the face of pressure, stress and other challenges. You have now created an implicit behaviour where the team is favouring efficiency over data integrity.

Now, imagine this is happening in other processes. In other systems. There are implicit behaviours being created in all corners of the business, influenced by challenges and loopholes in digital systems. We are now building a set of behavioural responses and group norms, which brings us neatly back to our definition of culture. The cherry on top of this cake is that all those difficult processes might actually be impairing our ability to make accurate judgements about what our customer values most.

So, what can we do about this?

Leaders and managers should communicate priorities, take time to understand challenges and have open conversations with teams to truly understand the way work is working in their areas. These are opportunities to surface problems and opportunities to improve. By asking genuinely curious questions about ‘how work works’ they should encourage an environment where it is safe for team members to surface frustrations and corner cutting.  It’s also important to map and understand the workflows that flow through digital systems. Once standard processes and expectations are in place, governance and improvement meetings should be wrapped around these workflows, enabling teams to provide feedback where there are challenges.

It’s important to engage the IT department – and any other teams that are responsible for maintaining and controlling digital systems in the business – in the improvement meetings and related activities that work teams use to act on problems and opportunities. This should create a healthy tension, connecting IT service providers with the reality of work, and work teams with the potential and constraints or unintended consequences of IT based changes.

These challenges can then be addressed by optimising, removing waste and simplifying those processes. Automation and specific digital solutions can be applied to remove work from teams or solve complex challenges.

Continuous improvement should be a continuous and open conversation, which delivers results when leaders mobilise teams to identify and address challenges as they are encountered. It’s more important than ever that the IT department is onboard and engaged with these efforts as they now hold the keys to more doors than ever before. It might be time to take your CIO for a coffee…

 

Jack Worboys

Analyst Consultant

jack.worboys@sapartners.com

 

Nobuhiro Hagura, Patrick Haggard, Jörn Diedrichsen (2017) Perceptual decisions are biased by the cost to act eLife 6:e18422 https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.18422

Harvard Business Review 2018, The Leader’s Guide to Corporate Culture, accessed 26th April 2023, < https://hbr.org/2018/01/the-leaders-guide-to-corporate-culture>

 

Signup for our upcoming webinar on the 6th of June: From Chaos to Consistency – Nintex & S A Partners – S A Partners

Asset Management through TPM – USA (Virtual)

Course Content

About this Event

The Asset Management through TPM awareness (Level 1A) It is the first step for individuals who would like to become more involved in TPM within their own company and the precursor to the more advanced TPM courses. The course will explore the world recognised 11 step TPM model with one of the co-authors of the “Total Productive Maintenance, a Foundation of Operational Excellence”

This course provides the participant with an understanding of the fundamental TPM principles. Specifically, you will:

  • Lean and the links to TPM
  • The history of TPM
  • Understand the key drivers in TPM
  • Be able to participate effectively in TPM activities.

How it is delivered

We deliver the course through:

Virtual Training

The training is set up using a virtual platform in 2 x 4-hour sessions over one day. This will be supported by self-study. We will use case studies and activities to ensure the training is enjoyable, meaningful and relevant.

Coaching

Every candidate will receive 1:1 coaching support from one of our experienced trainers.

Experiential learning

You will practice what you have learnt by undertaking a real-life ‘Kaizen’ activity. You will then present this back as part of your accreditation.

Accredited Learning

On successful completion of this course you will receive your accredited TPM awareness (1A) Certificate from LCS & Cardiff University.

For more information:

Email: events@sapartners.com

Phone: 02920-881014

Cant make this online workshop?

Can’t make this workshop?  Then fill in the form below to get a notification of our next planned TPM workshops

Acoustic Management System

The Art of Leadership Communication

Join us for this three-day foundation program with Dr Bryan Cutliff and discover how to improve your leadership communication skills. Through this program,   you will gain an understanding of how your voice can impact the performance of those around you. It will equip you with an understanding of how your voice can influence feelings which in turn impacts both behavior and engagement.

Through practical and interactive sessions, you will increase self-awareness in how we talk; acoustics, how we listen, and learn to shift your approach to have a predictable and positive effect on engagement and performance.   Participants improve their ability to align their communication patterns in a   positive way to encourage collaboration, efficient problem-solving, and psychological safety​.

This course will help you to:

  • Improve your facilitation techniques ​
  • Build your self-awareness of how others talk​
  • Improve your professional relationships
  • Enhance your conversational skills
  • Strengthen your listening skills​
  • Enhance the ability to give and receive feedback​
  • Develop greater sensitivity around how your communication skills impact others

Why attend:

  • Free 1 hr coaching session with Dr Bryan Cutliff
  • Free Deep Excellence: Seeing & Hearing a Culture of Deep Excellence Book
  • 10% discount on future courses
  • Personal Voiceprint Map
  • Development plan

 

About

  • Delivered online via Teams
  • 3 x 4 hour sessions
  • 1 hour intro (welcome) session (optional)
  • 1 hour coaching session (optional)

TPM Masterclass @ Princes Edible Oils

Join us for this 2 day Masterclass hosted by Princes Edible Oils which focuses on the Total Productive Maintenance model developed by S A Partners.
This workshop will explore both what and how to deploy an effective, systematic approach to TPM. We will not only look at the use of the appropriate Lean thinking tools and systems, we will also look at the leadership and engagement systems that will support sustainable change. This masterclass will include:
  • An introduction to TPM – theory & practice
  • A day in the life of an operator
  • Undertaking a TPM audit
  • Condition Appraisals
  • Refurbishment planning
  • Asset management
  • Problem solving
  • Gemba walks to test theory
  • Training & development for TPM
  • Leadership & behaviours
At the end of the course you will have the opportunity to develop your own high-level TPM action plan with the support of the course leader. This course will also include a gemba.
How it is delivered:
Onsite Training
The training is delivered onsite over two days in 2 x 7 hour sessions. We will use case studies and activities to ensure the training is enjoyable, meaningful and relevant.
Coaching
Every candidate will receive 1:1 coaching support from one of our experienced trainers.
Experiential learning
You will practice what you have learnt by undertaking a real-life ‘Kaizen’ activity. You will then present this back as part of your accreditation.

Why attend?

You will understand how to develop and support TPM within your own organisation; how to use the 11 step model to make systematic and effective change. We will use both case studies and gemba walks to bring the theory into practice.

Book Club Virtual Workshop with the Authors of DEEP EXCELLENCE

Join us for this four week virtual workshop where the authors share their insights into their new publication Deep Excellence: Seeing & Hearing a Culture of Deep Excellence.

This book will challenge your thinking about how you lead; and how you can add value to those around you.  You will discover and explore ways in which you can bring meaning to your work and how you can engage the heads; hands and hearts to create a culture of Deep Excellence in your organization.

Through a focus on behaviours and systems-thinking the authors take you on a journey, where they share their decades of experience supporting organisations achieve their ideal results.  They provide guidance on how to create the positive behaviours required in today’s world; and how you as a leader can create sustainable change.

Deep Excellence is a book about people, human nature, humanity and preparing for the future. Written in a thoughtful, unpretentious, and empathetic style, the authors usher the reader through a story of learning, challenging current mental models, provoking new ways of thinking and acting with purpose.

Excerpt from Foreword by Rose Heathcote, CEO

Dates (1pm BST)

29 June 2023: John Quirke, Simon Grogan, Juliette Packham

6 July 2023: Juliette Packham & John Quirke

13 July 2023: Simon Grogan & John Quirke

20 July : Bryan Cutliff

Join all four sessions and get a free copy of the book – signed by the authors.

Can’t make this workshop?  Then fill in the form below to get notification of our next planned Shingo workshops

Shingo Week @ Zingermans Mail Order

Workshop Outline

Join S A Partners and Zingerman’s for these two World recognized SHINGO Workshops

We are offering you the opportunity to attend Discover Excellence followed by Systems Design over four days facilitated by our Shingo expert Colin Scott, hosted onsite by Zingermans Mail Order, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

About this Event

Delivered over four days at Zingermans Mail Order, Ann Arbor, Michigan
DISCOVER EXCELLENCE
   As a participant, you will:
  • LEARN and understand the SHINGO Model
  • DISCOVER the Three Insights of Organisational Excellence
  • EXPLORE how the SHINGO Guiding Principles inform ideal behaviors that ultimately lead to sustainable results. 
  • UNDERSTAND the behavioral assessment process through an interactive case study and Gemba.
SYSTEMS DESIGN
 As a participant, you will:
  • DISCOVER three types of essential systems.
  • EXPLORE five required tools for each system.
  • LEARN how to create and use system maps.
  • UNDERSTAND system standard work and how it drives improvement.

The Hosts

The Zingerman’s Community of Businesses (ZCoB) is a family of ten businesses all located in the Ann Arbor area and reflects the novel strategy for business growth created by Zingerman’s Deli founders Paul Saginaw and Ari Weinzweig. Rather than replicating their deli through the franchise model, Paul, and Ari instead chose to develop new, independent businesses, all rooted in our local community that work together as one organization.

Each business is operated by one or more managing partners who share ownership and put their particular expertise to work in the day-to-day running of their business. The idea for the ZCoB was laid out in Zingerman’s 2009 vision, written by Ari and Paul in 1994 and highlighted in Bo Burlingham’s 2003 article for Inc. Magazine, “The Coolest Small Company in America.”

In 2006, the ZCoB managing partners began work on Zingerman’s 2020 vision. It was completed a year later and painted a picture of the ZCoB at the end of the next decade. Zingerman’s 2020 vision was featured in a New York Times article from June 2007, “The Corner Deli that Dared to Break Out of the Neighborhood.”

Who should attend?

Senior leaders and Continuous Improvement professionals from enterprises, big or small, from any sector, wanting to understand the essential ingredients needed to create a sustainable business Improvement culture.

Video

Attendees of the Shingo Discover Excellence Workshop give their thoughts on the learning outcomes.

Questions ?

For further information contact Colin Scott by using the contact from on his bio page.

Understanding Lean Leadership

Posted on by Ailsa Carson

By MEGAN JAMES, European Business Development Manager

I previously shared the S A Partners implementation model for Enterprise Excellence and how to use this to build effective training programmes. In case you missed it, you can find it HERE. I received some great queries specifically about the design of the Leadership element so I wanted to share some further insights on how we develop this with our customers and why it is so critical.

Fundamentally, the role of Lean Leadership is to create the right environment in which a culture of continuous improvement can be realized, where every individual has the capacity and capability to solve problems; improve their task, processes and systems on a daily basis. It is not just about tools and techniques but also about understanding the systems required to achieve Enterprise Excellence and how those systems can drive the right culture and behaviors.

To do this a different approach to Lean Leadership is required – one that truly equips leaders for the challenge ahead. Over the years we have seen Continuous Improvement & Lean programmes live and die because of the Leader in charge, the culture they have created.

Leaders that have the accountability for deploying Continuous Improvement and Lean, potentially need to change the way their teams work, think and behave. They, themselves will need much more than an understanding of Lean tools and principles. They need to understand which systems are required to drive the right behaviours; and how to engage their team in those systems to make them sustainable.

This is a very different skill set to what is traditionally taught in “Lean Leadership”. Many organisations have general leadership programmes that teach core skills, but these often don’t provide the specific lean context, alternatively some programmes do provide an understanding of the principles of Lean but focus too much on Lean tools rather than the required Lean leadership capabilities. Somewhere in the middle there is a gap, leaving leaders ill-equipped to face the challenges ahead.

With this in mind, S A Partners has developed a Lean Leadership programme that supports leaders to be the enablers of Lean that we need them to be. This programme focuses on 3 core capabilities:

Who I am:

All Leaders at all levels first need to develop a deep understanding who they are, how they think, speak, listen and connect with others. We have characterised this as the Leaders DNA, what makes them tick, what they are good at and what can they improve.

 

 

What I do:

This element focuses on what needs to be done. To do this we use the Enterprise Excellence model which provides a framework for understanding what makes an effective organization, business, department, or team. It looks at purpose, process and people in conjunction with how the organisation aligns, engages and improves to deliver sustainable customer results. Leaders are taught how signature systems are constructed, how to create their own development plans and learn how to diagnose their own activities and teams. Leaders will learn how to effectively use Go-look-see as a way of understanding the current state, measuring progress against their roadmap and engaging with their teams.

 

 

My Team:

The third element is developing the skills necessary to engage and align the team. To do this we use a tried and tested framework to first identify what needs to be done and then develop the essential leadership skills to ensure it is delivered. Leaders are first taught how to diagnose current reality, set improvement goals, understand development needs and reflect the right leadership style. Following this their skills are developed enabling them to successfully instruct, mentor, coach and delegate.

 

 

 

70:20:10 Learning Philosophy

By focusing on the 70:20:10 learning approach (see below) we put the emphasis on supporting every Leader throughout their Leaning journey, translating the learning into a roadmap for their part of the organization that will truly drive and sustain change.

Lombardo, Michael M; Eichinger, Robert W (1996)
The Career Architect Development Planner

 

If you’d like to find out more about how we could work with your leaders then do get in touch with our team on info@sapartners.com or visit our website www.sapartners.com for further resources.

 

 

Making a Sustainable Impact: Free in 2023, No Repeats or Hesitations

Healthcare institutions are becoming increasingly more challenging to operate. Having been affected by the pandemic, progressively more complex legislation, rising costs, and a shrinking workforce, leaders in healthcare struggle to remain optimistic. While dealing with the aforementioned factors, leaders are also required to be fully present in their day-to-day efforts and engage their workforce, who themselves are experiencing higher and more prominent levels of burnout.

During this webinar, Dr. Cutliff & Dr. Radford will share personal experiences, ideas, and techniques that have helped them, and a number of organizations overcome organizational and personal adversity while leading national institutions. We will discuss how to build a sustainable culture of excellence, and the need to stay true to your purpose amid organizational trials and challenges. Join us to discover how you can make a sustainable impact, re-attach yourself to your purpose, and support your workforce in doing the same.

Lean Management System – LEVEL 1 – Japan Study Tour

Study Tour

7 – 15 October 2023

Due to new restrictions we can advise on flights but not book on your behalf, pricing has been adjusted accordingly.

Join the leading Lean Training Programme in Japan this November for an experience of a lifetime.

We are proud to offer you this unique opportunity to gain practical knowledge and experience studying with Toyota gurus for one whole week in Japan.

The Lean Management System study tour covers a comprehensive view of Lean leadership and the Lean Production System. The tour provides you with an opportunity to study in Toyota’s own training centre with direct access to Toyota trainers and Toyota  production facilities.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to boost your leadership and management skills by learning from the very best in the world. You will also obtain your Certificate directly from Toyota. We have created a study week that combines intense learning with both fun and cultural immersion!

Understand Why and How to use LEAN

This Study Tour will provide you with a deep understanding of how to make the best use of Lean. This is a unique opportunity to visit Japan, Toyota, and some of their suppliers to train in Lean through seminars, Gemba visits, and participating in practical training at Toyota’s own training facility. The objective is to dig deep into the WHAT, WHY and HOW of Lean Thinking. What are the elements needed to run a successful Lean system? Why is it so popular in current thinking and How can it influence your own organization and support growth.

By understanding  the whole lean management system you will get an insight into what these leading Japanese companies are doing to compete in today’s fast changing environment.

You will learn to identify the tools and elements of Lean Methodology that can be applied to your own business to support profitable growth. The week in Japan will also provide an insight into Japanese culture and values.

Study Tour Package Includes:

  • Workshops and seminars
  • Study visits
  • Hotel Accommodation for the entire duration of the study visit
  • Local transfers in Japan
  • Full board Sunday – Friday
  • Farewell dinner

Costs & To Book

  • £6,150 plus VAT, due to new restrictions we can advise on flights but not book on your behalf, pricing has been adjusted accordingly.
  • Onsite Host Companies: 10% Discount on all Bookings
  • Group Discount: 10% Discount on 4 or more places

Need Help or Advice?

To book or for more Information:

For full terms and conditions and for details of our Company Insurance Policy please do contact us.

Any questions  regarding the training, the travel to or within Japan – please do give us a call on +44 (0) 23 9246 8978.

The study tour is being delivered by SA Partners LLP and Onsite Insights in partnership with C2U Group.

The Programme

The training week will provide an invaluable insight into lean thinking. You will see it in action at Toyota and other leading-edge companies, where it originated and has matured over the last 100 years.

Learn the original thinking directly from former senior executives at Gifu Autobody, a Toyota-owned minivan manufacturer.  The Japanese sensei’s

(guru’s) will only teach based on real experience.

Time will be divided between the classroom, Gemba and practical workshops. The tour starts in the Nagoya region and ends in Tokyo, going from countryside to one of the largest cities in the world.

Day 1
Departure Europe

We depart from Europe and fly to Nagoya, Japan.

Day 2
Arrival and Tour Opening

Pick up/arrival in Nagoya and since it is a Sunday, we will take the opportunity to recover from jet lag and relax after the long flight by visiting the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology where we also will have lunch. In the museum we can follow the Japanese industrial history from looms to robotics. After the visit we take the bus to travel to the destination of
the day, Kakamigahara, where we will stay until Friday. The day ends
with a common dinner and introduction of the week.

Day 3
Classroom Training

The first day of training introduces the Production System by our host for the week. A Japanese senior manager will lead us through Toyota Production System from a manager perspective. From values, mindset to specific tools and methods. This session will prepare the group in what we can expect from the study visits, from the practice and from the following sessions. Your overall
picture of the production system will be confirmed or completed. In the afternoon we go for a first study visit, guided by our sensei. Q&A.
Group dinner will follow.

Day 4
Plant Tour and more Training

Next day, we continue to dig deeper into aspects of the production system and the Toyota way of managing and leading. How are all the puzzle pieces connected? How is Kaizen work organized and performed? Etc. After lunch, we go for another study visit and if time allows, we will also end with a visit to a traditional knife maker. Group dinner will follow.

Day 5
Training

The fifth day we spend in the Training Center where Toyota train their own people. We will increase our knowledge of Kanban when the group take part in a Kanban Role Play and we will train in how to perform a productivity improvement task following the Toyota methods. Group dinner will follow.

Day 6
Study Visit and further Training

The sixth day will start with a study visit before spending the rest of the day with a final Q&A and concluding the learnings for the week. Presentation by all participants. Followed by our group dinner.

Day 7
Conclusion

The last day ends with a study visit. We do final reflections before we board the bullet train that will take us to Tokyo. Free evening in Tokyo.

Day 8
Sightseeing Day in Tokyo

You will end the tour with a Free day in Tokyo where we will support you with travel advice and sightseeing recommendations. This will be followed up by a team farewell dinner.

Day 9
Departure from Tokyo

Who will you visit?

We have an extensive network of world class companies and for more than 10 years have been bringing managers to Japan. Our host sites embody World Class Manufacturing and include:

  • Toyota Motors
  • Denso
  • Calbee Foods
  • Asahi Breweries
  • Sekisui Heim
  • Gifu Autobody
  • Nissan Motors
  • Ishii Food Corp.
  • Asahi Motors
  • Mitsubishi Electric
  • Mazak
  • Pfizer
  • UD Trucks
  • Honda
  • Yamaha Marine
  • Mizawa Home
  • Suzuki
  • Isuzu Tokai

To find out more, you can email Ailsa Carson.

From Control to Collaboration – discover the new era of Digital Process Management

Join us for a look into how digital process management platforms can help organisations improve by creating clear and sophisticated process maps, real-time feedback & collaboration, optimizing processes; eliminating and removing waste and bottlenecks; driving standardization and continuous improvement; and encouraging collaboration.

We are all aware of the benefits of process mapping in relation to:

  • Visualising process flow
  • Identifying improvements and efficiencies
  • Understanding interactions and handoffs
  • Managing systems of work
  • Problem solving
  • Governance

During the webinar we will share how deploying a digital solution could revolutionise your process mapping and support you on your journey to Enterprise Excellence.

We will share the benefits and steps required to deploy Nintex Process Mapping, and provide guidance on how you can prepare your organisation to embrace this new era.

SHINGO Systems Design @ Lincoln Electric

Developing & designing the right Business Systems will support you deliver the organizational results you need.

About this Event

A successful organization is usually made up of complex systems that can be divided into layers of subsystems, each containing the necessary tools to enable the successful outcome of the system. An example of this would be the Continuous Improvement System which pulls together all of the tools & techniques used by an organisation or the HR System which guides human resource activity.

The Shingo Model Insights tell us that:

  • Ideal results require ideal behaviours
  • Purpose & systems drive behaviours
  • Principles inform ideal behaviours

For this reason Systems Thinking is fundamental to the success of Enterprise Excellence and this interactive workshop will provide you with the skills to recognise, define and establish the ‘right’ systems within your own organization.

This virtual training workshop builds upon the knowledge and experience gained in the DISCOVER EXCELLENCE* workshop, and focuses on the Systems and Tools diamonds in the Shingo Model™. It begins by explaining that all work in an organization is the outcome of a system.

Systems must be designed to create a specific end objective; otherwise, they evolve on their own. Systems drive the behavior of people, and variation in behavior leads to variation in results. Organizational excellence requires well designed systems to drive ideal behaviors that are required to produce sustainable results.

In this workshop, you will:

  • DISCOVER three types of essential systems.
  • EXPLORE five required communication tools for each system.
  • LEARN how to create and use system maps.
  • UNDERSTAND system standard work and how it drives improvement.

For further information, please do email events@sapartners.com

Who should attend?

Senior leaders and Continuous Improvement professionals from enterprises, big or small, from any sector, wanting to understand the essential ingredients needed to create a sustainable business Improvement culture.

SHINGO Systems Design @ Karl Storz

Developing & designing the right Business Systems will support you deliver the organizational results you need.

About this Event

A successful organization is usually made up of complex systems that can be divided into layers of subsystems, each containing the necessary tools to enable the successful outcome of the system. An example of this would be the Continuous Improvement System which pulls together all of the tools & techniques used by an organisation or the HR System which guides human resource activity.

The Shingo Model Insights tell us that:

  • Ideal results require ideal behaviours
  • Purpose & systems drive behaviours
  • Principles inform ideal behaviours

For this reason Systems Thinking is fundamental to the success of Enterprise Excellence and this interactive workshop will provide you with the skills to recognise, define and establish the ‘right’ systems within your own organization.

This virtual training workshop builds upon the knowledge and experience gained in the DISCOVER EXCELLENCE* workshop, and focuses on the Systems and Tools diamonds in the Shingo Model™. It begins by explaining that all work in an organization is the outcome of a system.

Systems must be designed to create a specific end objective; otherwise, they evolve on their own. Systems drive the behavior of people, and variation in behavior leads to variation in results. Organizational excellence requires well designed systems to drive ideal behaviors that are required to produce sustainable results.

In this workshop, you will:

  • DISCOVER three types of essential systems.
  • EXPLORE five required communication tools for each system.
  • LEARN how to create and use system maps.
  • UNDERSTAND system standard work and how it drives improvement.

For further information, please do email events@sapartners.com

*DISCOVER EXCELLENCE is a pre-requisite to this workshop

Why attend?

Organisations who have adopted the Shingo principles, have seen an increased level of success in areas such as Costs (increased revenue, reduced inventory, reduced lead times etc), Safety & Quality ( zero lost time for accidents, reduction in scrap, defects and non-conformance), On Time in Full & New Product Introduction (increases in OTIF by as much as 95%  & NPI up to 100%).

More benefits of implementing Shingo can be found in our Shingo section.

graph showing 100% accomplished and 33% outstanding for the SHingo Discover Enterprise Excellence workshopcourse delvery

What have attendee’s thought of the Shingo Discover Excellence Workshop?

Attendee’s of our Shingo workshops have rated them very highly, with 98% having no hesitation in recommending them to colleagues.

  • 100% of all attendees rate our delivery as ‘Accomplished’.
  • 33% rate our delivery as Outstanding
  • 98% would recommend this course to a colleague

“Very good, enjoyed the course, looking forward to working on this in the future.”

“Very beneficial, thank you! Filled a gap in my understanding.”

“Challenging and excellent workshop, food for thought.”

A sample of companies who have attended the workshops:

 

Some of our Shingo Discover Excellence clients

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