A major customer was ready to terminate contract due to significant, recurring quality problems. All new business awards from that customer were on hold. Managing Director was not focused on operations due to his background in finance and economics.

Met directly with customer to hear firsthand how they felt. Launched QRQC (Quick Response Quality Control). Implemented 200% quality wall containment within 24-hours. Designed mistake-proof process solution using simple vision system and rejects under control mechanism. Implemented solution within 10-weeks.

Customer ppm reduced from 89,000 to zero within 10-weeks. $8 million in new business was subsequently awarded due to renewed customer confidence.

Company was sustaining 40%+ scrap rates that needed to be addressed. This was a long-term problem, having never been solved over 20-years despite rigorous study by several engineers.

Established project team. Defined problem. Identified potential principal causes. Designed experiments and eliminated major possible causes. Researched subject by attending major Glass Manufacturers Conference / Exhibition in France. Identified potential radical solution. Conducted series of experiments. Implemented permanent process solution.

Scrap rate reduced from 40%+ to less than 3% through the implementation of this minimal cost solution.

Business operations were struggling to deliver consistent profitability for its stakeholders. Business owners were professionals with limited knowledge in business operations and planning processes.

Conducted business diagnostic and identified key business issues to be addressed. Proposed a seven step turnaround plan and convinced the owners of the need for change. Implemented new two-provider business model and relaunched website with rich digital media. Set up core procedures, and relocated practice into new ‘right-sized’ office.

Achieved 40% growth in sales within one year.

One of company’s European divisions was sustaining significant operating losses and needed to be turned around. Existing Senior Management Team was limited in their perspective, expecting centralized sales functions to bring about necessary changes. Centralized sales were not focused on the division.

Helped management to understand that solutions had to be generated within the division. Launched a strategic review that identified an urgent need for drastic action. Recruited a local UK Business Development Manager and directed establishment of three-year and five-year business turnaround plans. Established weekly progress reviews on local and regional level, while implementing ‘lean transformation’ of the manufacturing operations.

Changes in sales mentality led to securing of $320 million in new contracts within first 15-months.

Company’s business unit in Spain was reporting financial losses due to poor utilization of the available capacity. Company was faced with strong, militant Trade Unions, a totally ingrained senior employee base unwilling to change, and inept plant leadership.

Evaluated the operational issues and designed and implemented a plan for improving the leadership team. Started by replacing the Plant Director then negotiated with Trade Union to gain agreement on consolidation of three plants into two. Redefined value stream and eliminated non-value added transport costs. Renegotiated new employment contracts to reinforce changes in performance metrics to ensure better ongoing performance.

Efforts improved productivity 34%, cut labor costs by 5% of sales, and saved $7 million annually.

Business processes across multiple operations were not running in a consistent fashion. Significant cultural differences from plant to plant were impacting the implementation of uniform processes and procedures.

Launched Senior Management Team (SMT) development workshops. Established a “Balanced Business Scorecard,” populated for each individual plant. Measured financial and operational results, organization culture, team roles and personality traits of senior managers in each plant. Developed an holistic model for superior business performance. Used model to reform senior management teams, as required.

Achieved top-performing leadership team that helped drive multimillion-dollar process improvements.

Company production unit was on the verge of being closed due to a lack of volume, poor cost control and high levels of process waste, poor organization, discipline and safety in plant. Trade Union was a major source of resistance. There existed no desire for change. There was a lack of knowledge about how to change.

Secured a government grant to facilitate in-depth strategic review. Won multiple new contracts with major new and existing customers by adding new improved innovative process technology. Launched lean transformation “MasterClasses” every six weeks. Launched major training program to underpin the lean transformation. Established lean road maps.

Returned business from losses of $4 million to break-even within 18-months.

Company productivity required improvement in order to facilitate business turnaround. The Trade Union was resistant to change without improved level of employee compensation.

Renegotiated employee terms and conditions. Achieved self-financed pay deal for the plant as a whole (including staff). Implemented new shift patterns to achieve running shift changes, bell to bell working and maximized working time.

Productivity improved by 8% directly as a result of new shift patterns.

Delivery performance was far below required standards with major quality and delivery concerns appearing on a daily basis. Strong Trade Union was resistant to change. There was a lack of knowledge about lean manufacturing. No measures of performance. No visual management. No accountability. Poor process flow.

Conducted analysis of the product demand. Set up a new process flow line for the runners, plus a job shop for the repeaters. Selected new shift supervisors. Established weekly planning meeting, shift reporting and hand-overs. Set up visual management with individual accountability. Terminated employment of those unwilling to adopt the program changes. Launched intensive lean transformation training in-house workshops.

Delivery performance improved from 62 to 99.4% on-time fulfillment.

Multiple business operations had the potential for performing at a higher, more consistent rate. Best practices not shared due to a lack of communication or contact between plants.

Established a Permanent Productivity Plan (PPP) in each plant. Set up a best-practice network meeting every two months. Implemented weekly PPP reporting, focused on high- impact and easy to implement improvements. Set up clear PPP visual management in each plant.

Gained consistency of performance and generated $12 million in cost savings within eight months.

Business almost completely wiped out due to major factory fire and company was concerned about losing customer contracts. Specialized tooling and process machinery was destroyed. Computer systems and communications equipment destroyed.

Established emergency task force. Appointed specialists to recover fire-damaged tooling and smoke-damaged computer disks. Transferred team of operators from UK to USA to staff an emergency night shift. Established daily progress reports to maintain customer confidence.

Production output returned to 80% within seven weeks. New plant was established and became operational without the loss of any customers.