PBS means Business

Systems Thinking

Lean improvement has a consistent track record of delivering productivity improvement in almost all cases where it is applied. 'Systems thinking' is an approach to sustain the benefits. When applied to a lean programme it captures the interactions, relationships, motivations and perspectives of relevant staff, customers and suppliers and works with them to ensure the benefits from lean are sustained.

The way in which we might help you:

We interview your staff and create a systemic map of the inteactions and motivations of staff. We have software to capture the voice of the customers and clients economically. The resulting analysis drives and sustains your lean programme by identifying the priorities for improvement. 

In addition to advice and evaluating a lean programme, we can offer facilitation skills. We can work with your staff, customers and suppliers in implementing the solutions you agree.

Supporting the improvements is an ideal challenge for a University postgraduate working alongside a University expert.

Benefit:

Lean has a track record of consistently delivering faster responses to customers, reduced overheads required and ideas for added value to be provided to customers. A systems approach encourages sustainability of the results.

Cost:

Cost of employment/hour for the relevant expert. Potentially this can be supplemented by postgraduate support with accompanying government grant subsidy.

Our expert in this area:

Dr. Tammi Sinha specialises in Operations Strategy and Change Management. She has provided operations improvement advice to organisations in Aerospace, Semi conductors, Pharmaceutical, Construction, Furniture and Textiles. Dr Christine Welch  research interests include critical systemic thinking, contextual inquiry in relation to decision-making and organizational change and knowledge management. She is President of the UK Systems Society.

Our track record of success:

We have run lean projects in more than 30 local organisations, both service and manufacturing. Contacting the CEO 6 months later, we have consistently discovered ongoing benefits reported, from cash flow savings to improved productivity to increased sales.

JS Humidifiers (.pdf) sponsored a two year programme and achieced a 22% increase in sales and a a 75% increase in profitability through streamlining of their processes.

Huhtamaki required advice on rationalisationation of their manufacturing facilities, where an entrenched culture made change difficult. See testimonial.

For more information, please contact Allyson Hunt.