Lean Consulting for Industries in 2020

 

Is it time to consider lean consulting services? 2020 has been a challenge for everyone. If it’s time to look at budgets and goal-setting, a business consultant can help you get back on track. Even better, experienced lean consultants know how to adapt and apply lean business principles to a variety of industries, altering and adapting to put together a game plan that answers specific goals and challenges.

Lean Consulting has been around for about 24 years, although consulting services for businesses have been around much longer. Lean consultants are experts at helping organizations to reduce costs and increase profits. A business consultant typically starts by establishing knowledge of the environment as well as a demonstrated appreciation of specific organizational challenges. This must be done before attempting any process improvement through the application of lean techniques and principles, taken from business systems like TPS & Total Quality Management. 

A lean consultant works to narrow the gap between challenges and results. They collaborate on how to bring about meaningful process improvement, offering ideas and options that account for any regulatory demands, operational circumstances, environment, personnel, and even technical limitations along the way. The ultimate goal is to set up a self-sustaining lean environment with solutions that are scalable, adaptive, cost-effective, and capable of weathering sustained change. 

Some business consultants cater to specific industries, such as healthcare while others offer a broad range of background experience. Popular industries that often rely on lean consultants include Aerospace Engineering, Consumer Manufacturing, Healthcare, Software Development, & Agriculture. There are many excellent consultants with diverse project portfolios who possess a demonstrated understanding of how to use lean principles to bring about improvement in any industry, so searching out a specialist isn’t a requirement. 

Of course, like any partner, team member, or service provider, finding the best fit is up to you. If you’re looking for a business consultant, request a complimentary consultation to discuss your needs and goals. You will be working closely together, so it’s worth taking the time to assess compatibility and fit. 

What to Expect from a Lean Consultant 

Like any professional, lean consultants will use different processes to approach a challenge. However, generally, this is an overview of what you can expect: 

• Effective, affordable performance improvement
• Mapping techniques that provide insight to customer journey as well as organizational flows and challenges
• Innovative consulting and teaching techniques 
• Creation of a full, self-sustaining lean management system
• Greater focus and alignment on overarching organizational goals
• Better systems for measuring outcomes and success 

Choosing a business consultant should be done carefully. It is vital to make sure that the firm/individual has all of the tools and experience required to ensure a project can be completed successfully and to your satisfaction. Ask for references if necessary. 

Getting Started with a Lean Business Consultant 

A lean consultant will not just come up with a plan. The approach is collaborative and includes a detailed assessment of workflows and operational bottlenecks. Depending on your goals, a lean consultant may lead a cross-functional workshop—or they may job shadow team members for an in-depth look at organizational challenges. 

In the end, a lean consultant will provide a detailed roadmap of how to achieve organizational objectives, integrating solutions that may include team training, technology upgrades, and other resources to fundamentally improve how your product/service is delivered to customers. 

Challenges don’t go away by themselves, whether it’s streamlining a supply line or maintaining factory operations in the era of social distancing. When workarounds and band-aid solutions are no longer an option, an experienced lean business consultant will dive into organizations and come up with ideas designed to add value, streamline waste, and deliver results to organizations looking for meaningful improvement.