Overhauling an industrial process involves identifying losses of efficiency and then implementing a number of tools to correct these losses.

There are a number of responses to losses of efficiency. They depend on the type of process, the nature of the malfunctions observed, the actions that have already been taken and the context in general. By way of example:

• for assembly industries (automotive, aerospace, consumer electronics, etc.), the introduction of continuous flows between several production sequences, the leveling of workload and balancing of workstations, optimized line-side supply, reproducible planning of production activities.
• for process industries (chemicals, oil, iron and steel, paper, etc.), TPM, solving bottlenecks by the theory of constraints, statistical control of processes, SMED.

A number of tools introduced by Toyota’s doctrine can be applied to any environment and facilitate actions for change. Examples includes 5S, quality at the workstation, the definition of working standards, Kanbans, Andon and visual management.

The actions taken by many industrial manufacturers are limited to the former dimension, a fact that explains their failure to successfully complete Lean change projects on time.

Our experience has shown that companies often tend to focus on an overly technical approach to change, that neglects the middle management, on which the successful implementation of change relies.

Our experience in the management of these projects has convinced us that it is necessary to take action on two more levels in order to guarantee that the change is durable:

1. the company’s management system if often poorly adapted, or even inefficient.
2. durable changes in behavior, especially in middle management.

Management systems are made up of a number of component parts, including the use of relevant indicators, the organization of effective meetings at frequencies adapted to the questions in hand and the creation of clear documents used to share the information required to take the right decisions.

Finally, concrete results will only be achieved if behaviors are changed durably, by explaining, training and coaching. The goal is to make sure that the new operational practices and control methods are effectively used on a daily basis.

At Argon Consulting, our approach to Lean transformations of multi-site organizations relies on a spin-off approach that makes the teams autonomous. It applies some key principles in order to make a sufficient impact on our customers’ teams:

• the buy-in by field staff into the initiative right from the initial audit,
• the mobilization of the entire organization around the key principles of Lean management,
• the creation of lightweight steering and communication instances,
• the quest for the right balance between rapid and medium-term solutions,
• making the best possible use of best practices that can be deployed on several sites and of the deployment methodology.

Argon Consulting helps its customers in:

• the auditing, diagnostic and positioning of current practices according to the Lean manufacturing maturity matrices,
• the identification of the deep-seated causes of losses of efficiency (Value Stream Mapping),
• the identification of the challenges related to existing malfunctions and the estimate of the cost of overhauling the organizations and tools (business case),
• the revision of processes so that they are adapted to the specifics of the company and apply best practices,
• the transformation of management systems (documents, meetings, indicators) required to control activities,
• the change management plan (changes in culture, behaviors and skills, training, communication, etc.).