2-Minute Factory Assessment

This is an old trick my Dad taught me as a kid; go into any factory, close your eyes and listen ... Just listen to the noise.
If it is a well-run factory you'll hear patterns in the noise. Patterns mean sequencing, which is the basis of all Lean manufacturing principles. A tightly scheduled plant will produce patterns in the noise.
Then open your eyes and watch the feet. ... Just watch the worker's feet.
An efficient factory brings the work to the worker; it does not send the worker to the work. If the feet are still, the production line is efficiently moving materials.
We frequently realize 30% gains in plant productivity based on these principles. Of course, to accomplish this, our assessments are much deeper than just listening and usually take a couple weeks to complete. But lenders and CEOs enjoy an experienced outside perspective of the business and benefit from detailed our recommendations. Beyond simple number crunching, we bring our experience as business operators to sniff out the hidden opportunities quickly.
But to get the process started, just listen...