Anand dossier 2

Anand Subramaniam Dossier Commercial in Confidence
2
Industry – Telecommunication
Period – September, 2017
Area – HFC Activation
Tool / Method – Mistake Proofing
Situation
The national HFC end-to-end (E2E) activation process, had a 41% defect rate and was creating customer satisfaction
challenges. The E2E activation process showed 11 tasks that were creating 83% of these defects.
Solution
I formed a team – 2 x Field Technician, 1 x Field Supervisor and 1 x Process Improvement (myself to part with my
knowledge on Lean Thinking & Principles). By involving the Field Technicians, I performed a 2-day Kaizen event to
implement Mistake Proofing methods. I mapped the process to determine the specific steps which were causing
these errors and why. This allowed us to focus on areas that were impacting the flow, waste and were prone to
defects.
I used a fishbone diagram to determine root causes of problems within the process. After a detailed 5 Why analysis I
coached the team to identify those specific steps in the process that needed Mistake Proofing. We brainstormed and
came up with low-tech solution. It was a simple to use checklist along with colour coding steps to match a specific
tool used (red = cutting pliers, yellow = screw drivers, green = torque wrenches and blue = connectors and black =
cables). The Viavi meter was used as a warning system in 3 areas – pit, side of the house and inside the house.
Outcome
Mistake Proofing was critical to the success as it enabled process stability. The stability of the process was critical
along with standard work for further improvement opportunities. Using the above steps and I successfully improved
the E2E process. This removed the defects as early as possible in the process with none moving to the down-stream
processes. I used the above simple steps and removed 80% of the defects within 5 months.
From the above exercise we were able to apply Mistake Proofing to other product / technologies like FTTC, FTTN &
FFTB (Fibre to Curb, Node and Basement). The lessons learnt listed below were utilised by fellow Field teams:
1. The human error - Field Technician’s lack of attention to detail and skill levels were causing defects;
2. The failure to follow the critical steps in the process flow were causing safety issues along with defects;
3. The incorrect placement of connectors and cables caused errors that resulted in defects;
4. Errors which occurred early in a process were causing problems in the downstream process;
5. There was low heightened alertness required whilst performing manual operations.

3
Period – November, 2016
Area – FTTN - Copper Jumpering
Tool / Method – Standard Work
Situation
Copper jumpering is a very intricate operation involving both manual and automated tasks along with adherence to
‘standard work’ which is critical to prevent failures. Despite a focus to follow the engineering procedural documents
which were 100+ pages, the majority of jumpering failures could be traced back to a failure to follow “standard work”
procedure. The baseline quality level from jumpering was 43%, while the target was 99%.
The design and implementation of “standard work” has proven to be a challenge. It forces Management, Field and
Engineering staff to clearly identify and define the “best way” on a single or double sided A4 sheet. The standard
operating procedures (SOPs) were voluminous documents that were at times difficult to understand and were open to
interpretation.
Solution
Whilst the Field Technicians are educated and skilled on copper jumpering techniques, they tended towards
innovation to achieve improvement. Whilst this is much sought-after in employees, it must be controlled or it
becomes a source of inefficiency and the antithesis of improved performance that standard work enables. As well as
ensuring that every jumpering is fit for its intended use, standard work acts as the baseline for all future
improvements or Kaizen. Without standard work there can be no Kaizen, simplification or stabilisation of the process.
a. Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)
I undertook a review and found that the quality of the SOP on engineering documentation was at an acceptable level
and the systems in place to manage and record employee training were effective. However, while all these systems
and documentation were adhering to the engineering standards, the following opportunities for improvement existed:
1. Experienced Field Technicians had a hidden layer of detailed tacit knowledge that was not shared or captured
anywhere. This tacit knowledge was key in getting to the root cause.
2. Most SOPs were written in an engineering speak and very broad (e.g. detailing equipment settings, operation,
asset care, maintenance, etc.) which resulted in a typical SOP being 100+ pages long (with some even as large as
250+ pages). This called into question their suitability as a training aid for new Field Technicians or for retraining
existing staff.
3. While all Field Technicians had been trained and were certified to carry out their jumpering duties as prescribed
in the SOPs, they had no real or deep understanding about the tasks they were performing. Many Field
Technicians did not understand the reasons why certain critical tasks had to be performed in a standard way to
prevent jumpering defects.
4. There was NO simple one or two A4 page(s) to show what good looks like.
b. Job Breakdown Sheets (JBS)
Instead of creating a set of instructions and training for the Field Technicians to follow, a job breakdown structure
embeds a real understanding of the jumpering process. This is achieved by teaching them, in a layered manner, the
significance of each “key” step in the process and the criticality of these key steps if not performed correctly.
Note: A “key step” is one which can adversely affect quality, safety, productivity, cycle time and / or cost.
c. Pilot
A pilot area was selected to conduct a controlled trial. The 100+ page long SOP was refined down to one double-sided
A4 sheet. The front-page detailed tool setup and operation, and the back-page showed what steps should not be
done and highlighted the points of failure. This document was jointly developed by 3 Senior Field Techs along with 1
from Engineering, 1 from Quality Control and myself (to provide the Lean lens).

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d. At the Gemba
There key steps in developing the JBS:
1. At the Gemba (work site / the field) I involved the Field Technicians at every stage.
2. I observed every motion in detail and recorded them on video (where needed) to understand the key process
steps.
3. I used the data to determine the best way to perform each activity taking safety, quality and cycle time into
consideration.
4. I captured this information in a non-technical language.
At this stage Engineering resources were invited to review the process and JBS document to ensure that what we did
on this exercise complied with Quality Management / Engineering systems and standards. To trial the system 3 Field
Technicians were selected for training and input.
Based on the positive results, the decision was made to restructure the training in line with JBS. This resulted in a
complete review of all SOPs and the creation of simple job breakdown sheets (JBS). These JBS were laminated and
handed to Field Managers for training and inducting new Technicians. These JBS were also made available for Team
Leaders to pick-up and observe immediately whether standard work was being performed correctly. It is important to
reiterate that the main purpose of these JBS was to assist in the training of Field Technicians and to instil
understanding and knowledge of the jumpering processes.
There is still a requirement for the detailed SOP to enable the Field Technicians to access broader details (e.g. routine
maintenance, meter settings / configuration, troubleshooting guides, FAQ etc.).
e. Training and Audit
In order to support the JBS roll-out the 3 Field Technicians in turn trained other Field Technicians and created a
mentor / mentee program. This took around 4 months to bed down. The Field team developed an auditing system to
measure how well standard work was being followed. Each week an Audit team consisting of Field Supervisor, Training
Specialist any myself, carried out a process compliance check on the chosen jumpering which was selected at random.
Each Audit team member (using the relevant JBS) observed a different Field Technician performing their work and
recorded the results.
f. Standard Work Compliance
When the audit was completed the Audit team collated their final scores, provided feedback and circulated the results
via e-mail to the key stakeholders. During a typical check, which lasts around 45 to 60 minutes, between 50 to 60 tasks
could be checked by the team.
g. Critical Step
One key refinement that the team made was to the check when a critical quality or safety step was missing or
performed incorrectly. When it did happen, the Field Technician was immediately stopped until the issue was
resolved and 10% was deducted from the final score. As well as auditing how work was being performed, the checks
also presented an opportunity to assess the quality of the JBS and looked for opportunities to improve the process.
Outcome
The Input from Field Technicians was key in the creation and introduction of these standard work compliance checks.
The Audit team wanted to assure the focus of the Field Technicians was on compliance to the process rather than the
individual. In the event a Field Technician was observed not performing a key point correctly that Field Technician was
advised as to the correct method. This information was passed on to the relevant Field Team Leader / Supervisor who
would first organise for the Field Technician to be retrained and then audited them daily until the jumpering work was
performed to 100% satisfaction. The process was sustained for 180+ days with the jumpering quality level increasing
from 43% to 91% within 9 months. Further refinement is being sought as part of their continuous improvement
efforts.
Standard work is very definitive – it leaves no room for error and forms the basis for understanding and learning. The
above process and lessons learnt were shared with the rest of the Field team using other products / technologies.

5
Period – March 2016
Area – HFC Activation
Tool / Method – Listed below
Situation
In activating or connecting an HFC customer by a Field Technician, the current state metrics applied:
▪ Average cycle time: 2 hours.
▪ Productivity: 8 single dwelling homes /person per day.
▪ WIP: 2 ~4 homes awaiting to be completed as per the day run.
▪ Over 100 meters of walking distance travelled by a Field Technician from their vehicle to the house and back.
Solution
A Kaizen team consisting of 2 x Field Technicians, 1 x Field Supervisor and 1 x Process Improvement Specialist (myself)
and 1 x Area Supervisor was formed. After spending 2 hours in Lean training, the team began to observe and collect
time and task, data for each step in the activation process. The team discovered the following significant waste in the
process:
▪ Excessive batching of work at each stage caused by extra handling of tools, inventory and “as-built” maps.
▪ Out of cycle work: Operators were doing their own material ordering and phone conversations.
▪ Transport and motion waste due to improper tooling and material presentation.
▪ Current layout was not conducive to one-piece flow as there was a long distance between operations.
▪ Each Operator has his/her own way of performing a step or activity as there was no standard work.
The Lean Principles and techniques utilised in this event included the following:
▪ Standard Work.
▪ One-Piece Flow.
▪ 5S Housekeeping Principles.
▪ Problem definition & resolution (fishbone, 5 Whys and action list).
▪ Waste definition, identification and elimination.
▪ Visual Management Boards (VMB).
Using the principles of one-piece flow, standardised work, VMB, 5S and waste audit, the team instituted the following
changes:
▪ The team developed standard work sheets that identified each job step along with the sequence and timing
associated with each step. This significantly reduced the variation between operators.
▪ The Field Technician highlighted the status and problem on the VMB. This information was used to
communicate on the half hourly progress (plan versus actual), as well as, problem definition and resolution
via fishbone analysis (Cause & Effect and 5 Why’s) in addition to counter measures / action list.
▪ The team developed and implemented a new layout that was conducive to one-piece flow; it physically
limited the amount of WIP between operations and reduced the movement and idle time waste.
▪ The team also recommended and later implemented modifications to the activation process that further
reduced the internal setup times (e.g. a further 18% of internal steps were converted to external steps).
Outcome
The improvements resulted in a 50% cycle time reduction, 70% productivity improvement and 30% reduction in
motion waste.

6
Period – October, 2015
Area – Supplier Relationship Management
Tool / Method – Compliance, Contract Review, Quality Management System
Situation
After one year into a three-year contract, I conduced the first supplier compliance review. The scope of the review was
to determine the degree to which the supplier delivery partner (SDP) was compliant with the contractual agreement.
The supplier won the contract based on their Quality Management System (QMS).
Solution
I conducted a detail review and found that the SDP (supply delivery partner) was only 20% compliant with the
contract. The work totaling $400k a year awarded were not performed as per the supplier’s Quality Management
System.
The KPI’s around – quality, cost, resource availability, defects, delivery and safety were not being reported. The
reports generated had no meaningful information to act upon.
I drew up the root cause of the supplier’s non-compliance. It resided with the SC team of the Telecommunication
company. The SC team did not follow up on missing work, unreported KPIs, missing reports, missing performance
reviews and neither the planning / governance forums didn’t document any.
The key finding of the audit report was that the SC team did not install any governance over the contract, so the
supplier was allowed almost complete discretion in what they did.
Outcome
From my audit, the SC team put in place a separate nine-member contract management team, led by a senior contract
manager along with contract management team for policies and procedures.
The detailed continuous review program was implemented thereafter and carried out to other supply delivery
partners.

7
Period – June, 2015
Area - WMC
Tool / Method - Resource Allocation
Situation
A well-established Telco delivery partner managed their Field Operations from their Workforce Management Centre
(WMC) through daily work force planning meetings. This was done the previous evening which had over time become
ineffective and time consuming. The 95% productivity targets for each day showed an actual average achievement of
64%.
Solution
We analysed the current process and steps, set a target for 95% accuracy on productivity targets, future process flow
and the required steps along with counter measures. The Visual board was installed at the WMC and in the back
office.
Every morning, starting at 08:30, a 15 minute “stand-up meeting” took place. At this meeting the day’s schedule along
with resource allocation was discussed. An example how the schedule / resources were allocated would include the
Technician visit to customer AM and PM, customer appointment confirmed the following day but required follow-up
during the day and the administration work at the back-office activities (invoicing and missing artefacts).
After the stand-up meeting at 9.00 am a standardised KPI Visual board was updated with the summary of the areas’
performance for the last 24 hours. In attendance at the meetings was the Leadership team specific to the area along
with support representatives from Field, Quality and Engineering. The Field Supervisor attended on a rotational basis.
Following established practices, the first item for discussion related to any health and safety issues, followed by
quality, and then a review of each cell’s performance. Any issues, actions or suggestions which arose at the meeting
were written up on ‘action cards’ and pinned to the board with a target completion date. This eliminated the need for
taking meeting “minutes”. At each meeting the card owners were required to read out the card and give a status
update.
At 12:30 pm there was a daily Senior Leadership Team update meeting where the Senior Managers joined. A critical
issues update was provided using the exact same meeting template. These meetings served to keep the Leadership
team focused on the site’s objective of exceeding customer expectations while ensuring the Field Technicians and the
WMC teams were improving their productivity and were closer to achieving their 95% targets.
Senior Management were rostered to attend these 3 meeting for four main reasons:
1. To keep abreast of the critical operational issues affecting the customer activation for the day.
2. To observe first hand if the meetings were being carried out in line with the company values and that they
were conducted openly with good interaction and teamwork.
3. To provide support and direction ensuring that decision making was based on data and scientific thinking
where applicable.
4. To coach and develop WMC and Field employees by challenging their thinking where necessary and providing
positive feedback.
It is important to note that these meetings were chaired by the Area Supervisor and a Senior Leadership team
representative as a guest rather than an active participant.
Outcome
Meetings were more focused with greater accountability, teamwork, and urgency. The Senior Leaders were now
better informed of any issues which affected the customer or the day’s productivity and could intervene at an earlier
stage and provide support. The Field Supervisors and WMC associates were more engaged with the Leadership team
and were bringing forward more improvement suggestions. The Field and WMC achieved and sustained their 95%
improvement target for 90 days and are now aiming for a 98% productivity improvement.

8
Period – May, 2015
Area – Field
Tool / Method - Kaizen Event
Situation
Kaizen events enable rapid improvements over a very short period of time. However, one of the problems that I saw
with Kaizen selection was the random selection of particular process. The goal of any Kaizen event should be to
improve the overall system.
Solution
A company that wants to implement Lean Thinking should first use Value Stream Mapping (VSM) as a tool for
identifying and prioritising Kaizen opportunities. The only possible exception to this rule is in the use of Kaizen events
to implement 5S. A company aspiring to start its Lean journey should have 5S in place company-wide (though Value
Stream Mapping might still aid an organisation in selecting the starting point for 5S). Assuming you’ve mapped your
value streams and are ready to start process-level Kaizen activities, what do you do next? I will discuss the 5 steps I
used - from planning, performing Kaizen events, to sustaining the event.
Step 1: Selecting an Area - You may have identified several high-priority Kaizen opportunities through Value Stream
Mapping. Some additional selection ideas you might use for a first Kaizen event include the following:
▪ Select an area that has a relatively sound process and a high likelihood of success. It is important to succeed
quickly in the first Kaizen event to build momentum for the subsequent events.
▪ Select an area that will be good for visibly demonstrating improvement to the rest of the company.
▪ Select an area that is small and self-contained. For example, you might have a cell (or the opportunity to
create a cell) that produces a complete product and is not dependent on other processes in the organisation.
Step 2: Selecting Team Members - A ideal size for a Kaizen team ranges from 4 to about 9 members. Team members
for a Kaizen event should include the following:
▪ People from the selected area (about 50%).
▪ Maintenance / Facility person.
▪ People from Supply Chain, Distribution, Finance, Manufacturing, Quality and Engineering. This depends on
the area on which you are focused.
▪ Customers, Suppliers, Consultants as needed.
The person you select as the Event Leader must have experience and should not be from the process area selected. I
recommend that the first few Kaizen events be professionally conducted; select a consultant that has experience
conducting such events. Also, select a consultant whose intention is to help your company becoming self-sufficient at
conducting Kaizen events.
Step 3: Preparing the Area – The specific supplies will depend on the area in which your Kaizen event is being done. In
production areas, you will likely need hand tools, tape, cardboard, tape measures, stopwatch, connectors to link up
utilities, carts, safety equipment, cleaning supplies, and forklifts. If it is a non-production area you will not need much
of the equipment mentioned above. Regardless of the area you have selected you will need flip charts, markers, dry
erase board and preferably room at the Gemba / work site.
You will also need to gather as much baseline information about the area as possible including customer
requirements, layouts or drawings, flow charts, procedures, etc. If you’ve done your value stream mapping up-front,
much of this should be at your fingertips. Have all of this available for the team on the first day of the event.

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Step 4: Game Day – Performing the Event Itself - For a five-day Kaizen event, the event proceeds as follows:
▪ Day 1: Lean Training with emphasis on a particular tool (5S, waste identification, spaghetti, SMED, etc.) for
maximum 2 hours. Start documenting the current state.
▪ Day 2: Documenting current state completed.
▪ Day 3: Brainstorming - Idea Selection (future state), future state formulation including targets / goals.
▪ Day 4: Implementation of Future State (implement as much as possible), develop action plan / counter
measures for items that cannot be implemented during event.
▪ Day 5: Complete implementation odds-and-ends; Final Report out and celebration!
Step 5: Follow Up - There must be a follow up to the action plan developed during the event. Regular meetings should
be held until action items have been completed. The remaining action items should be visibly posted in the area until
they have been completed. Audit the area for the next 60 ~ 90 day for sustainment and start the plan for the next
Kaizen event.

10
Industry – Bank / Superannuation
Area – Back Office
Tool / Method – Value Stream Mapping and Change Management
Situation
A bank had introduced many different product offerings over the years to its wide customer base. However, the
Operations team were finding it challenging to keep up with the improvement in their systems, resource capabilities
and processes. The customer satisfaction levels were dropping and the bank was losing it competitive advantage in
the market place. The Board wanted a 25% cost reduction to maintain their commitments to the Shareholders.
Solution
I started engaging the respective team and conducted value stream workshops. I educated them on Lean Principles
along with specific tools. I mapped the current process, identified waste, set the improvement targets and created
the future stream maps along with improvement initiatives for simplification and standardisation of the activities in
the process. The process redesign, which was the easy part, led to a reduction in the number of processing steps and
cycle time by 55%.
Change Management
The challenging part was the learning and development required to ensure that people were not only developing the
skills they needed to perform the new processes but were empowered with the mindset to embrace the new way of
working philosophy. I am not talking about incremental change, such as the automation of manual processes, rather
the fundamental shift in the way people work, who they work with along with how they think about their work and
their value contribution. To the end, I created the communication, learning and development, and the key metrics
around customer satisfaction and quality (right first time).
I coached the Change Agents who were answering the question of why transformation was needed, and I oversaw the
work of the Change Champions along with the Communications and Training Coordinators. We reviewed the metrics
provided by the visual board to ensure that the transformation was on track to achieve the desired future state of 25%
cost reduction.
Outcome
We developed standard work and were able to reduce operating costs by 20%. The customer service metric improved.
The first stage of the Implementation was completed in 6 months.
The people focused principles helped to drive the transformation. By building change into the bank’s culture, the
ability to adapt and evolve successfully was essential for the success of the productivity improvement.
Lessons Learnt
▪ Involve people in making decisions about their own environment in order to sustain the change.
▪ Lean is not a set of tools to be trained in an office but “learn from doing” at the Gemba (work location).
▪ Making costs visible and understandable helped to gain buy-in and for sustaining the improvements.
▪ Cross-functional teams need to be established to break down 'silo' working mentality.
▪ Making the transition from a 'top down' culture to 'bottom up' will require coaching / mentoring skills.
▪ Lean is best deployed as a strategy for competitive advantage.

11
Industry – Banking
Tool / Method – SRM Tool Kit, Principles and Change Management
Situation
This bank delivers innovative products and solutions to their customers while maintaining a commitment to safety and
sustainability. The IT suppliers were taking ownership, driving relationships and following their own agenda, often
engaging directly with C-level executives outside of the IT leadership. There were instances where IT was not
comfortable working with suppliers to solve technical challenges and would only collaborate with suppliers, they had a
relationship with, when facing major issues. It was clear that the teams responsible for managing suppliers didn’t
understand the contracts and contract management was largely reactive. The relationships were also deemed far too
dependent on individuals. As part of the back-office cost reduction program the Leadership team wanted a formal and
structured approach to SRM in the IT function to be initiated.
Solution
After discussion with the Leadership team, I initiated a pilot program. This pilot included 3 chosen suppliers by the
executive sponsor and was based on the segmentation that I workshopped 4 days prior to the pilot. These 3 suppliers
were chosen based on the likelihood for success and on the existing relationship the team had and was found strong.
As part of the initiative, these 3 suppliers were chosen based on how they would be
1. Impactful (visible and measurable benefits);
2. Likely to succeed (supplier was on board and viewed the financial services company as top-tier client)
3. Supported by strong executive sponsor who believed the value of the program once conducted;
4. Communicating the results to the executives who shared information with internal peers about the specific
successes in their areas, building further buy in for a full program roll out.
Based on the pilot success and after consultation with the Leadership team, I launched it formally with 4 new suppliers
in the IT - contract labour, software, hardware, and telecom categories. These suppliers were identified as tier one
after taking spend and business criticality (risk) and opportunities into account. I developed a standard tool kit and
scorecard with 3 basic measures: number of suppliers, spend under management, and value created. I developed the
initial toolkit that included a supplier relationship scorecard, and the guiding principles. I delivered the training. The
higher risk relationships were managed within the SRM program.
Outcome
With strong sponsorship from the CIO and Leadership team, the rest of the (non) SC team were able to understand the
SRM framework. This was evidenced by lower cost, improved supplier responsiveness, improved service levels,
improved collaboration and communication. A fair and reasonable treatment created goodwill and issues resolved in
timely manner. The IT SRM program was deemed a success, to the point that a previously skeptical business was now
willing to embrace the approach.
Based on the success I assisted with developing the Supplier manager roles / responsibilities along with activities /
toolset. Approval was also granted for further investment and activity, which included training of supplier managers
and a system reporting capability. With the SRM program in place, the company mitigated risk from regulatory non-
compliance on customer information.

12
Industry – Rolling Stock
Period – January, 2013
Area – Boogie Changeover
Tool / Method - SMED
Situation
Long changeover and setup times between wheel set (called boogies) change over created considerable downtime.
Buying additional equipment was under consideration to prepare for a forecasted increase in demand. Quality defects
and raw material wastage was considered “inevitable in this business” and was a concern. The setups and / or
changeovers were consuming between 3 and 7 hours (5 hours on average) of production downtime per machine.
Solution
I conducted a detailed time and motion study for 5 days on the Boogie Change operation. I analysed the whole setup
from the last good piece of the previous reference until the first good piece of the next reference. I created Spaghetti
Diagrams and recorded the time it took for each task, understood “why” a specific tool was being used and
documented every waste in the process. From this study I identified a Lean method that would assist in minimising
the down-time due to setup. Hence, I decided to use S.M.E.D. (Single Minute Exchange of Die) method and followed
the steps below:
Step 1: Internal or External steps - Classified every task into internal or external.
Step 2: Internal vs External work – I separated internal from external work. Every external task that was being
performed whilst the wheel change operation was in progress were now performed either before we stop the activity
or after.
Step 3: Converted Internal work – Where there was an opportunity to do so, I converted the internal work into
external work. I had the Maintenance team pre-assemble the tooling while the operation was running.
Step 4: Reduced Internal Work - I reduced the identified internal work, used quick tightening Snap-On tools and
eliminated adjustments.
Step 5: Reduce External Work – I further reduced external work. I created setup kits, so every time before the start of
a setup all needed items / tools were ready and the wheel change over teams didn’t waste time preparing.
Due to the nature of the heavy equipment in use and the tooling required, I started with a 5S initiative and created an
ergonomic tooling method. The tooling was used to properly stage the needed items and reduce the risk of injury and
operator fatigue. The quality defects were addressed by implementing a series of strategies for scheduled component
maintenance and machine calibration. The raw material wastage was addressed through a “go, no go” procedure.
Outcome
After implementing the new procedures, all setups and changeovers were completed in 50 minutes. This
improvement negated any need to purchase equipment to meet forecasted demand. Third shift employees were
brought to second shift and throughput increased. There was an approximate 25% decrease in raw material waste and
quality defects decreased.
These improvements were applied to six similar machines throughout the plant. Each of the seven machines
experienced an increase of approximately 5 hours per shift in additional uptime. The company gained shop floor
production time of about 5 hours per machine per shift (accounting for the elimination of the third shift), resulting in
an additional 70 hours of capacity per day, with a third shift available in the event further maintenance was need or
the boogie change increased in demand. These improvements were achieved with the existing team and without any
additional resources required.

13
Industry – Mining
Period – August, 2012
Tool / Method – Skill / Competencies & Benchmarking
Situation
The supplier relationships were transactional focused with no improvement or collaboration. There was no clear
understanding of end to end supply chain or the market dynamics. There were instances of 14 months of competitive
bidding activity, with no contract award. The information available were incomplete for resource allocation. There
was a non-collaborative culture in play.
Solution
I segmented the SC team (45+ members) in defining the skill categories and linking these categories with the key SC
processes. We developed 6, 12, 24- and 36-month skill development strategy. I engaged internal and external
stakeholders and established a cross-functional team of 8. We analysed the current situation and developed an initial
case for change in 5 focused workstreams. I conduced 9 workshops with focused workstreams. The team analysed
processes & skill categories along with supply market analysis. I sourced and provided the team with best practice
benchmark studies / reviews. I helped the team to create skill & process level mini-strategies or tactical game plan.
These tactical game plans were integrated with the overall SRM strategy. This was discussed with the leadership team
and obtained sign off. I coached the team to define, implement and check the due diligence process.
Outcome
The team identified over 200 implementable opportunities that generated $1.1 m as quick wins. With the
implementation I delivered 14% cost reductions in less than a year. This in turn improved the end-customer
satisfaction through process improvements. I also set-up remote coaching for the team from Australia.
After the alignment of business and supply chain strategies included were identification and prioritisation of process
improvement opportunities and metrics, was able to reduced operations conversion costs $2.23 (Target $2.6) million
overall.

14
Industry – Mining
Tool / Method – Supplier Scorecards, Trends and Measurement
Situation
This mining company did not have a Supplier Scorecard to measure supplier performance and to drive improvements.
There was no well documented reward or penalties processes in place. The Leadership team wanted to have an
informed understanding with data of its global supply base with the ultimate goal of creating vital few strategic
supplier partners rather than critical many.
Solution
I conducted 4 brainstorming session with the Leadership and SC team. After many discussions with the team, I
finalised a simple and easy to use Supplier Scorecard. This encompassed 6 performance measures areas including
definition and data sources. My aim was to provide an objective, consistent and cross functional view of supplier
performance. In simple terms how the supplier performance was going to be measured. I also wanted it to be a visual
representation on how suppliers were performing and to be placed at a central place for everyone in the company to
see.
The Supplier Scorecard encompassed both quantitative and qualitative measures where suppliers were measured on
1. Quality 2. Risk 3. Aftermarket Performance 4. Cost 5. Technology and 6. Innovation. This scorecard provided visual
representation on how a supplier was performing at each of their manufacturing plants as well a company as a whole.
The data collected was trended monthly and I designed a league table that provided an objective comparison of
supplier performance.
As part of this initiative, I drove behavioural change across the mining company and the supplier by transitioning
siloed, disparate Supplier Management into a common and cross functional approach. I worked alongside with the
Leadership team across each function and delivered behavioural change that resulted in buy in and improved supply
chain performance. I developed the communication, training and ongoing support materials.
Outcome
The scorecard was seen as an effective tool by both mining and supplier side companies. The suppliers understood
why a new approach was being implemented, what impact it would have and how they should use the scorecard to
drive performance.
Since I kept it simple and objective, the structured approach along with trended data of the supplier scorecard, the
teams across the mining and supplier network built a strategic relationship. This scorecard created a platform to drive
innovation and excellence within their respective supply chains.

15
Industry – Mining
Period – June, 2012
Tool / Method – Supplier Qualification Management System / Supplier Partnership
Situation
The SC team at this mining company procures 75% of their inventory from Europe, 15% from USA and remaining 10%
from suppliers worldwide. Every day, the SC team worked with 30,000+ suppliers. The company has strong
relationships with its suppliers and this relationship was built on strategies which was ‘working together and ALL being
winners’.
Their 5-year strategic goals were in doubling their business whilst halving their environmental footprint and improving
their social positive impact. What was missing was a system to manage critical supplier information. Based on my
advice, the leadership team made the strategic decision to introduce a Supplier Qualification Management System
(SQMS) to manage the complexity of their supplier information. The above goals could not be achieved on its own
and having SQMS was one way.
Solution
To develop the system involved upskilling SC and supplier teams and simplifying the processes. The structure I used
was 1. Early involvement of suppliers 2. Supplier Communication 3. Evaluation 4. Training 5. Rewards 6. Penalties 7.
Scorecard 8. Sharing Lessons Learnt and 9. Next wave of improvement to the processes, systems and teams
I assisted the SC team to selects suppliers based on the segmentation exercise (previous initiative). From those
selected, the suppliers were invited to register in SQMS. This system helped in qualifying those suppliers to do
business with this mining company. Then a group of suppliers were selected based on quality, price, lead time and
efficiency. Next step was to assist these suppliers to innovate; create value, capacity and capability, deliver quality
service and drive market transformation in a responsible and sustainable way.
In terms of early supplier involvement, I assisted the SC team in getting the suppliers involved in design and
manufacturing process to assess their capabilities, understand mining production processes and to discover new
design and production efficiencies.
I assisted in the importance of measuring each supplier by their overall spending for the defined period. I categorised
the suppliers into 3 levels: gold, silver and bronze. The team had meetings with each level at monthly, quarterly and
semi-annually. The suppliers were evaluated based on non-conformance rate and on time fill rate. The gold suppliers’
employees were trained at mining site to understand the production process. We designed the Awards to celebrates
supplier partners who, over the past 12 months, have made a significant contribution to grow the mining businesses in
a mutually-beneficial and sustainable way. The awards recognised the areas of Innovation, Responsible & Sustainable
Living, Value, Capacity and Capability Building, as well as Quality & Service.
Outcome
The Supplier Qualification Management System (SQMS) managed the above and was deemed a success. The mining
company created a true joint partnership and the people, process and system were delivering tangible mutual
business success. The suppliers enhanced their quality and delivered the right products to their customers in the
optimal way, whilst ensuring all benefited from working together.

16
Industry – Mining
Period – May, 2012
Tool / Method – Contract Negotiation
Situation
At this mining company the Leadership team wanted 30% cost savings within 8 weeks. They wanted my help to drive
this initiative along with the required change programme using quick wins to fund it. The supply chain team were
inexperienced and had limited training on SRM practices, tools and techniques. There was limited control over existing
spend and 60% of the contracts were locked in.
Solution
I formed a team to identify a pipeline of potential cost opportunities with a 35% cost reduction target. Given the tight
time frames, I scoped the initiative to targeted supplier negotiations. I facilitated negotiation coaching workshop using
role plays to raise the ability of the SC team and developed the contract negotiation plan.
Outcome
An average of 33% savings from supplier negotiations was removed from budgets as “real” savings. This raised the
self-confidence and profile of the SC team. The stakeholder feedback was very positive with increased level of demand
for SC involvement in other SRM initiatives.

17
Industry – Mining
Period – April, 2012
Tool / Method – Supplier Performance
Situation
There was no single point of ownership of supplier data management nor any data strategy. The buyers did not
capture price benefits negotiated with suppliers. There was no on-site inspection conducted by the buyers to evaluate
the safety and best practices deployed by suppliers. The last time inspection was done was 19 months ago and it was
sporadic. The suppliers had no understanding as to how their product was being used. There were no risk strategies
in place. The product specification was too vague as the blue prints were outdated and rejects were on the rise. There
was no supplier performance information that were provided to suppliers on regular basis.
Solution
With the above team mapped the end to end procure to pay process (P2P) for 4 strategic suppliers in the transport
area. We captured the performance information for quality, risk exposure, safety and environment standards. An
audit schedule (6 week interval) was created for the site visits along with the evaluation criteria included quality, risk
and safety). This was jointly created with the input from the above 4 suppliers.
Outcome
The team defined standard work of the SRM approach for sustainment. Of the 31 ideas identified 70% were
implemented in 20 business days. The supplier performance information was now provided to suppliers on weekly
basis. The suppliers now had better understanding as to how their product was being used. The updated product
specification was version controlled and easy to use. The right first time went from 65% to 96% after 45 days.

18
Industry – Mining
Period – December, 2011
Tool / Method – Supplier Segmentation
Situation
This mining company had no standardised way for managing their supplier relationships. The supplier’s performance
along with metrics varied across Australian and Turkey sites. The supply chain (SC) team had limited understanding
and influence over the supplier’s strategy. There were inconsistent communications and the SC team were unclear on
their accountabilities and responsibilities.
Solution
Formed a team comprising 2 x Leadership, 4 x SC and 2 x suppliers for the SRM initiative. I scoped what was in and out
along with baseline data. Next, defined the supplier segmentation into 3 areas – 1. strategic 2. Important and 3.
Transactional. The segmentation was further refined based on the spend, risk, benefit, supplier development
strategies along with metrics for quality, delivery and cost. Obtained approval from the steering group for the
segmentation exercise. I provided the team training on concepts, tools and techniques. We ran workshops for 5 days
as pilot exercise.
Outcome
We identified over 100+ opportunities in the 5 following areas
5. Strategic alignment
6. Operational performance
7. Partner relationships
8. Innovation and
9. Total cost of ownership.
We created 4 waves of 20 working days each. From wave 1 – 22%, wave 2 – 28%, wave 3 – 24% and wave 4 - 26% of
the ideas were implemented accordingly.

19
Industry – Mining
Period – November, 2011
Area – Inventory
Tool / Method – Flow, Pull and Problem Solving
Situation
A mining facility had been performing over budget for some time and was under scrutiny from Corporate
Headquarters to reduce operational conversion costs while continuing to improve its overall profit and loss.
▪ Budgeted Total Operational Conversion Cost = 18.25% (of total revenue).
▪ Actual Total Operational Conversion Cost = 22.72%.
▪ The plant needed to reduce its overall operational conversion cost by 20%.
Solution
I facilitated a series of brainstorming workshops and fishbone diagrams to determine the top drivers for the excess
operational conversion costs. This exercise revealed a high percentage of issues created by the current manufacturing
floor layout. The 20-year-old layout was not conducive for flow. There were various new operations that caused
islands to appear and disconnect the communication channels. The inefficiency of the manufacturing floor was further
exacerbated due to an ineffective inventory control system. This case study will focus on the inventory system and
what was done to improve it.
Although labor was budgeted to be the highest cost, inventory issues were actually causing a larger issue—almost 2%
of the total conversion cost budget was going toward unexpected inventory costs. The following is from the fishbone
diagram exercise that was performed:
▪ Green: inventory control
▪ Pink: “Just Do It”
▪ Yellow: not following standards
The fishbone diagram construction revealed the plant’s ineffective inventory control system was a large contributor to
an over-budget in key areas (delivery, inventory, labor, and scrap). I coached the team to focus on the cost drivers:
▪ Overtime costs in labor due to paying double-time was often due to either waiting on raw materials or having
to add extra labor for un-loading inventory from trucks.
▪ Inventory scrap increased due to large amount of material that was cut down from larger sizes due to a lack
of needed inventory in the smaller sizes.
▪ Dollars tied up in inventory were drastically higher than necessary due to materials remaining in inventory
long after they became obsolete. This also caused a lack of space that forced workers to haphazardly store
materials in multiple areas exposing it to all weather elements.
▪ Delivery costs were driven up because multiple trips were needed to complete maintenance jobs, planned
shutdowns and non-availability of a critical part due to inventory shortage.
▪ By implementing a user-friendly visual inventory control system the team determined that the facility could
save almost $2.6 million/year, a number significantly larger than the required savings.
The team then created a list of the root causes behind these cost drivers:
▪ No clear re-order system on the production floor.
▪ No clear area for raw materials to be delivered - hodgepodge of racking systems, with no specific inventory
part ID or set space allocations.
▪ Obsolete inventory sitting in much-needed spaces.
▪ No clear communication system to alert workers of spikes or shutdowns.
▪ Departments not tied together in a pull system.
▪ High percentage of expedited raw materials deliveries.
Based on the information the team uncovered during the planning stage we created a 60-day plant re-layout
implementation plan, along with a 6 month Go Forward plan to correct the inventory control issue.

20
Phase I consisted of a total re-layout of the production floor, focused on continuous flow, visual pull systems, along
with proper space allocations for raw materials.
Create the new layout:
▪ Used 60 days to conduct pre-moves, electrical drops, office moves, construction projects and material moves.
▪ Used 2.5 days consisting of a 12-hour staggered shift and 10 visiting maintenance crew to help with the re-
layout of the manufacturing floor.
Phase II consisted of implementing the visual inventory control system using KANBANs and inventory min/max levels:
10. Purchasing Dept. Standard Work - 1 month (Quarantine and Obsolete Material).
11. Pull System Implementation Sub Assembly – 1 month (Material Consolidation Project).
12. Supermarket, Reorganisation and KANBAN implementation – 1 month (Trailer Utilisation).
13. Scrap / Cycle count implementation – 2 months (Space Allocation and Kanban Set Up for Sub Assembly area).
14. Receiving Standard Work Event – 1 month (department 5S project).
The plans consisted of a series of short projects and one-week events to establish a clear and concise visual inventory
control system with improved communication and flow of information and materials. The respective teams worked on
small projects over a course of several months to lay the groundwork for the one-week events to take place while
focus on sustaining the improvements made.
Outcome
By executing the Go Forward Plan, the facility realised a reduction in Total Operations Conversion Costs listed below:
▪ Target = $2.6 m.
▪ Actual after completion of plan = $2.23m.
▪ End of Year Actual =$2.7 m.
Future Opportunities
▪ Coaching teams on problem solving will cascade responsibility and ownership to the shop floor.
▪ Problem solving linked to 5S activity will enable 'bottom up' improvements.
▪ Management developing coaching skills will assist with cascading the strategic objectives.
Support
By providing support and on-going mentoring to Improvement Teams would certainly help to sustain the gains from
the Lean implementation.

21
Industry – Superannuation
Area – Accounts Payable (A/P)
Tool / Method – Value Stream Mapping & VMB
Situation
There were inefficiencies and non-existent Accounts Payable processes. Late fees were being applied to late
payments from Suppliers. The Accounts Payable department was working overtime with additional help from external
resources to reduce the late fee charges being applied. The A/P system was causing excess wait time for receiving
critical information and slowing the process from moving forward.
The Leadership team including the A/P Manager and myself had a meeting to discuss options to improve the Accounts
Payable process with the following objectives:
▪ Reduce department overtime - 75%.
▪ Identify problem areas within the A/P system that was causing communication breakdowns.
▪ Improve process throughput to eliminate late fees.
▪ Create a visual workplace to increase cross-training abilities.
Solution
I assisted the team with conducted a Kaizen event and they were able to see the improvement opportunities which
would solve the issues and achieve the above objectives. The Kaizen team consisted of both people from the Accounts
Payable (A/P) department, as well as, people outside of the A/P department.
I created a process map to determine the number of steps and the largest gaps (lead times / wait times) within the
system. The team calculated total Value-Added Time = 304 minutes and the Non-Value-Added Time = 35, 200 minutes
or 84 days (35,200 / 420 minutes). The steps were separated into non-value added, value added, and needed (but not
value-added). Out of the 119 steps, only 9 were value-added. I created an impact / difficulty matrix to separate the
non-value-added steps into categories and determine most critical areas to focus on. The team figured out ways to
make needed steps shorter by focusing on the following objectives: Communication, standardisation and lead times.
The team addressed communication issues by applying 5S principles to create a standardised process. They improved
and developed process steps which identified who, what, where, when and how, greatly reducing miscommunication
issues and eliminating the need for additional research, rework and waiting for responses such as instances the
information was sent to the groups in an ad-hoc format, thus adding to the cycle time.
The large amount of paperwork forwarded to the groups was also an issue and increased the lead-time for receiving
approvals and paperwork back. The team created a daily system, decreasing the batch sizes by 90%. The team added
a color-coded system with time constraints. This gave those responsible the ability to track the compliance of each
internal group’s response time. A folder system was created to regulate batch sizes and increase throughput and
reduce lead times / wait times.
In order to sustain the process, the team created a simple compliance sheet with each department listed with Yes and
No checkboxes. The form was submitted to the Controller daily and the information keyed into a simple Excel
database. At the end of the week, a compliance chart was printed and reviewed during the weekly staff meetings.
Over the next 30 days the compliance reached 100% for all internal groups creating a total reduction of tracking days
by 92.3%.
The team created and held training to present the new system to the four internal departments. The training was
designed to help them understand why the new system was important and what was causing the lead times. They
were shown how to use the forms, which helped to raise the overall compliance scores as well.
Outcome
By focusing on the process, the team was able to identify root causes and apply easily executable solutions. Overall,
the event did more than improve the bottom line. It helped to kick off new Lean initiatives across the business.

22
Industry – Superannuation
Area – Front End Processing & Productivity Improvement
Tool / Method – Value Stream Mapping / Project Management
Situation
A company had extensive growth planned over the foreseeable future with a merger in the near future. Executive
Management were keen to “Lean” out the processes before the merger and to develop a deeper understanding of the
application of Lean Thinking and Lean Principles along with the specific tools utilised.
Solution
The Lean Project objective was divided into two sections:
1. To analyse front end processes with the objective of streamlining activities throughout the business.
2. To focus on technical delivery processes with the aim of improving productivity
Section 1 - The team mapped current front-end processes from receiving an enquiry through to project initiation. This
led to identification of ‘disconnects’ and the visibility of timings for sub-elements of the process. There were several
wastes documented which could be reduced once the team digested and documented the impact on the business. As
the analysis created momentum the team identified potential changes that streamlined and simplified the overall end-
to-end process. This led to the development of a ‘future-state map’ along with the counter measures that reduced the
overall cycle time from 17 weeks to 8 weeks.
Section 2 - The team mapped out the project life cycle from project initiation through to full commissioning. This
included review of procurement process, contracts, specifications, software implementation, testing, training to
deployment. The wastes that were documented within the process led to brainstorming, the formulation of cause &
effect, to communicating potential benefits. Detailed resource allocation data was prepared to demonstrate value add
and non-value add steps throughout the process. This was then tracked against the implementation plan.
Outcome
From the first initiative the improvement freed up time for Executive Management to work on the strategic growth of
the business. This led to an increased win rate of projects with the potential to increase sales by 10% - high utilisation
of existing Sales resources and reduced average time by 40% per enquiry.
From the second initiative a new organisation chart was developed with key roles and responsibilities linked directly
to the growth plans of the business. The software provided improved benefit for back and front-end processing. The
overall productivity improvement was 18% with further improved efficiencies expected.

23
Industry – Banking
Period – April, 2011
Area – Claims Processing
Tool / Method – Lean Principles
Situation
A company had grown steadily, where clients demanded quicker feedback and point solutions to their queries. The
Operations teams had to handle a complex stream of policies, enquiries, and claims. With volumes up 10-20%
annually, 10,000+ enquires arriving daily by email, mail, and telephone, the backlog of work had become
unmanageable. The company had software to automate the mail sorting process but had to be reconfigured. Work
within the process remained stubbornly high at 8,000+ claims and lead times were 10+ days. The staff were
overworked and morale was low. The current customer satisfaction score was 60%.
Solution
I was engaged as a Lean consultant to diagnose the issues and develop an improvement plan. I worked with the 6
members of the Operations team. After training on Lean Principles, we started at the mailroom where around 25 staff
opened, sorted, and scanned mail for processing. I used value stream mapping and analysed incoming work processes,
along with waste and pitch interval of 1 hour. We established a 90% target for customer satisfaction along with a
target lead time reduction to 3 days and defined the future state including 18 counter measures and the detailed
activities. We improved the flow, eliminated waste, introduced standard work and trained the remaining staff. Each
hour (pitch) work was organised and details entered on the visual board. At a glance the teams both up and
downstream could see the volumes, assign the workload and resource accordingly to handle the flow.
Outcome
By reorganising the work and making the process visible the lead time dropped to 2.5 days. The downstream work
teams could see the claims for processing on the visual boards including what was in the backlog. The backlog
reduced to 3,000. The staff morale and team’s communication improved. Customer satisfaction rose to 88%. This was
sustained for 60 days.

24
Industry – Logistics
Period – March, 2010
Area – Receiving
Tool / Method – Lean Tools (listed below)
Situation
This Lean initiative concentrated in the “Freight Receiving” area. On an average 5,000+ boxes of varying sizes including
ugly freight (freight is not suitable to be delivered in a standard pallet) were received during non-peak time rising to
75,000 boxes during peak activity. With 35 workstations throughout the process the business operates to an average
of 150 boxes per person per hour with a labour force of 70 plus casual staff on a needs basis when box volumes /
shipment increased. The objective was to analyse all process steps and identify specific areas for improvement,
improve the flow visibility and reduce waste.
Solution
I formed an Improvement Team of 8 staff and whom I trained on the below Lean tools:
Value Stream Mapping Problem Solving Waste Types
Root Cause Analysis and 5 Whys Spaghetti Diagram 5s
Gemba Walk / Daily standup Visual management Mistake Proofing
The team utilised the above tools, photographed the current state and also measured non-value add activity. They
calculated that each operator was walking 12,000 ~ 18,000 steps per day. From the analysis the team identified the
layout and flow through the conveyor loop were not ideal resulting in stop/start at the 35 workstations. The analysis
showed that there was poor use of the grid system for stock once received which resulted in excessive walking by the
Operators. The flow of work was making it difficult for Operators to effectively use their resources. There were also
inefficiencies at the stock drop zones.
The team prepared a detailed no cost / low cost implementation plan with the objective to increase overall
productivity by 15% within the next 10, 20, 30, 45 and 60 days. The specific areas identified were:
Conveyor belt system Redeploy sensors to improve flow Upgrade layout to improve efficiency
Reduce the amount of walking time Improve pull and waste removal Improve efficiency at the drop zones
I assisted the team in creating a new layout for the receiving area. They compared the old layout to the proposed new
layout demonstrating an increase in value added activity. They demonstrated how the improved process would work.
Outcome
There was reduction in labour time of 11 hours per week. With the improved layout walk time was reduced by 60%
and the conveyor system belt length was shortened leading to 11% monthly energy saving. Since the Lean initiate, the
business further reduced their carbon footprint.

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