Lean Enterprise is a business management approach that, when put into practice, yields tremendous results for an organization’s key stakeholders – its customers, shareholders and workforce.

Adapted from the Toyota Production System, Lean can be applied in any size organization in any industry. Our clients span the biotechnology, construction, design, education, energy, financial services, food service, government, healthcare, hospitality, information technology, law enforcement, the military, research and development, telecommunications, and transportation industries.

By focusing on developing organization-wide problem-solving capabilities, building process management expertise, and creating customer value, organizations reap gains ranging from 50-80% for key performance measures such as:

  • Customer response time
  • Quality
  • Productivity
  • Expense reduction
  • Workforce engagement & morale
  • Workforce & customer safety
  • Time to market
  • Inventory reduction

A key tenet in achieving world class performance is doing the minimum necessary to achieve maximum results. Most organizations suffer from processes laden with eight types of waste:

  • Overproduction
  • Errors / defects
  • Waiting
  • Over-processing
  • Inventory
  • Motion
  • Transportation
  • Under-utilized workforce

Waste adds unnecessary operational expense, creates customer dissatisfaction and produces workforce frustration. In its worse form, waste causes unsafe work environments and exposes the organization to regulatory violations and/or lawsuits.

High-performing organizations are effective problem-solvers. They are agile and responsive. They deliver high quality, attract the most talented workforce, and produce healthy operating margins. These Lean Enterprises exceed customer expectations, grow market share and continuously offer innovative products and services that deliver higher value to their customers.

Lean business practices include proven methods for achieving excellence. You identify the gaps between current and target conditions. You remove the obstacles that stand in your way. You seek perfection. Eventually, you do less, yet achieve more.

Our mission is to improve the well-being of people, organizations, and the planet through well-designed and well-managed operations.

Karen Martin & Associates, LLC is your partner for teaching your workforce how to design and manage efficient and effective operations that result in exceptional business performance.

The bottom line: you Profit Through Simplicity.