Consortium

A collaborative approach to Lean

A lean consortium is a small group of companies that work together to apply Lean principles to processes in each other’s companies over the course of one year.

The Peters Company facilitates lean consortiums, delivering all of the training, materials, tools, and professional event coordination to deliver outcomes that exceed participants’ expectations.

What is a “Lean consortium?”

A lean consortium is a small group of companies that work together to apply Lean principles to processes in each other’s companies over the course of one year.

Lean is tough to sustain

Most business leaders have heard about the improvement power of Lean.

Initial results are often dramatic. It is common to see productivity improvements in triple-digit percent gains the first time Lean is effectively deployed in an area.

While initial lean activities often have demonstrated results, many companies have difficulty sustaining improvement momentum over time.

Members of an effectively managed Lean consortium have found that a trusted group of peer companies, working together, can help to sustain a culture of continuous improvement among members.

The Peters Company facilitates lean consortiums, delivering all of the training, materials, tools, and professional event coordination to deliver outcomes that exceed participants’ expectations.

Consortium: What it takes

High Commitment + High Value

  • Three key employees understand Lean concepts and how to apply them
  • Leader must be trained and engaged throughout the program
  • Participants learn their roles and responsibilities in driving a sustainable lean culture
  • Visible evidence of lean principles applied to the business
  • Peer-to-peer accountability and support shared with trusted practitioners in other companies

Consortium: What you get

Company Benefits

  • Combination of training, tools, and hands-on experience for three people
  • Powerful industry peer support for key employees
  • Measurable productivity improvements
  • Bi-weekly private discussions among member top executives
  • 24/7 access to Video Library and Resource Center

Consortium: How it works

Commit to Training, Improvement Workshops, and Support

A company engages three people each year. The first year, this typically is the company owner/manager plus two others. These three become trained in Lean principles and “volunteer” to serve with improvement events at different facilities throughout the year.

Training. Lean Leader training for three people per company begins online, where participants take the Lean Foundations Online Course and share Zoom sessions together. These three have full access to the video library—including both English and Spanish courses. Training continues with rigorous classroom sessions. Participants are coached through the process of preparing and running a kaizen event, and engage in regular leader development/accountability sessions through the year.

Consortium members also benefit from deep discounts — normally 50% — on additional seminars, workshops, and lighthouse tours throughout the year.

Improvement Workshops. Members can host on-site improvement events in their businesses, with help from other consortium members.

These “kaizen events” involve direct, hands-on changes with a professional facilitator and trusted peer practitioners from other companies.

The team makes rapid changes the day of the activity in order to immediately gain improvements and reinforce learning.

  • Team members learn standard work for kaizen — a proven effective method for developing leaders and engaging people at all levels of an organization in change.
  • With so much talent to draw from at one time, each team has Lean veterans working alongside less experienced personnel.

Support. All activities are facilitated, planned early, and well coordinated so time commitment is balanced through the year.

Members have full access to a new Resource Center, with 24/7 downloads of invaluable tools such as forms, training materials and event preparation checklists.

If you’re interested in joining a consortium please fill out the form below.

Questions?

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