The theme for our 2016 Lean Summit is Lean Learning, Learning Lean. Learning is fundamental to a successful Lean transformation. It should be both embedded into any Lean implementation (process) and be part of the outcomes (results.) This year we want to explore how the best organisations are learning to learn and how we can learn Lean more effectively.
Our Chairman Dan Jones will set the context for the Summit by addressing the theme. We are delighted to welcome Art Smalley, author of “Creating Level Pull” and co-author of “Understanding A3 Thinking” and “Toyota Kaizen Methods” to our Summit. Art will cover two distinct areas for us – a pre-Summit workshop on Lean Leadership Shaping Principles and Summit content around his soon to be published book explaining “Four Types of Problem Solving.” For any Lean thinker Art’s insights will provide you with a step change in thinking around Lean transformation and problem solving. In addition to Dan and Art we will be joined by Jim Womack. Jim needs little introduction – as co-author of “The Machine that Changed the World,” “Lean Thinking” and “Lean Solutions” and author of “Gemba Walks” we’ve asked Jim to provide his thoughts on Lean Learning, Learning Lean – and provide his reflections on the next challenges for the Lean community.
We will also share great stories from people at the front line applying Lean thinking and practice in their organisations. As always, we’ve tried to provide a mix of applications and environments. The manufacturer Delphi were an early example in implementing Lean. Peter Watkins will explain how they are unlearning and re-learning Lean across the organisation as they re-invigorate their efforts. Marc McNeill and Tim Marriottfrom Auto Trader will explain how the organisation has transformed itself from printing and distributing a weekly magazine to becoming the UK’s largest digital automotive marketplace and what they have been learning from using Lean. I’m delighted that Sharon Visser will join us from Ngami Toyota in Botswana. Sharon’s story is set in one of the most extreme places in the World. Despite such challenges the team has developed some of the best examples of kaizen that I have ever seen. Finally Pierre Masai will share Toyota’s eHoshin – the story of their open collaborative Hoshin platform experiment which I am sure will get a lot of senior executives thinking about the way in which they develop strategy, deploy and learn from their activities.
In addition to the plenary presentations, participants will also be able to choose 4 from 12 two-hour learning sessions. These provide a mix between expanding on the plenary talks to providing some of the best examples of practice. Following the positive feedback last year Toyota will again share how they develop and sustain improvement through standardised work. From the public sector, Adrian Ruth will share the Lean story at the BBC. We also have two stories to tell from Barcelona – firstly from the accident and emergency department of Barcelona’s largest hospital and secondly from the 365 Café in terms of how they have applied Lean thinking to their chain of 70 retail outlets in the city providing fresh bakery products, where Oriol Cuatrecasas of Instituto Lean Management has been supporting their efforts. Steve Warren will share how Akzo Nobel (the business behind brands such as Dulux) are using Michael Balle’s book “Lead with Respect” to deepen their Lean journey and the Lean Management Institute’s Wiebe Nijdam will share a practical approach to (hoshin) strategy deployment. We also have a learning session where Milliken’s Ian Gabrielides and Zehnder’s Ian Bergmman will share their Lean learnings.
Each year customers tell us that our Summit is THE not to be missed Lean event of the year for any leader, senior manager or Lean practitioner wanting to transform and or sustain the gains from their Lean efforts. You can find out more about the programme and reserve your place at www.leanuk.org/leasummit2016 taking advantage of our early booking discount. We look forward to seeing you in November.