Unlocking Lean Excellence: Why You Should Attend the UK Lean Summit 2025

Each year, we design the UK Lean Summit around the key themes and challenges that keep leaders up at night. In 2025, we continue to build on the focus areas from 2024, ensuring organisations gain the inspiration and practical solutions they need to close performance gaps and tackle pressing issues. The summit will explore how lean thinking and practice can address today’s most pressing challenges, providing attendees with actionable strategies to drive transformation within their organisations.

Addressing Today’s Key Challenges Through Lean Thinking

The Productivity Challenge

Organisations constantly strive to increase efficiency and output without compromising quality. Lean thinking provides a structured approach to eliminate waste, improve workflows, and enhance productivity.
Supply Chain Disruptions

The global economy continues to face supply chain challenges due to geopolitical shifts, material shortages, and logistical disruptions. Lean principles help organisations build resilient, flexible supply chains that can adapt to change while maintaining efficiency and reducing costs.

The Environmental Crisis

Sustainability is a growing priority for businesses worldwide. Lean practices help organisations reduce waste, optimise resource usage, and integrate environmentally responsible processes into their operations, contributing to a more sustainable future.

Digital Transformation

Technology is reshaping industries, and lean thinking plays a crucial role in ensuring digital adoption leads to real value creation. By integrating lean principles with digital solutions, businesses can streamline operations, enhance customer experiences, and drive innovation.
Inflation and the Cost-of-Living Crisis

Rising costs affect both businesses and consumers. Lean methodologies help organisations find cost-effective ways to deliver value, improve efficiency, and manage resources more effectively, ensuring profitability even in challenging economic conditions.

Talent Development and Retention

Attracting and retaining skilled professionals is more challenging than ever. Lean thinking fosters a culture of continuous learning, employee engagement, and leadership development, helping organisations build strong, motivated teams that drive long-term success.

Customer Value Creation

Understanding and delivering what customers truly value is at the core of lean thinking. By aligning processes and strategies with customer needs, businesses can enhance satisfaction, reduce inefficiencies, and improve overall market competitiveness.

The Role of Floor Management Development System (FMDS) in Lean Thinking

With so much content to highlight I’ve picked on one area for this month’s newsletter. We are extremely fortunate that Toyota take time to share at the Summit. This year it’s the crucial link between Toyota Production System (TPS), the Floor Management Development System (FMDS), and the Toyota Way behaviours. These latter two subjects being essential enablers in making TPS so effective.

Given the current challenges organisations face – ranging from productivity improvement and supply chain disruptions to digital transformation -understanding FMDS is now more relevant than ever.
 
A recent visit to Toyota’s Burnaston vehicle assembly plant demonstrated just how dynamic Toyota’s lean approach remains. Senior managers presented the TPS house with a yellow and green outer border, symbolising FMDS and the Toyota Way Behaviours. These borders illustrate that Toyota’s approach is not static; it continuously evolves to reflect its current challenges and environment.


 
For those unfamiliar with FMDS or the three-pillar activities used in supplier plants such as Toyota’s Deeside Engine plant, this is the perfect opportunity to start learning. After attending the Summit, participants will have a unique chance to visit either of the Toyota UK plants on the Thursday of Summit week, offering an exclusive deep dive into Toyota’s lean methodologies. All proceeds from the Toyota visits are donated to the Toyota Charitable Trust.

The Toyota Production System (TPS) is often referred to as the Thinking People System—a testament to its foundation in continuous learning and improvement. Every lean thinker and practitioner understands that every day is a school day, and that’s why going to the source of lean thinking and practice is so critical. Even if you have explored Toyota’s approach before, each visit offers new insights and deeper learning.

Whether you are an experienced lean professional or just beginning your journey, attending the UK Lean Summit 2025 will provide fresh perspectives, practical applications, and real-world success stories to enhance your lean journey.


Toyota UK Visits 2025

As part of our UK Lean Summit 2025 activities, on the Thursday (10th April) attendees have the opportunity to attend Toyota’s Engine Manufacturing Plant in Deeside, North Wales and Vehicle Manufacturing Plant in Burnaston, Derby. This year, attendees will have a special opportunity to gain insight into Toyota’s approach to developing its people at either of their manufacturing plants. All proceeds from the visit will go to Toyota’s Charitable Trust, supporting important causes. Thanks to your incredible support, we raised over £24,000 in 2024.

Spaces are limited, and over 60% of tickets have already been sold—secure your place soon to avoid missing out!