Lean conference encourages continuous improvement

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This article was published 08/06/2022 (1254 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In laying out the five principles of lean, the last one is sometimes framed as “seeking perfection”.

At this week’s Canadian Manufacturers and Exporter (CME) Manitoba’s four-day Embracing Excellence Lean Conference in Winnipeg, the point was made abundantly clear that while the goal of lean may be excellence the reality to be embraced is continuous improvement.

Often believed to be the exclusive purview of manufacturing, lean is actually a concept – which can be addressed in many different ways — that can be applied across the economic landscape into the service sector and government services where the process of elimination of waste, streamlining operations and automation is to lead to perfection.

Lean has become a brand for CME Manitoba which has developed substantial expertise and now provides lean training for CME provincial chapters across the country.

Ian Marshall, whose title with CME Manitoba is lean champion, has been “on the journey” for 17 years. CME Manitoba has put on annual lean conferences for many years. This week’s is the largest such conference in the country.

“These lean conferences have become a staple for us to share the message and energize people,” he said. “And it’s not just manufacturers. About 40 per cent of the attendees are from the service and public sectors.”

Marshall said part of CME’s mission is to help the manufacturing sector grow and that involves the encouragement of continuous education, the hallmark of lean principles.

Derek Mikita, the vice-president of manufacturing at Carte International, the Winnipeg manufacturer of electrical transformers, was certified as a six sigma master black belt from the American Society for Quality in 2004, along with Marshall.

CME Manitoba has been Carte’s training provider for its extensive lean program. Mikita said at Carte all employees take a Lean 101 course, lead hands take courses to certify at the yellow belt level, production managers are expected to achieve green belt and specific employees will reach black belt.

Carte’s goal is 10-15 per cent annual process improvement.

“Our goal with lean is to reduce defects, making our operations safer and making a better product,” Mikita said. “CME gave us the opportunity to use them as our education platform.”

While there are structured educational programs like the ones that CME Manitoba’s team of eight people deliver, there are many ways for organizations to engage in the process.

“Most people recognize that there is a better way to do things. Everyone knows that,” Marshall said. “People are frustrated when they go to work because they know there is a better way. But there has to be some mechanism in place to help them change the way things happen.”

Marshall said that while elimination is waste is absolutely fundamental in lean, he acknowledged that many organizations are only just beginning to include considerations that would combat climate change like eliminating energy and water waste.

Kelly McNeill, the CEO of RTDS Technologies the Winnipeg company which developed the world’s first digital real-time power system simulator, said that alternate energy generation has been a boon to his company.

But McNeill said the organization has not grown up in a “lean” culture.

“RTDS is still in its infancy as it relates to lean concepts,” he said. “But we have started to develop some skills to look for efficiencies in the business.”

Among other things they are thinking about ways to build lean principles to streamline the innovation process.

Manitoba may not have the most waste free, streamlined, automated industries but it has become a centre of excellence for lean training.

Chad Smith, a consultant from Arkansas who delivered a seminar at the CME lean conference, said it was the fourth one he’s attended this year.

He said, “This conference is the deal! You guys are getting after it.”

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca