Lean Manufacturing Consulting
Use The Past—Manage The Present—Prepare The Future
Our mature and experienced consultants offer more than just technical expertise. Through hundreds of projects we have learned how to build consensus and
merge our knowledge with the more detailed knowledge of the client's personnel.
Use Consulting for:
• Intractable-Recurring Problems.
Intractable-Recurring Problems.
When problems seem to recur every few weeks or every few years, it is a strong indication that the root cause has not been found or corrected.
We can help your team identify the root
cause, develop permanent solutions. At the same time they will be learning the skills necessary for continued problem-solving.
• Widely Diverging/Strongly Held Opinions
Widely Diverging/Strongly Held Opinions
Organizations frequently have individuals with strong, differing and/or opposing opinions. This can paralyze action or lead to conflicting actions, decisions and policies. Or, it can lead to unwise strategies.
The consultant is in a unique position to discover new facts, explore different perspectives, inspire creativity and gain consensus.
• Too Much Agreement
Too Much Agreement
George S. Patton said "If everybody's thinking alike, nobody is thinking.
This is known as "the Abilene Paradox" and is often found in companies with strong cultures. It may come from a corporate culture that emphasizes cooperation, civility and agreement at any cost.
It can also arise when a company or industry has enjoyed great success and the attitudes, techniques and values that created that success have been institutionalized but are no longer valid.
• Once-In-A-Decade Designs
Once-In-A-Decade Designs
Some types of projects such as a new facility plan or Manufacturing Strategy development are so infrequent it is rare that a company has much in-house experience.
A consultant can help to guide such projects effectively. These types of projects ideally meld the experience and detailed knowledge of those in the company with the wider ranging experience of the consultant.
• Developing In-House Expertise
Developing In-House Expertise
Consulting combined with training is often the best approach for developing in-house expertise. "Book learning" has its limitations and a consultant can notice subtle effects or unusual phenomena that would otherwise create problems.
This is particularly important in Cellular Manufacturing where
worker attitudes and inclinations play an important role. Small changes can make the difference between success, failure or sub-optimization. Many other areas of Lean are similar in this respect.
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Our Projects
Sound Theory—Practical Execution
Strategos projects range from quick assessments to the planning of major factories, offices and warehouses. We can guide the development of your
Manufacturing Strategy at the highest level or assist 5S on the factory floor. We can conduct all of the work or guide a mixed project team.
Our Guiding Principles
• Every Client is Unique
Every Client is Unique
Every company has its individual set of processes, technologies, culture, markets and strategy. This makes pre-packaged approaches to problems often ineffective and sometimes dangerous.
• People & Technology are Co-Equal
People & Technology are Co-Equal
Every organization uses both technology and people. Each affects the others in what Eric Trist dubbed a Socio-Technical System. In the most successful organizations, people and technology complement, not just co-exist.
• Concentrate Resources
Concentrate Resources
Karl von Clausewitz's principle of "Concentration" applies to business as well as war. Focus maximum effort on the "Center of Gravity"-- the one or two areas holding the key to progress.
• Meld Science, Intuition & Experience
Meld Science, Experience & Common Sense
Analysis shows what is or what was, but it cannot create. Analysis lays the groundwork and confirms the results.
Intuition is creative. Through intuition people see what could be and should be, even things that never before existed.
The important strategic business insights are almost always intuitive. Both are required
Our People
Experienced—Multi-Disciplined—Practical
For more than 25 years the Strategos
team has helped clients improve business operations. Our Associates come from varied backgrounds and can address a wide range of issues. More>>
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Our Expertise
(Move Cursor To Expand)
 Manufacturing Strategy
Forge Your Most Potent Competitive Weapon
Manufacturing Strategy
Forge Your Most Potent Competitive Weapon
Manufacturing Strategy is the overall philosophy or policy that guides the design and operation of a factory. A well-thought-out Manufacturing Strategy flows from and supports marketing by optimizing those factors that
bring success in the marketplace (e.g. quality, customization, price, delivery). We have been employing the work of Wickham Skinner, Wheelwright, Hill and others in practical situations for several decades. We have also
seen the unfortunate results of the failure to think through strategic issues. We can assist you in the discussion, debate and development of your Manufacturing Strategy.
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 Lean Manufacturing
Streamline Operations: Quality—Productivity—Speed
Lean Manufacturing
Streamline Operations for Quality, Productivity & Speed
Strategos consultants have been designing and implementing Lean Manufacturing for many years--before
Lean was known as Lean. We have contributed to the literature of Lean through hundreds of seminars, articles and papers
as well as with this website. Through this experience we have developed procedures, rules of thumb and techniques
to bring Lean to industries where the concepts seemed inapplicable.
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 Facility Planning & Layout
Make the Most of Space & Workflow
Facility Planning & Layout
Make the Most of Space & Workflow
Strategos consultants have written three of the most popular books on facilities
planning. We have done hundreds of facility plans from site-level to workstation level using our systematic and
structured approaches.
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 Cellular Manufacturing
Integrate People, Process, Product & Technology
Cellular Manufacturing
Integrate People, Process, Product & Technology
Mr. Lee has been designing and implementing workcells for more than
30 years--long before Toyota made them popular. While Toyota cells are ideally suited for Toyota, they do not work well in many non-Toyota
environments. Our structured design approach helps design optimum workcells in a wide variety of environments, including many job shops.
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 Value Stream & Process Mapping
Make Any Process Smoother, Better & Faster
Value Stream & Process Mapping
Make Any Process Smoother, Better & Faster
Let us assist you with improving any of your processes using VSM, Process Mapping and other improvement techniques.
Mr. Lee's popular book on the subject can be a starting point for your workshop or guided Kaizen Event. This is a "must" for any Lean Implementation or Workcell Design.
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 Warehousing & Supply Chain
Reduce Inventory, Stockouts & Space
Warehousing & Supply Chain
Reduce Inventory, Stockouts & Space
Sims Consulting Group, a Strategos Affiliate, literally "wrote the book" on warehousing with the U.S. Navy's 800-page publication
NS529. Ed Phillips is one of the foremost authorities on Warehousing, Supply Chain and Materials Handling.
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 The Human Side
Leverage Your People
The Human Side
Leverage Your People
People are an integral part of every manufacturing system. As such, their needs and limitations must be accommodated and integrated
with equipment, layouts and systems for best results. We start with the Socio Technical Systems (STS) approach originated
by Eric Trist to ensure that people and culture are woven into every design
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 Lean Office/Administration
Streamline Your Most Wasteful Activities
Lean Office/Administration
Streamline Your Most Wasteful Activities
There is nothing fundamentally different about an office. As the pioneers of Industrial Engineering such as Frank Gilbreth
understood, work is work and the same principles apply to factories, offices, hospitals and every other purposeful activity. Strategos has been applying Lean methods to administrative activities and
knowledge work for many years. Our projects include Maintenance, Engineering, Finance and Purchasing.
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