better understand their concerns. This is true even if opportunities that are more significant are found elsewhere during the assessment process.

*Side Note: Consultants aren't trying to trick you into giving them information that they should be able to find on their own. They value your experience and insider expertise and use it to ensure maximum value is added to the process. Forget the cliches about consultants; few would be in business today if they were true.

4. Walk the process. Most consultants like to start with what is generally "the beginning" of the

First off, even a Lean Assessment should be a Value-Adding experience for your company. It's not enough for a couple of consultants to drop-in, take a look around, and then send you a report that tells you what they observed and what to do.

Most of the time you'll pay for a Lean Assessment, (though probably at a reduced rate,) so you should still expect some tangible return on your investment beyond a report. Your assessors will be looking for waste. When and where they find waste, in its many forms, and how to eliminate it should be an expected deliverable.

The following is a very brief overview of some things you should look for when hiring a consultant to assess the opportunities for Lean at your company. This also applies to the progress you have made so far if assessing for benchmarking purposes.

This is NOT an exhaustive list by any means, but it is a good start.

Although a good assessor should make the process flex to the specifics of each company, I have outlined some of the common items you should expect during and after a typical 1 - 5 day assessment.

The Lean Assessor Should Do the Following (at minimum):

1. Meet with you by phone or in person to discuss some of the specific information you wish to collect during the assessment process. Although the consultant will have his or her own approach and measurement systems, there may be data important to you that are not generally gathered. You'll get far greater benefit by mentioning your specific metrics up-front.

(At Each Plant Being Assessed)
2. Speak with a senior management team member regarding the assessment process by phone and arrange for a "process expert(s)" to guide them throughout your company during the visit. It is wise for you to mention the visit to the management team, express your support for the process, and ask that they be as helpful as possible.

3.Once on site they should hold a brief introductory meeting with at least one member of the senior management team to discuss the process, resources needed, and assure them that they will do all in their power to be helpful etc. This is also a great time for your consultant to ask senior managers where they believe the greatest needs for improvement are. Most seasoned managers probably already know where most of the opportunities lie and can be very helpful to the consultant and get him to better understand their concerns. This is true even if opportunities that are more significant are found elsewhere during the assessment process.

*Side Note: Consultants aren't trying to trick you into giving them information that they should be able to find on their own. They value your experience and insider expertise and use it to ensure maximum value is added to the process. Forget the cliches about consultants; few would be in business today if they were true.

4. Walk the process. Most consultants like to start with what is generally "the beginning" of the p

f overview of some things you should look for when hiring a consultant to assess the opportunities for Lean at your company. This also applies to the progress you have made so far if assessing for benchmarking purposes.

This is NOT an exhaustive list by any means, but it is a good start.

Although a good assessor should make the process flex to the specifics of each company, I have outlined some of the common items you should expect during and after a typical 1 - 5 day assessment.

The Lean Assessor Should Do the Following (at minimum):

1. Meet with you by phone or in person to discuss some of the specific information you wish to collect during the assessment process. Although the consultant will have his or her own approach and measurement systems, there may be data important to you that are not generally gathered. You'll get far greater benefit by mentioning your specific metrics up-front.

(At Each Plant Being Assessed)
2. Speak with a senior management team member regarding the assessment process by phone and arrange for a "process expert(s)" to guide them throughout your company during the visit. It is wise for you to mention the visit to the management team, express your support for the process, and ask that they be as helpful as possible.

3.Once on site they should hold a brief introductory meeting with at least one member of the senior management team to discuss the process, resources needed, and assure them that they will do all in their power to be helpful etc. This is also a great time for your consultant to ask senior managers where they believe the greatest needs for improvement are. Most seasoned managers probably already know where most of the opportunities lie and can be very helpful to the consultant and get him to better understand their concerns. This is true even if opportunities that are more significant are found elsewhere during the assessment process.

*Side Note: Consultants aren't trying to trick you into giving them information that they should be able to find on their own. They value your experience and insider expertise and use it to ensure maximum value is added to the process. Forget the cliches about consultants; few would be in business today if they were true.

4. Walk the process. Most consultants like to start with what is generally "the beginning" of the

e or in person to discuss some of the specific information you wish to collect during the assessment process. Although the consultant will have his or her own approach and measurement systems, there may be data important to you that are not generally gathered. You'll get far greater benefit by mentioning your specific metrics up-front.

(At Each Plant Being Assessed)
2. Speak with a senior management team member regarding the assessment process by phone and arrange for a "process expert(s)" to guide them throughout your company during the visit. It is wise for you to mention the visit to the management team, express your support for the process, and ask that they be as helpful as possible.

3.Once on site they should hold a brief introductory meeting with at least one member of the senior management team to discuss the process, resources needed, and assure them that they will do all in their power to be helpful etc. This is also a great time for your consultant to ask senior managers where they believe the greatest needs for improvement are. Most seasoned managers probably already know where most of the opportunities lie and can be very helpful to the consultant and get him to better understand their concerns. This is true even if opportunities that are more significant are found elsewhere during the assessment process.

*Side Note: Consultants aren't trying to trick you into giving them information that they should be able to find on their own. They value your experience and insider expertise and use it to ensure maximum value is added to the process. Forget the cliches about consultants; few would be in business today if they were true.

4. Walk the process. Most consultants like to start with what is generally "the beginning" of the

the management team, express your support for the process, and ask that they be as helpful as possible.

3.Once on site they should hold a brief introductory meeting with at least one member of the senior management team to discuss the process, resources needed, and assure them that they will do all in their power to be helpful etc. This is also a great time for your consultant to ask senior managers where they believe the greatest needs for improvement are. Most seasoned managers probably already know where most of the opportunities lie and can be very helpful to the consultant and get him to better understand their concerns. This is true even if opportunities that are more significant are found elsewhere during the assessment process.

*Side Note: Consultants aren't trying to trick you into giving them information that they should be able to find on their own. They value your experience and insider expertise and use it to ensure maximum value is added to the process. Forget the cliches about consultants; few would be in business today if they were true.

4. Walk the process. Most consultants like to start with what is generally "the beginning" of the

better understand their concerns. This is true even if opportunities that are more significant are found elsewhere during the assessment process.

*Side Note: Consultants aren't trying to trick you into giving them information that they should be able to find on their own. They value your experience and insider expertise and use it to ensure maximum value is added to the process. Forget the cliches about consultants; few would be in business today if they were true.

4. Walk the process. Most consultants like to start with what is generally "the beginning" of the process (as far as the plant is concerned,) which is Sales/Order Taking. A brief overview of how that process is conducted will naturally lead them to Planning, Engineering, Scheduling, etc. In each department, they will seek out a "resident expert" or two, and pick their brains regarding their processes in general terms. Before long, they will find their way to the shop floor where value-adding activities and Lean opportunities should abound. Occasionally assessors will begin their analysis at the "back door" or shipping dock where internal processes end. This is a method used to help assessors get closer to "external customers" and try to see your system from their perspective. Both approaches seem to work equally well.

5. Once on the shop floor (with your resident expert,) they will begin "walking the floor" from wherever the starting point is, sequentially throughout the entire production system (Value Stream.)

a. As each functional area is visited they will observe and ask questions related to their processes and seek out examples of how they apply appropriate Lean tools and skills within their areas. Implementation of 5S, SMED, Maintenance (TPM), Standardized Work Instructions, Visual Controls, KanBans, WIP Levels, Product Flow, Materials Replenishment, Ergonomics Concerns, Potential Safety Risks, Teamwork, Cultural Issues, Workspace Utilization, as well as quite a large number of other factors are evaluated.

b. After this initial "value-adding" assessment has been conducted, your assessor will generally visit areas such as stockrooms, a connected warehouse, shipping & receiving, scout around for inventory in all its' forms, find the company "junk pile" (if there is one,) and etc. Like the shop floor assessment process, many questions will be asked and observations are noted.

c. Very often at this point in the process your assessor might dismiss your "resident expert" tour guide, and begin the process over again, either from the beginning, or by going to critical areas that have potential for profoundly positive, or even far-reaching negative, impact on the rest of the processes or company. They will spend a fair amount of time discussing area issues with operators and shop floor level supervisors to get the closest view possible to the where and how the actual work is performed. This "up close and personal" examination is a critical step