Brian had been running his machine shop as a third-tier supplier to the aerospace industry for more than 15 years, and it had been successful as a small shop. Over the years he had learned the importance of ongoing training and continuous improvement. He contracted with trainers and encouraged his people to take on quality improvement projects. He also partnered with the local professional development center to ensure his people could continue to hone their skills.

As the company grew, he brought in additional professional staff to handle operations and manage his supply chain better. Picking up on lean concepts, he held 5S events and supported setup reduction and other process improvement projects. Lately, he’d even put together an annual strategic plan.

However, Brian was troubled. He had begun to notice that results were not being sustained. He and his executive team were familiar with lean tools and concepts, and facilitated their employees through problem-solving sessions, but there were setbacks. The company leaders seemed to know what was wrong and the tools they could use to overcome the problems, but getting sustained results was proving to be a challenge.

 …