Deciding where to start

Earlier in my career, I worked with many ‘best in class’ lean manufacturers and I was struck by how many of their employees could remember, even years later, where it all started. They openly shared their story, and often I would meet the team that had been the catalyst for their ongoing lean deployment.

Years later, when working as a lean management consultant helping organisations commence their lean journey, I would ask the team what story they would like to tell me five years down the track, who they would introduce me to, where we would go on the site, and what tools from the extensive lean toolkit would have been their starting point.

When looking to start an Industry 4.0 journey, to explore the opportunity, I believe the same is true. Making the right call on how and where to start is crucial to getting people on board, both internally and externally. Three things should be considered: engaging the right people, picking the right place to start, and applying the right controls.