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Infographic: 8 steps of operational excellence

Aug. 29, 2016

This infographic looks at the steps taken by Laitram Machinery which empowered all employees to create lean value streams and created substantial growth for the company.

Amanda Hosey

Since the economic downturn of the 2000s, we have seen the majority of companies turning toward a LEAN approach to operations. Now that the economy has improved, companies continue this streamlining of operations, allowing them to experience substantially increased revenues.

Seafood processing equipment company Laitram Machinery recently took a close look at its own operations and realized a number of areas needed improving. The company started an operational excellence program, which allowed all employees to see the “flow of value” so issues could be corrected before they turned into real problems. Since implementing operational excellence principles, the company has seen substantial growth — in only two years.

The following infographic looks at the 8 operational excellence steps Laitram Machinery employees learned, which must be followed in the given order.

Information in this infographic was taken from Kevin J. Duggan’s “Designing Lean Value Streams” available at www.processingmagazine.com/designing-lean-value-streams.

In “Designing Lean Value Streams,” Duggan writes:

With leaders now able to step away from daily operations, they can work on activities to grow the business… Laitram is also able to meet its deadlines, giving its sales team the ability to sell with confidence. Previously, the production team would have a hard time delivering against the promised dates, leaving the salesforce to explain the delays.