At HAWKER^®, we focus on efficiency. It’s why we’ve adopted lean management, a revolutionary form of management that sheds unnecessary processes so we can focus on what matters most: our customers.

Lean is used by today’s top manufacturers, like Toyota - the premier leader and trendsetter of lean management for over eight decades. It can be used throughout the entire process of consumer-facing models, whether it’s manufacturing, marketing, or answering calls.

In simple terms, lean aims to:
  -  Deliver value to our customers.
  -  Eliminate unnecessary processes (or waste).
  -  Continue to improve strategies and processes.

At HAWKER^®, we take these principles to heart by offering a comprehensive lean management strategy that our entire company as well as customers benefit from. Lean allows us to not only fine tune our processes and procedures, but also allows us to measure our progress to ensure we are always improving.

How the HAWKER^® Lean Strategy is Implemented

HAWKER^® performs a Value Stream Analysis (VSA), where we map out the entire process of our business model, from conception to completion. From there, we create a Rapid Involvement Event (RIE), where we suggest ways to consolidate, improve, strip or augment our strategy for the greatest impact with the least involvement.  All key players in a given area or process within the company are asked to participate in the event; from project managers to production workers to supervisors. 

We look for potential solutions to eliminate issues (waste) in:
1. Defects
2. Overproduction
3. Waiting
4. Non-utilized creativity
5. Transportation
6. Inventory
7. Motion
8. Extra processes

The issues listed above, highlight areas of improvement and possible DOWNTIME. We analyze the current process state as well as what the future state will be, all within the same week as our audit. That way employees can immediately begin to correct errors in their processes. 

Over time, through our events, we expand upon ways our employees and their processes can be more efficient. We not only identify problems at hand, but also teach them ways to identify problems themselves. 

We also make a point to ask everyone involved in the project, intrinsically, if our suggestions have fixed their concerns. According to Jeremy Edmondson, Lean Facilitator for HAWKER^®, “it’s easy to make suggestions on paper, but you need to make sure it works for all parties involved."

Boosting Processes, Boosting Morale

As the leader in lean management for HAWKER^®, Jeremy knows firsthand how important it is to make sure the culture of a company is willing to adopt new changes. If not, Jeremy says, it “can eat a lean management strategy alive”. 

That’s why HAWKER^® focuses not only on quantitative data behind our strategy, but also qualitative data, like building trust in our workforce. This way, when changes are made, we can be assured our company can keep these new processes and procedures moving forward. The longevity of the lean strategy hinges on the motivation of the workforce. 

Lean Management: Continually at Work

At HAWKER^®, we implement lean management across all internal processes. Right now, we’re laser-focused on creating a benchmark of success in every department, one at a time. We’ve learned that although we can implement broad changes in every department, if we hone in on each department’s particular challenges, our business model improves across the board.

“We want to say: this is what good looks like,” Jeremy says in regards to our strategy.

HAWKER^® has even pulled a team together to validate our processes daily, so we can be confident our initiatives are in place - and that they’re working successfully. 

Most importantly, no matter what we do, we want to instill in our workers that they are capable of revolutionizing their own processes through lean management education. “It’s one thing,” Jeremy says, “to focus on the hard savings of stripping back where necessary, but it’s another to know that these strategies are encouraging people to be better with every given day.”

“Our company is finding that lean management, once everyone understands it, is an organic process that can be improved every day.”

To learn more about the LEAN initiative at HAWKER^®, check out this video.

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With over 75 authorized sales and service centers across North America, HAWKER^® can provide the best solution for your business’ needs. From forklifts to AGVs, we offer a range of solutions that will bolster production while keeping your operation sustainable and environmentally-conscious. Contact your local HAWKER^® representative today by calling 1-877-7HAWKER or click here.