Lean Thinking

Lean thinking is a systematic approach to identifying and eliminating waste through continuous improvement.  The aim is to supply the product or service to the demands of the customer with 100% quality. Clients can either undertake a full Lean programme, or opt for a modular approach if they have specific areas they wish to address.  Typically, we encapsulate areas including: 

By combining theory with practical application, Xm not only shows where clients can improve, but helps implement improvements and transfer skills to your employees.  Our consultants have helped clients make quantifiable savings of over £2.5M through application of this technique.

5S

5S is a method of workplace organisation that is based on the mantra, ‘a place for everything and everything in it's place'. Whether you are organising a workshop or a computer hard drive, this technique will help give a structure to aid implementing improvements and, importantly to sustaining them.

Rapid Changeover

Traditionally a manufacturing technique, more and more service companies now recognise the importance of Rapid Changeover in reducing the processing time of everything from invoicing to order capture. We will transfer SMED skills to your team and facilitate an improvement in whatever process you are looking to streamline.

Value Stream Mapping

An extension of process mapping, VSM highlights where waste occurs and helps pinpoint its removal. Again, we transfer these skills to your team to help eliminate waste.

Continuous Improvement

Most improvements come not from management but from employees who know their jobs inside out. Management's role is often to allow these ideas a voice. Continuous improvement is about engaging and learning from those at the heart of your operation. Xm consultants are experienced at facilitating this to happen.

Work Study and Work Study Training

Correctly undertaken, work study can help understand the underlying reasons for inefficiency. We can then work to address these issues with you.

Not only can this tool be used to help lower standard work times, improve process flows and increase capacity, but we can transfer these skills to your workforce so improvements can continue to be made in future.

Workplace Layout, Organisation and Simulation

Over time layouts and work flows can become disjointed. We help order processes, streamline systems and improve throughput. However, prior to any costly move, Xm has the ability to evaluate any number of workplace permutations without moving a single machine or person.

It doesn't matter whether you are a hotel, call centre or manufacturer, we can examine the impact changes will have on process flow, manning and capacity at minimum cost and no disruption.

We will then design the optimum solution, plan the implementation and even undertake the physical move. No multiple contractors, easy project management and lower costs.

Other tools…

We can also offer expertise in: