From our blog

3 Steps for Optimizing Returns on a Kaizen Consultant

How do you create winning experiences for customers? As a kaizen consultant, I help clients master consumer-focused methods and mindset to build and maintain growth for better market share. As a kaizen consultant, I work with clients to expand retail channels, enhance consumer loyalty, build a skilled and stable workforce, achieve operational gains, and build sustainable […]

10 Jul, 2024 | By leslie@leanexpansion.ca
Lean and Kaizen: Using AI to Achieve Continuous Improvement

As a kaizen consultant working with clients globally, I’ve found the relevance of Lean principles quietly questioned. Is this another field AI will take over? Not so. Instead, AI provides incredible opportunities to improve production and service. There’s no question that artificial intelligence tools, such as generative AI, can perform tasks faster and more economically […]

05 Jun, 2024 | By Nita Naidoo
Kaizen Consulting in a Non-Kaizen World

Part of my career in kaizen consulting is introducing systems of continuous improvement into organizations that need (and want) them. Every so often, I’m reminded of how kaizen could be used to introduce improvement in other areas—in this case, government. As a US-born citizen now living in Canada, also working in Europe & Asia, I recently found myself […]

22 Apr, 2024 | By Nita Naidoo
Why Invest in Kaizen (Continuous Improvement)?

As a kaizen consultant collaborating with businesses in North America and Asia, I’ve worked with many top forty companies over the last 20 years. As the market gets more saturated and competitive, some clients ask honestly why Kaizen. What are the returns? Kaizen helps organizations understand their current workflows and grasp opportunities for improvement. It […]

20 Feb, 2024 | By leslie@leanexpansion.ca
Kaizen Consulting and Leadership

As a Kaizen Consultant, one of my goals is to bring a philosophy and methodology of never-ending improvement to companies—and their leaders. When it comes to tackling problems, whether it’s creating customer satisfaction or resolving manufacturing bottlenecks, one of the most fundamental philosophies of kaizen is getting to the root of the problem. When I […]

15 Dec, 2023 | By leslie@leanexpansion.ca
What Kaizen Consulting Brings to an Organization

As a kaizen consultant for the last 20 years, it’s been my privilege to work with Fortune 500 companies in America and Canada. When I’m approached, one of my tasks is to implement processes that work to continually improve operations and help organizations stay ahead of the competition.  For those unfamiliar with Kaizen, this Japanese-originating business […]

10 Nov, 2023 | By leslie@leanexpansion.ca
The Kaizen Consultant: Introducing Change Through Small, Consistent Steps

In Japan, there’s a philosophy that small, ongoing changes can gradually lead to dramatic improvement. This is the basis of Kaizen. As a kaizen consultant working in Canada and America, I’ve collaborated with companies like Lockheed Martin and Bosch to introduce transformation through processes based on cooperation and commitment rather than sweeping changes that come […]

08 Sep, 2023 | By leslie@leanexpansion.ca
Executive Coach Vs Business Consultant: Which Do You Need?

As a lean business consultant serving Canadian and US clients, I’ve noticed that distinguishing between an executive coach and a business consultant can be confusing, with some people using the phrases interchangeably. My primary offering at Lean Expansion is as a business consultant working in Kaizen. However, I also offer executive coaching—and my roles often overlap. […]

26 Jul, 2023 | By leslie@leanexpansion.ca
Kaizen: An Evolving Tool in Lean Methods

As a lean business consultant working with kaizen, there are a lot of questions about how the two interact. Is kaizen changing in a world of lean start-ups and lean digital? From my perspective, yes and no. In its very nature, the rapid improvement processes of kaizen are a building block in lean processes. Kaizen focuses on reducing waste […]

19 Jun, 2023 | By leslie@leanexpansion.ca
Policy Deployment: How to Succeed Using Objective Key Results

As a business consultant, one of the critical factors for successful policy deployment is the ability to measure OKRs—Objective Key Results, for those new to the lingo. OKRs are mandatory for business because they allow you to set goals and see the results. It doesn’t matter if you’re an ambitious individual spearheading a start-up or […]

26 May, 2023 | By leslie@leanexpansion.ca