Lean Methodology: 5 Reasons to Consider a Lean Business Consultant

Are you considering business consulting services? If it’s time to bring in a fresh set of eyes to refine processes and solve problems, consider looking for a lean business consultant.

Lean business consultants are experts at helping organizations to reduce costs and improve efficiencies. By implementing a methodology like lean or Six Sigma, these consultants can successfully augment in-house processes around training, implementation, and operations, coming up with solutions that not only work to streamline processes—but also to make them continually better.

Here are 5 Reasons to Consider Bringing a Lean Business Consultant into Operations:

1) Alignment

One of the key factors that impact the performance of an organization is alignment. Simply put, when there are too many different priorities, resources are depleted on initiatives that do not serve overall corporate objectives. When it comes to progress, having everyone pulling the same direction is one of the greatest challenges (and most exhilarating accomplishments) for executive leaders. Lean business consultants work to uncover resistance and define objectives in a way that’s comprehensive and easy for everyone to understand. In a large organization, alignment can be more important than any other corporate initiative for gaining forward momentum.

2) Get More for Less

The objective of a business is to improve profitability. But if you accomplish this by cutting the quality of products/service, it won’t be long before customers and market share are impacted. Lean business consulting takes a different approach. Lean’s objective is always about eliminating waste and improving efficiency, so team members can focus on customers. As Quality is enhanced, both reputation and profits increase.

3) Fast Results

One of the most compelling arguments for lean business consulting is that results are typically fast. Quick results spur team members onwards, much like how losing a few pounds can rekindle determination to keep dieting or working out. Lean Business Consultants know how to identify key opportunities for improvement, and then create strategies tailored to deliver quick results.

4) Ongoing Success

An aspect of lean that many businesses overlook is that these business consultants implement changes to bring about lasting improvement. Rather than simply solving a problem around logistics, tech—or whatever, a lean business consultant considers the root of the problem. They look at how the needs of the business could change, accounting for factors like in-house tech, and even the capabilities of individual team members before coming up with a solution that’s both long-term and scalable. For businesses trying to overcome hurdles and achieve growth, lean business consulting can be an especially good fit.

5) Fresh Outlooks

Perspective is often necessary for positive change, but when routine is the norm, it’s hard to discover opportunities for improvement. By mapping operations and combining that knowledge with personalized research, business consultants look past challenges and identify new opportunities. Everyone is subject to mental roadblocks—both in life and in business. Fresh eyes make it possible to look past habit and history, and explore how new processes can impact old problems.

While lean business consulting isn’t a cure-all, it’s a tangible step that dramatically improves the odds of overcoming tricky hurdles. From implementing new software solutions and improving customer service to uncovering unseen problems, lean business consulting offers an incredible toolbox of skills that can be implemented to overcome challenges and map best practices. An experienced lean business consultant can work with organizations at any size and stage of development, providing the insight necessary to excel in any industry.