Welcome to the MLC Blog! A blog fueled by the Lean and Continuous Improvement Community!
The Michigan Lean Consortium (MLC) was thrilled to partner with the 2024 Lean Solutions Summit, which brought together Lean professionals from across industries. A standout feature of the summit was the Lean Excellence Competition, where teams of six individuals competed in a live Kaizen-type event, transforming poorly performing processes into models of efficiency and success. MLC is proud to spotlight one of our Superior Level members, Dematic, who won this exciting competition.
At the summit, teams tackled challenges such as poor quality, machine downtime, and inventory management. Armed with Lean tools and methodologies, Dematic and other competitors worked against the clock to unravel inefficiencies and implement ingenious solutions. This high-pressure event tested the teams’ technical expertise, collaboration, innovation, and Lean leadership.
The Dematic team—comprising Kelly Robson, Tonna Agim, Kim Egan, Paul Hoekwater, Kyle Mahoney, and Brian Bolen—stood out for their ability to quickly assess the situation, devise creative solutions, and work seamlessly as a unit. Their performance exemplified Lean principles such as waste reduction, continuous improvement, and respect for people.
Brian Bolen shared his excitement about the competition, saying, "Despite the challenges of working with a team of full-time facilitators, I was really impressed with our team’s ability to work together, show our thinking, and produce championship-level results. It was a great day working with the team. Thanks to John Dyer, the Lean Solutions Team, and the other facilitators for creating such a rich environment for learning and improvement."
For Kelly Robson, the competition wasn’t just about winning but about the growth and experience gained: "We appreciate the opportunity provided by the Lean Solutions Team, John Dyer, and all of the judges. This was a wonderful team-building experience for Dematic, and we look forward to having others from our organization compete at future events!"
The Lean Excellence Competition fostered a spirit of innovation and demonstrated the power of Lean principles in action. Teams like Dematic exemplified what it means to continuously improve and innovate under pressure. Their success highlights the value of Lean methodologies in transforming not just processes but entire organizations.
Congratulations to Dematic for their impressive win, and we look forward to seeing more outstanding achievements from them in the future!
CONGRATULATIONS to our 2024 Distinguished Service Award Winner: State of Michigan Office of Continuous Improvement!
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your continued service and support of the MLC!Holly Grandy-MillerJim WillemsPam KenneyAndrew HalfmanPamela BurgessStacie NoelJoel FeldpauschChristopher FizzellHannah Barton
"What does it take to plan the worlds best Lean conference (IMO)? Some stats: 11 months of planning; 20 planning meetings; 500+ people-hours of prep, action items, speaker wranglin'... then 4 days of the actual thing!" - Dave Kippen
Thank you to our events team, attendees, and sponsors for making this year's event a success like we've never had before!
✅ 4 days of amazing learning and networking
✅12 Breakout Sessions
✅Panel of Lean Experts
✅Networking — Network and bond with other learners, make connections
✅Gemba Walks — “Go see” what is happening at some great spaces
Amy Gowder, President and Chief Executive Officer, GE Aerospace Defense & SystemsDavid McRaney, Science Journalist + creator of blog, book, and podcast “You Are Not So Smart”Joshua Smith, Internal Training & Education Lead @ ZFS TECHNOLOGIESJeff Zupancic, Lean Consultant/Facilitator @ Lean Learning CenterBill Artzberger, LSSBB, PMP, Partner, Lean Learning CenterKaleb Foss, MBA, Manager Continuous Improvement @ Munson HealthcareBrian DeVries, Director, Global Business Improvement Leader | Executive Coach | Operational Excellence through Operational ExperienceBrian Johnson, Training Specialist III @ Grand River Aseptic ManufacturingEnda McGonigle ACMA, CGMA, System Director Supply Chain @ Munson HealthcareTracy Cleveland, Vice President Supply Chain @ Munson HealthcareBrian Calkins, Manager, Continuous Improvement, Americas-Solutions Development, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt @ DematicLindsay Dewey, Sr. Continuous Improvement Specialist @ Munson HealthcarePenny Cox, Sr. Continuous Improvement Specialist @ Munson HealthcareEmily Miner, Continuous Improvement Specialist @ Grand River AsepticLucas Apol, Continuous Improvement Specialist @ Grand River AsepticMichael Goodrich, Senior Supplier Quality Engineer @ Consumers EnergyJody Tupper, Principal Supplier Quality Engineer @ Consumers EnergyMark Graban, Consultant, Author (“The Mistakes That Make Us"), Speaker, Coach, Podcaster, Senior Advisor to KaiNexusLisa Eshbach, PhD, Professor, College of Business, Ferris State UniversityDennis Wade, Director, Pawley Lean Institute, Adjunct Professor, Oakland UniversityToni Racco Benner, Chief Difference Maker, Racco & Associates Inc.Kennith Scott, HeartMath Inc. Certified; NeuroChangeSolutions ConsultantJessica Merwin, Owner, New Moon Yoga LLCAnd our amazing emcee Debra Levantrosser!Our Lean Communicators Pavilion Sponsor and Live Podcast HostPatrick Adams interviewing keynote speaker David McRaney
Tuesday, August 12, 2025, 5:00 PM – Friday, August 15, 2025, 12:00 PM @ Bavarian Inn & Lodge, Frankenmuth, MI
Register Today!
The GR Lean Summit was a resounding success, with every seat filled, showcasing the growing interest and commitment to Lean practices in today's business landscape.
Thank you so much to our sponsors: GVSU College of Engineering and The Small Business Association of Michigan! Here's a glimpse into the highlights and key takeaways from this inspiring event:
Full House! 100% Registration: The enthusiasm of the attendees was great as every ticket was spoken for, reflecting a strong dedication to learning and implementing sustainable Lean principles.
Essentiality of Lean Practices: Brian Calley, President of the Small Business Association of Michigan, underscored the critical role of Lean practices in navigating challenges such as workforce shortages, tight margins, and economic uncertainties. His insights shed light on why Lean methodologies are indispensable for businesses aiming to thrive in today's dynamic environment.
Avoiding the Lean Appearance Trap: Patrick Adams, CEO + Executive Lean Coach at Lean Solutions, emphasized the importance of prioritizing continuous improvement over busywork and unproductive meetings. His message resonated with the audience, urging them to make Lean practices a non-negotiable part of their business strategy.
Building an Army of Problem Solvers: Beth Crowley, Vice President Operations, Crowley Group, shared valuable insights on the importance of cultivating a workforce of skilled problem solvers. By empowering individuals with the tools and mindset to tackle challenges head-on, organizations can foster resilience and drive sustainable improvements across all facets of operations.
Improve Less: Chad Bareither led a breakout session emphasizing the balance between agility and stability in Lean initiatives. By focusing efforts on a select few areas for improvement and fostering collective commitment, businesses can achieve higher success rates and sustainable progress over time.
Swift Style: Dave Kippen was Taylor-made to Emcee! Thank you so much to Dave Kippen, Continuous Improvement (CI) Manager, ADM, for hosting the Lean Summit! His humor and energy had everyone amped up for their Lean learning era!
Customer Service Commitment: Attendees toured the Alro Steel Metals Service Center providing an opportunity to review plant changes and investments made in the past couple years to improve productivity, safety, and customer service. The Metals Service Center was founded in 1948 by Al Glick. Participants learned of the history of the one Garage and one truck in Jackson, MI that, with Al’s hard work, dedication, and commitment to customer service, have expanded to over 80 locations in 16 states.
The GR Lean Summit not only provided attendees with actionable strategies and insights but also served as a platform for fostering collaboration, sharing best practices, and inspiring transformative change. As we reflect on the event, we extend our gratitude to all the speakers, participants, volunteers, and sponsors for their contributions to making this summit a resounding success.
Let's continue to embrace Lean principles, drive innovation, and cultivate a culture of continuous improvement in our organizations and beyond. Together, we can navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and chart a path towards sustainable growth and success. Here's to a future fueled by Lean sustainable thinking and collective dedication to continuous improvement!
By: Christina Dragonetti, Development and Communications Manager, The W. Edwards Deming Institute
“I am not here to teach you anything new, I’m here to make you see things that you would not normally see.” – W. Edwards Deming
From an early age, we learn to break things into parts. We learn the ABCs linearly: A to B to C to D. We learn to break math problems into pieces to solve them. Later, we're taught to compartmentalize entire subjects. History is different from literature, which is different from science, and so on.
No wonder we approach business by breaking departments or projects into parts and trying to optimize each separately!
But even with tools like Lean, some problems get solved…and then come back. That’s what Dr. Deming called a “system problem.” Breaking the problem into pieces and solving each, then putting it back together, doesn't always work. You are analyzing each part as though other parts aren’t involved with the problem. When you step back and look at the interaction of the parts with each other and with the people, processes, and systems around them, you will more readily see why the problem continues. Plus, you'll see how and where to intervene for a permanent solution.
For example, in a physical therapy clinic, they had problems with patients missing appointments. If you think of this as a problem with patients, your receptionists repeatedly call and email them about making and keeping appointments. Each appointment is scheduled individually. This sometimes impacts treatment schedules and causes patient confusion. Also, the hours spent on these calls and emails take time and focus away from the aim of the organization: helping clients reach their highest physical potential.
Using systems thinking, you see this as a problem with the entire appointment-making process.
In this real-life example, everyone wanted to focus on the aim of supporting patients, not on the chaotic scheduling process. With the support of management, the receptionists across 4 offices devised a plan using Plan-Do-Study-Act. They decided to schedule all the recommended appointments for each patient based on their treatment plan when they come in the first time. This plan eliminated the many calls and emails required to schedule appointments. The result? Patients mostly stopped missing appointments. They got the therapy they needed at the proper intervals. Staff and therapists were better able to focus on helping patients reach their goals.
Systems thinking requires looking at your organization in a new, integrated way. Every system must have an aim: the reason the system exists. Your aim must include the future and the value your organization creates for the world.
For example, at The Deming Institute, our aim is: “enriching society through the Deming philosophy.” Everything we do, including our learning events, how we communicate, and our administrative processes, are working toward sharing this knowledge with the world. (Note: "making money" is not an aim; it is a byproduct of your system.)
Once you’ve figured out the aim of your organization, identify inputs, processes, and outputs (positive and negative) of the system, as well as the customers for each. Customers can be internal or external to the organization. At the organization level, inputs can include staff members, government regulations, technology, and the suppliers who provide inputs. Some organizations include COVID or global warming as part of their inputs. Processes include anything that adds value to your product or service or keeps the organization running.
For example, in an ice cream business, processes include creating new flavors, billing methods, payment processing, manufacturing, distribution, sales, and all the people involved in all those processes. The interaction of all these parts and people, working toward a common aim, creates a system.
Finally, identify your outputs. These can be good: profit, brand recognition, happy customers, happy employees, influence on legislation, reduced carbon footprint, and more. Outputs can also be negative: waste, legal action, insolvency, unhappy vocal customers, or staff turnover. For some organizations, your output also includes the success of the clients using your product or service. When you create this level of detail about the interacting components of your system, you can begin to draw a picture of the components that you have to manage towards the aim.
This “big picture” view of your organization calms the chaos, (mostly) prevents firefighting, and helps everyone understand their place – and therefore their value – in the organization.
Systems thinking, as Dr. Deming described it, is helpful for tasks, processes, organizations, families, communities, society, and ourselves. It allows for a more rational and methodical approach to problems. Everyone in the organization works toward a common aim. Happy customers, high morale, low turnover, profit, and innovation are byproducts (outputs) of a well-designed system.
If you want to learn more about the Deming Management Methods or his 14 Points for Management, visit www.deming.org. To learn more about our online learning program Deming NEXT visit deming.org/demingnext.
Takt time is how often a product must be completed to meet customer demand. Cycle time is how long it takes to complete work. Beth used the image below to show us an example and asked the question, will this process deliver on-time?
The MLC is grateful to Beth Crowley and to all those who attended. It's great to see what's working and not working on Lean journeys; we are all in this together.
We welcome more opportunities for member learning and sharing. Email events@michiganlean.org to discuss how you can partner with the MLC on Gemba Tours and more.
Granger hosted MLC learners on Friday 10/13/23, the group was introduced to the Granger construction team at the Ford Motor National Product Development Center a 92,000 sq. ft. reconstruction project in Allen Park, MI.
The tour included a summary of the project by Joann Kobacki, Project Manager and Chris Scharlach Lean Operations, and others on the team.
Below are a few highlights of what was learned.
The Granger team was gracious in offering lunch to the 20 plus MLC attendees and a working discussion followed.
The MLC is grateful to Granger and to all those who attended. It's great to see what's working and not working on Lean journeys; we are all in this together.
Cummins Sales and Service is a leading provider of diesel-engine service for on-highway trucks, emergency vehicles, school buses, and more.
The MLC was excited to participate in an amazing gemba walk at the Cummins Sales and Service station this month!
Thank you so much for the opportunity to learn!
The 2023 Annual Conference is our major event of the year! Held in breathtaking Traverse City, MI this August, the offerings this year reflect feedback from attendees and membership throughout the year from all of our events. I am very excited to see everyone and learn what has been happening in your lean worlds!
During the conference the MLC Board of Directors holds its annual public meeting to share the journey over the past year and where we are headed. Our directors are volunteers who work very hard, year round to create direction and support the MLC. Although, election nominations have come to a close we are always looking for interested humans to join the team. If you are interested, please contact me directly!
Have a safe month and I hope to see you in August.
For the love of Lean,
Holly
As new life emerges around us, it’s a great time to reflect, set new goals, create plans, and take action!
In late April we said, “thank you” and “farewell” to our four University of Michigan students, who have graduated and moved on to begin their careers. Fiona, Grant, Markus and Keaton were of great assistance evolving our strategy mindset and deep diving to bolster areas of our organization!
We also completed our Q2 strategy meeting. After a year with this team and six months developing and executing a Purpose Map we had moved the improvement needle and have had many great lessons learned.
I am excited to move forward continuing to develop long-term strategy and develop actions, short term to achieve our new future state. We would not have been able to do this without the assistance of our four University of Michigan students!
We have migrated to MSOffice platform! You, as membership, should see enhanced communication and ease of connecting virtually for events. We as a board, have greatly improved our communication, have better organized historical documents, and are now working off the same platform. A huge “thank you” to Melissa Sherman for spearheading the procurement and transition of this project!
Keep in mind May is the Michigan Lean Consortium Board of Directors Election Month. During the month of May we solicit for interested members who are willing to join our team, by nomination. Those nominations are then vetted and then sent to the membership for a vote. Please watch for multiple announcements through May for nominations and in June for the opportunity for vote in new board members.
Annual Conference registration is also open!
The AC team is just part of the overall events team and I wanted to give a big shoutout to everyone supporting all the events! Our events have been outstanding, and the Annual Conference will be no different! As a staple, your feedback helps us directionally pinpoint what 2024 will look like. Please be sure to provide candid feedback whenever you are able.
Lastly, I want to thank all the volunteers who have been supporting the MLC. You are the fiber that makes this organization great!
Be safe and have a great month!
For the love of Lean, Holly
