Lean thinking, shipped as software.

1Background

Labour planning for AM and PM shifts ran on Excel. Headcount, hours and OPH were entered by hand, and managers had no shift-level view.

2Current state

• Manual, spreadsheet scheduling across 18 departments
• 9–10 hours a week of manual admin
• Pre-shift checklists and reports built by hand
• No mid-shift check of OPH against target

3Countermeasure

A web app that plans labour by department and shift, then checks the plan during the day.

• Live OPH volume, weekly targets and progress by department
• Transfer recommendations between over- and under-performing departments
• Mid-day updates, with a comment required when under target
• Auto-built pre-shift checklists (PDF) and six Excel reports, saving 4–5 hours a week
• AI assistant for plan questions, plus a built-in maintenance (CMMS) module

1Background

Training and skills records for every associate on site lived in Excel and on paper.

2Current state

• Paper sign-offs and spreadsheet tracking
• Gaps surfaced at audit time
• Labour transfers made without live training data

3Countermeasure

One web app for qualifications and training compliance, with signatures captured on the floor.

• Skills, qualifications and SQP compliance for every department in one place
• Electronic signature pads (Wacom) in every department for real-time acknowledgments
• Department-based SPL and work-instruction management
• Live training visibility for supervisors planning transfers and cross-training

1Background

Time-off requests were paper forms that moved from desk to desk.

2Current state

Value stream map of request → approval:

handoffs

7

average processing time

~5 days

3Countermeasure

Removed the steps that added no value, then built the workflow that was left.

• Four roles: employee, supervisor, manager, PO
• Calendar view of approved time off
• Automated SMS and email reminders (Twilio, Power Automate)
• Excel import/export and a timestamped audit trail for HR

1Background

The site paid for a commercial absence management system.

2Current state

• $26,500+ a year in licence cost
• No-call no-shows disrupting shift plans
• Attendance patterns hard to see

3Countermeasure

An in-house absence system that reminds people before the shift, not after.

• Automated SMS reminders and notifications (Twilio)
• Real-time absence tracking and reporting
• Attendance analytics to spot patterns early
• Role-based access with two-factor authentication

1Background

CI work was spread across spreadsheets, emails and shared drives.

2Current state

• No single view of projects, audits or documents
• Audit schedules and corrective actions tracked separately
• SOP versions hard to control

3Countermeasure

One platform for the CI team's whole cycle.

• A3 project tracking with cost-benefit and ROI
• Audit scheduling, recurring reminders and corrective actions
• 5S management, KATA coaching and Kaizen tracking
• Version-controlled SOPs with approval workflows

1Background

Floor screens are part of visual management: KPIs and safety messages where the work happens.

2Current state

• Commercial signage software (Samsung MagicInfo)
• Expensive and complex for what the floor needed

3Countermeasure

A signage system built for a 24/7 warehouse.

• Multi-screen dashboard and drag-and-drop media library
• Playlist scheduling and rotation
• Instant updates over WebSocket
• Auto-reconnect and offline caching for round-the-clock operation

1Background

Tools that worked at one site stayed at one site.

2Current state

• No standard way for other sites and countries to see, evaluate or request a proven tool
• Each site would end up rebuilding it

3Countermeasure

A portal that documents every tool the Lean way, so another site can adopt it.

• Problem, approach and outcome for each app
• Feature requests captured by site
• Visitor analytics to see which tools draw interest
• PDF export for offline review