Today, there are many consulting firms which help companies incorporate the lean process into their manufacturing processes. The consultants lead, instruct, and jump-start companies in becoming lean in their manufacturing, product development, and supplier relation activities.

Consultants work with you in developing your lean strategy, prioritizing the needed changes, and implementing them to the point of self-sustaining continuous improvement.

The first phase in lean methodology begins by drawing a clear picture of how your business creates its products. Consultants assess the current practices to identify specific gaps between existing operations and truly lean ones. This review includes scheduling, inventory management, customer service, communications and quality, by interviewing key personnel, reviewing procedures, and observing all processes that take place in your organization.

The second phase detects avoidable costs by identifying wasted materials and work tasks through Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) studies, reducing setup times, and implementing 5S methods.

The third phase involves diminution of variability through enhanced flow and quality by focusing on efficient operations and minimizing error. This process includes optimizing the pace of work, point-of-use fabrication, total productive maintenance practices, poke-yoke, and use of various statistical lean tools.

In the fourth phase, a demand-based pull system is calculated and executed to reduce overall inventory, order turnaround time, and works in progress. "Just In Time" and "Kanban" techniques are also introduced to improve lead time and reduce inventories.

The final phase focuses on Process Control - the founding of an ongoing continuous improvement procedure. The consultants also provide complete on-site training for all stakeholders, including the use of simulations and creating infrastructure which will help the organization achieve Operations Excellence.

Ultimately, the consultants will instill a culture of continuous improvement into your organization and create key performance indicators that management can use to fine-tune their overall performance.