Selection Criteria for Lean Production Consulting Firms
Which Service Firm? Points to Consider When Choosing Lean Production Consulting Firms
Companies preparing for Lean Production work and Operational Excellence prefer to set out with support from firms that have knowledge and experience in this field. Some companies run a successful project with Lean Production Consultants while others cannot make progress. There can be many reasons for this. It has been experienced that consultants who have signed successful projects do not always show the same success.
Lean Production Consulting services help you make the right decisions in business while accelerating your business’s growth and development. However, choosing the right consulting firm is one of the most critical steps in this process. Here are some important factors to consider when choosing a service consulting firm:
1. Experience and Expertise:
It is important to research in detail how much experience the consulting firm has in your sector and its areas of expertise. Sector knowledge and experience enable the service provider to offer you more effective solutions.
2. References and Customer Feedback:
The feedback the firm has received from past clients can be an indicator of service quality and customer satisfaction. Reviewing references and customer comments helps you make the right decision.
3. ROI of the Service Received (Return on Investment)
Just as the return on an equipment investment is calculated, seeing the return on the service provided by Lean Production Consulting firms is one of the important elements of this process. Experience or concrete data may be needed to calculate ROI, but the best way is to obtain this information from reference companies that have received the service before.
4. Service Quality and Working Principles
It is important to learn in detail the quality of the services the firm offers, its working principles and methods. How the support is delivered and how the firm works in flexible situations play an important role in meeting customer expectations.
5. Floor-Focused Approach
Since the service in question covers making operational processes lean, delivering this support one-to-one and hands-on on the floor, rather than as desk-based support, will reach results faster. The consulting firm’s approach on this matter is important. The floor-focus principle is the most important criterion of Lean Transformation projects.
6. The Role of the Consultant
Inquiring into the background not only of the firm but also of the consultant who will provide the support is an important criterion. Company references are an important indicator, but the seniority, leadership level and competencies in managing cultural change of the consultant who will manage the project are among the topics that should be questioned.
7. The Consultant’s Command of the Process
Rather than different consultants constantly joining the process, at least one senior consultant should coordinate and lead your Lean Transformation Project from start to finish.
8. Pricing and Cost
Price is an important parameter, but it is not the most important one. The consulting firm’s level of knowledge, its own experience and its reference companies are the factors that determine the price here. Pricing of consulting services and comparison of their costs is a necessary topic. Since the amount of knowledge is not a measurable parameter, choosing the firm that offers the lowest price would not be a correct approach. On the contrary, just as high price offers are questioned, low-level offers should also be questioned. The decision should be made considering the price-quality balance.
Choosing the right consulting firm is a critical step in your business’s growth and development process. By considering these factors, you can choose the most suitable consulting firm for you and reach your goals faster.
