At Four Principles, we use Lean methodology to help organisations across all business sectors to establish platforms for long-term, sustainable growth by helping them to eliminate waste from their biggest cost drivers.
“Kaizen. Zero waste implemented! 改善,ムダゼロ達成！” encapsulates this approach. No two businesses are the same but, irrespective of sector, function or size of business, all are united by the commercial imperative to increase profitability by reducing costs – not just today, but long into a more efficient, prosperous future.
Our work can be viewed from two different perspectives – either by functional solutions within an organisation, or as it applies across business sectors.
Functional Solutions
Functional solutions consider how Lean implementation acts as a driver of long term, sustainable growth and profitability by identifying and eliminating waste within specific functions of the supply chain. By looking at any given business through the prism of functional solutions, it is possible to isolate individual functions and the way in which they interact with – and impinge upon – related functions, either up- or down-stream in the value chain. Regardless of sector, most businesses share broadly the same functional components – Lean enables each of these to be optimised as a vehicle for profitable growth by way of total waste elimination.
Sectors
Whilst Lean originated in the manufacturing sector, writing remarkable global success stories – primarily in the automotive industry – the beauty of the philosophy is its adaptability and relevance across all sectors. From retail, banking and health care to government, electronics, transportation and printing, Lean has the power to achieve significant, sustainable cost reductions and, in the process, re-calibrate the corporate mindset to create an organisation that is fully united, engaged and focused on long term growth and profitability.