(CLP) Programs

Appleton Greene corporate training programs are all process-driven. They are used as vehicles to implement tangible business processes within clients’ organizations, together with training, support and facilitation during the use of these processes. Corporate training programs are therefore implemented over a sustainable period of time, that is to say, between 1 year (incorporating 12 monthly workshops), and 4 years (incorporating 48 monthly workshops). Your program information guide will specify how long each program takes to complete. Each monthly workshop takes 6 hours to implement and can be undertaken either on the client’s premises, an Appleton Greene serviced office, or online via the internet. This enables clients to implement each part of their business process, before moving onto the next stage of the program and enables employees to plan their study time around their current work commitments. The result is far greater program benefit, over a more sustainable period of time and a significantly improved return on investment.

Appleton Greene uses standard and bespoke corporate training programs as vessels to transfer business process improvement knowledge into the heart of our clients’ organizations. Each individual program focuses upon the implementation of a specific business process, which enables clients to easily quantify their return on investment. There are hundreds of established Appleton Greene corporate training products now available to clients within customer services, e-business, finance, globalization, human resources, information technology, legal, management, marketing and production. It does not matter whether a client’s employees are located within one office, or an unlimited number of international offices, we can still bring them together to learn and implement specific business processes collectively. Our approach to global localization enables us to provide clients with a truly international service with that all important personal touch. Appleton Greene corporate training programs can be provided virtually or locally and they are all unique in that they individually focus upon a specific business function. All (CLP) programs are implemented over a sustainable period of time, usually between 1-4 years, incorporating 12-48 monthly workshops and professional support is consistently provided during this time by qualified learning providers and where appropriate, by Accredited Consultants.

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Executive summary

Process Optimization

History of Process Excellence

The desire for organizations to improve operational efficiency, reduce waste, and enhance customer satisfaction has driven the search for process excellence which has a rich history that spans several decades. Though it is difficult to determine a definite start date for the management discipline described as Business Process Management, related methodologies such as Total Quality Management (TQM), Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma have been developed over the decades, all of which are concerned with the design, execution, measurement, control and optimization of business processes. These methodologies focus on eliminating defects, reducing process variation, and continuously improving processes. For example, the Toyota Production System (TPS), one of the best-known examples of a Lean manufacturing system, identified seven types of waste (transportation, inventory, motion, waiting, overprocessing, overproduction and defects) and relentlessly focused on eliminating or reducing these. Over time, organizations began to realize the importance of process optimization, leading to the development of specialized tools and techniques to analyze and streamline business processes. Utilizing these approaches, many organizations have established sustainable competitive advantages. The Toyota Production System mentioned above enabled the company to produce vehicles of excellent quality efficiently and quickly (see case study below).

Figure 1: Process Optimization

However, there were some fundamental problems with these methodologies. For example, the de-facto approach for implementing one of the most popular methodologies – Lean Six Sigma (LSS) – is DMAIC (Define – Measure – Analyse – Improve – Control) outlining the five stages of a typical LSS initiative. In the Define phase, the discovery of the ‘As-Is’ process was often done manually through workshops and interviews with Subject Matter Experts, among others. However, in addition to being time and resource-intensive, the process models produced often do not accurately reflect the actual process reality. As these process models are the foundation on which improvement efforts are built, these inaccurate models comprised the integrity of the improvement efforts. Additionally, in the Measure phase, the traditional data collection techniques were typically manual, which introduced issues with data quality (e.g. measurement system errors), cost of collection and inadequate or biased sample sizes. Similar issues were encountered in the Control phase which aims to ensure that any improvements to the process are sustained over time.

A couple of complementary developments helped address the issues described above. The first was the widespread adoption of Process-Aware Information Systems (PAIS), which are designed to record accurate information about business processes in event logs in a cost-effective manner. This has provided a means to support, control and monitor operational business processes. The availability of event log data, amongst others, has enabled the development of new and novel approaches to discover, measure and optimize processes.

The second development has been the advances in the research field known as process mining. Process mining is a data-driven approach to process improvement that leverages event logs to extract valuable insights about existing processes. It originated in the early 2000s at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TuE) in the Netherlands. Process mining techniques enable organizations to visualize, analyze, and improve their processes based on real data, rather than relying solely on subjective opinions or assumptions. By uncovering bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and variations in processes, process mining helps organizations make data-driven decisions to enhance operational performance and achieve higher levels of process excellence.

Figure 2: Lean Six Sigma

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The Toyota Production System: A Case Study

The Toyota Production System (TPS) is a management philosophy developed by Toyota Motor Corporation over the course of several decades. It is a systematic approach to the elimination of waste and the continuous improvement of processes. TPS is built on the philosophy of “kaizen,” which means continuous improvement. The goal of TPS is to create a lean manufacturing system that is efficient, flexible, and responsive to customer demand.

History of the Toyota Production System:

The roots of the Toyota Production System can be traced back to the 1890s, when Sakichi Toyoda, the founder of Toyota (then known as Toyoda), invented a revolutionary automatic loom. This loom was able to stop automatically if a thread broke, preventing the production of defective fabric. This was a major breakthrough in the textile industry, and it laid the foundation for the development of TPS.

In the 1940s, Toyota began to apply the principles of the automatic loom to its automotive manufacturing operations. The company developed a system of manufacturing that was characterized by its focus on eliminating waste, improving quality, and responding quickly to customer demand. This system was later named the Toyota Production System.

The Toyota Production System was refined and developed over the years by Toyota engineers and managers, including Taiichi Ohno, who is considered to be the father of TPS. Ohno was a brilliant engineer who had a deep understanding of the manufacturing process. He was also a master of kaizen, and he constantly looked for ways to improve the TPS.

The Toyota Production System has been widely adopted by other manufacturers around the world. It is considered to be one of the most successful manufacturing methodologies ever developed. TPS has helped companies to improve quality, reduce costs, and become more competitive.

Why was the Toyota Production System required?:

The Toyota Production System was formally developed in response to the challenges that Toyota faced in the aftermath of World War II. At the time, US productivity in automobile manufacturing was eight times higher than that of their Japanese counterparts, and Toyota was short of equipment and capital. Toyota needed to find a way to raise the value-added productivity of individual workers in order to produce high-quality cars at a low cost.

The Toyota Production System was the answer. It helped Toyota to achieve its goals of high quality, low cost, and flexibility. TPS has been a major factor in Toyota’s success. The company has been able to produce high-quality cars at a low cost, and it has been able to respond quickly to changes in customer demand. TPS has also helped Toyota to build a strong reputation for quality and reliability.

What does the Toyota Production System entail?

The Toyota Production System is based on a set of principles that are designed to eliminate waste and improve efficiency. These principles include:

• Jidoka (automation with a human touch): This principle ensures that any defect in the production process should be detected immediately and corrected. This is done to prevent defective products from being produced and shipped to customers.

• Just-in-time (JIT): This principle means that only the amount of material that is needed is produced at the time it is needed. This helps to reduce inventory and waste.

• Heijunka (leveling production): This principle implies that production is leveled out so that there are no peaks and valleys in demand. This helps to improve efficiency and reduce waste.
• Kanban (visual control system): This system uses visual cues to signal when material needs to be replenished. This helps to prevent overproduction and waste.

• Kaizen (continuous improvement): This principle ensures that everyone in the organization is constantly looking for ways to improve the process. This helps to create a culture of continuous improvement.

The benefits of the Toyota Product