Tours organized by Brad Schmidt in Japan
Jeff Kaas:
Until you actually see it in action and discuss what you see with your team Lean won’t happen. If you want a transformation, your whole team has to see it and they have to see it together. Seeing how good lean can be with Brad and linking it to my Faith has made a huge change in my life and my company.
Paul Akers:
We have invested in taking 6 different team members in 2000, 2005, 2011.
My eyes were opened the first time,
I was profoundly enlightened the second time.
I began burning lean rocket fuel the 3rd time!
To experience this tour with Brad was the single most important thing I have done in making lean a reality in my company!
Mike Colyer, Director, Composite COE, Bell Helicopter:
Great trip. An experience of a lifetime. A great way to see Lean in action. You will come away a true believer. Zero complaints, 100% satisfied! Exceeded all expectations.
Zeke Morgan, Production Manager, Strasser Woodenworks:
The tours through the different factories were all very interesting and all had something to offer. I appreciated their strong commitment to the community and to their workers’ well being. What impressed me most however was the personal relationships Brad had with the companies we visited which allowed us a close-up first hand look at how a company should be run. Their openness to our questions and their willingness to share some of their techniques stems from this relationship. I enjoyed the trip very much.
Geneviève Gagnon, Continuous Improvement Manager, Bombardier Aerospace:
Our project has reinvented the interior completion and is completely based on and inspired by our trip to Japan. We now have the vision, the guts, the energy, the faith, leadership and a dedicated team. This was a good opportunity to experience something very powerful and different and it’s promising. We sure have our challenges, but we intend to make it work.
Stephan LeBlanc, Director, Bombardier Aeronautique:
I now know what good looks like, and it’s a lot simpler than I thought it would be.
Tours organized by Michel Baudin in Europe
Vladimir Flegentov:
Impressions are very good. First, for all I had heard and seen about automation, I had not seen the level we saw at the diesel engine plant. Second, we saw many elements of Lean in use, which is also important. The notes I took are very useful. Therefore, the most positive impression . Went for a reason. Of course , the level of business that we have seen , is different. […] For us to compete today , for example, is probably impossible without Lean. Therefore, I would like to say a very big thank you to the organizers for the correct selection of these plants, and second – for a very good organization. Thank you.
Mikhail Chigvintsev:
Loved the organization of the trip and the companies. For myself, I got a lot of good out of this trip . I really liked the engineers we met. I reached many conclusions made . Well, I have written a lot of that we saw and will implement in our company.
Making Things in Japan Tour 2014 