Many Bulgarian companies already rely on the principles and philosophy of continuous improvement Over 200 company managers from different business sectors in Bulgaria exchanged experience, good management practices and ideas with leading experts in the field of LEAN during the International Conference which was held today in Sofia Hotel Balkan.
LEAN practices and 20 Keys methodology created by PPORF Development Institute Inc., Japan, are applicable in companies of varying size and industries. The real benefits provided by the methodology are measured by productivity improvement - up to 180%, reduction in defects - by around 84% and increase in customer satisfaction - by over 98%.
The idea of LEAN is generally related to the creation of more value for customers by using fewer resources. Organizations that implement LEAN practices understand customer needs and focus on their key processes in order to enhance customer value while minimizing unnecessary use of resources. The conference, which was held for the second time in the country, aims to support the development of the business environment in Bulgaria. The conference was organized by Next Consult - a leading management consulting company which is an official representative of PPORF Development Institute Inc. “The main goal of the 20 Keys Program is to raise a company to the so called “World class company”.
The road to continuous improvement and full optimization is long and the achievement of this task is not easy, but the efforts are justified - improved processes and organization, long-term success of the company and an understanding that the personal contribution of each employee matters.”, said Toshko Petkov, Business Consulting Partner at Next Consult. Speakers from Germany, Croatia and Bulgaria shared their experience in implementing LEAN and achieving greater efficiency, quality and speed. A number of Bulgarian companies already rely on the principles and philosophy of continuous improvement set by LEAN methodology and 20 Keys. This reflects positively on all aspects of their operations and business.
Discussions focused around key business challenges associated with building an organizational culture that encourages cooperation and generating ideas for improvement as well as helping employees feel recognized and engaged. The attending public learned how using LEAN can help them achieve higher quality, lower costs, faster delivery and high efficiency to meet the requirements of major international markets. Representatives of leading in their market niche companies such as Kamax, Rollplast and Kalinel shared their success stories with the implementation of LEAN and 20 Keys in partnership with Next Consult. All of these companies have challenges in their work which prompted them to seek a comprehensive solution. LEAN has become a part of their corporate culture.
“We have always thought that we control the quality, but it turned out that there is a lot to improve. We had to build exact parameters which we had to measure and match. The presentation of the 20 Keys system was at the end of 2014 in front of the entire management team and we all agreed that this is “our” system. We currently measure four indicators - accuracy, speed, quality and communication and all of them have improved.”, said Christina Maslarova - Production Manager PVC Windows in Rollplast.
The methodology changes the organizational culture in companies and leads to better understanding and interaction among teams, positively affects employee engagement and reduces turnover. The implementation of LEAN practices and 20 Keys also improves relationships with suppliers, increases sales and helps companies keep up with their strategic priorities. The shared experience of leading Bulgarian companies working with LEAN and 20 Keys was beneficial to their business colleagues who are considering introducing similar practices in order to expand their share in foreign markets. The specialists concluded that the methodology can help Bulgarian companies become preferred suppliers in the international market if they optimize costs and offer high quality products and services. For more information: Daniela Yonova, Manager “Marketing and business development” daniela.yonova@next-consult.com Mobile: +359882876700
