Lean conference features international speaker

For the first time, the annual Lean Summit Africa takes place at The Forum in Bryanston, Sandton on 6 - 8 October 2010; previous summits having been held in Cape Town. The conference will feature Dr René Aernoudts, the chair and founder of the Lean Management Instituut in Driebergen, the Netherlands.

Aernoudts' objective is to bring the system, and the typical results that come with it, to service and non-profit organisations, and to help implement enterprise-wide business systems. At the summit, he will share with delegates his change management strategies that can be used in implementing the system in an organisation.

"Lean is not about cost cutting. It's about creating more value for your customers, stakeholders and employees. To do this we need resources and therefore we need to eliminate waste," he says.

Lean thinking - the management and production system invented by Toyota - is gaining devotees around the world, in service organisations, manufacturing businesses, logistics companies and supply chains. Its goal is described as ‘to get the right things to the right place at the right time, the first time, while minimizing waste and being open to change'. In Africa, the Lean movement is also gaining momentum.

Aernoudts has a background in Business Economics, Sociology and Organisational Behaviour. As a managing partner of a renowned consulting firm, prior to founding the Lean Management Institute in the Netherlands, he worked mainly in Europe, for banks, insurance companies, governmental institutes, hospitals and manufacturers. Aernoudts has also lectured at two leading business schools in the Netherlands: HES Rotterdam and HvU Utrecht.

Change fails

According to Aernoudts, research in the US, UK and the Netherlands shows that 70-75% of all change processes fail, so managers need to be aware of the potential pitfalls in this transformation process.

"Leaders (and consultants) need to be aware of the fact that their own role and the way they steer a change process are the crucial success factors," he stresses. He says that the developmental pathway needs to start with questions such as, “Where do I start? How can I run a successful project? What do I have to do to achieve sustainable results? What are the typical pitfalls and what's the best road map for me?” His presentation will provide insights on these issues.

"We are delighted to have secured a renowned, international thinker like Dr Aernoudts for this year's summit," comments Norman Faull, MD of the Lean Institute Africa, the host of the event. "The aim of the summit is to increase African business leaders' knowledge of these tools and promote its adoption as a means of improving product and service delivery while reducing costs.”

For bookings or enquiries contact Cynthia at Upavon Conferences on +27 (0) 11 023 6701 or .