Hidden in Plain Sight: How Lean, Strategy, and Talent Development Can Unlock Untapped Value

Operational and financial performance are key indicators of success, but improving those metrics can be more challenging than it may seem. For instance, one company in the wide-web flexible packaging space had been attempting to move the needle on operational and financial performance for two years with little measurable change when it contacted SPL Consulting.

Through its partnership with SPL, the company implemented and mastered Lean enterprise practices, strategic planning, and behavioral-science-backed talent development to transform performance. It’s a clear example of how linking strategy, Lean principles, and talent development can accelerate lasting improvement in leadership, transactional and operational processes, and sustained execution.

Establishing a Result-Producing Strategic Plan

As a starting point, SPL applied its STRIVE Strategic Business Assessment System to understand the overall performance of the organization from top to bottom. This process involves a questionnaire that uncovers issues like delays, quality issues, strategic maturity, and culture.

In this case, SPL uncovered a lack of a detailed strategic plan and misalignment within the leadership team. SPL led the executive team through a strategic planning process that incorporated a team development exercise designed to help everyone understand each other’s individual behavioral style. This enabled healthy dialogue and opened up discussion about unspoken leadership conflicts. This was a crucial step in the process. If leadership teams are not working well together, it often leads to failed strategic plan execution. Through this exercise, they developed a cohesive plan that ultimately strengthened teamwork among the leaders, laying the foundation for an impactful strategic plan.

Efforts were then focused on addressing corporate objectives, key initiatives, and specific actions necessary to accomplish the objectives. The outcome was a clearly defined strategy aligned around the long-term goal, or True North, of the business. The actions impacted many areas including sales growth; evaluating unprofitable business; team and cultural issues; delays resulting from incorrect or missing information on travelers; and lack of capacity. The decision was made to immediately focus on creating capacity by reducing setup time and increasing revenue generated per hour.

Establishing the Objective

The initiative began with a clear and measurable goal: reduce setup time by 25%. While ambitious, the target reflected a broader need to improve responsiveness, increase capacity, and reduce non-value-added activity within the operation. To support this, a cross-functional Kaizen team was assembled, bringing together operators, key stakeholders, and others not involved in the process.

The project charter outlined a structured approach. It included training on Lean principles and SMED (Single-Minute Exchange of Die) methodology, hands-on application to critical equipment, development of standardized work for multiple staffing scenarios, and the creation of systems to sustain improvements over time. Importantly, the effort was not limited to observation, emphasizing implementation, accountability, and long-term adoption.

Understanding the Current State

The team began with direct observation of the setup processes for both press and bag departments. This step is often underestimated, yet it is foundational to any successful Lean initiative. By documenting actual setup times and documenting the actual process rather than making assumptions about the process, the team gained a clear picture of inefficiencies embedded in the current state.

Several forms of waste were identified, aligning with the classic eight wastes of the Lean framework. Excess motion was particularly evident, with operators walking significant distances to retrieve tools and materials. Waiting, overprocessing, and defects were also present, often driven by inconsistent information flow and lack of standardization.

Baseline performance data from the previous year revealed substantial variability. Setup times ranged widely depending on job complexity, with average times per color significantly higher than desired. These inconsistencies highlighted the absence of a predictable and reliable process.

Implementing SMED Principles

A key component of the improvement effort was the introduction of standard work through a SMED Kaizen, a methodology aimed at reducing equipment setup and changeover to less than 10 minutes. This included clearly defined roles for both two-person and three-person setups, ensuring that responsibilities were understood and executed consistently. Standard work also reduced reliance on individual habits or tribal knowledge, replacing variability with repeatability.

Workplace organization played a significant role as well. By implementing 5S organization principles and establishing point-of-use storage for tools and supplies, the team minimized unnecessary movement and eliminated the need to hunt for tools and supplies.

In addition to physical changes, the team addressed process gaps in information flow. Collaboration with customer service uncovered inconsistencies in how repeat order details were documented and transferred. Missing or incomplete information often led to delays and rework during setup. By defining clear expectations and adjusting the flow of completed orders — with needed updates — back to customer service, these issues were mitigated.

Safety improvements — often referred to as the sixth S in the 5S method — were also incorporated, demonstrating that operational excellence and employee well-being go hand in hand. For example, modifications were made to ensure safer access to certain areas of the equipment, reducing risk without compromising efficiency.

Measuring the Results

The results of the initiative were both measurable and impactful. By the end of the Kaizen, pressroom setup time was reduced by 37%, an improvement exceeding the original target of 25%. The bag department achieved a 50% reduction in setup time.

At the beginning of the process, one of the Kaizen participants had predicted they would see no reduction in setup time. As the results were being presented, the participant shared his honest opinion that he had doubted someone from the outside could improve on what the company had done for years. They had a good process, he reasoned.

The CEO asked if he believed — really believed — that the results quantified were achievable. The Kaizen participant said yes. The CEO asked him to expand on the change of opinion. The participant then said, “Because we did it. The results were based on actual timing of the old process and after testing the new standard work.”

Sustainment Focus

One of the most critical aspects of the initiative was the focus on sustainment. Too often, improvement efforts deliver short-term gains that erode over time. It is not through malicious intent. Familiar processes act like muscle memory; as creatures of habit, we subconsciously drift toward old methods. To prevent this, we implemented several mechanisms to ensure long-term adoption of the new standard work.

To ensure the process didn’t drift, an audit and validation schedule was introduced. Regular audits ensure that standard work is being followed and that improvements are maintained. Clear guidelines were provided to auditors, creating consistency in how evaluations are conducted.

But wait, it gets better! Through sustainment support over a period of eight weeks, the pressroom ultimately sustained a 44% reduction in overall setup time, and the bag department sustained a 56% reduction.

Key Learnings

Beyond the quantitative results, the initiative generated valuable qualitative insights. Team members highlighted the importance of organization, communication, and clearly defined processes. What was once described as a “puzzle” became a structured and predictable workflow.

The role of teamwork also emerged as a critical factor. Effective coordination between operators reduced confusion and improved efficiency, reinforcing the value of collaboration in achieving operational excellence.

Perhaps most importantly, the initiative served as a cultural turning point. It demonstrated that meaningful improvement is possible when teams are empowered with the right tools, training, and support. The combination of data-driven analysis and practical implementation created a sense of ownership and engagement among participants.

Ultimately, this effort illustrates a fundamental truth: Operational excellence is not achieved through isolated changes, but through disciplined, systematic improvement. By combining leadership, strategic planning, and Lean principles with front-line engagement and strong execution, organizations can unlock significant value — often hidden in plain sight within their existing processes.

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with Packaging Impressions. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Packaging Impressions.