Wolverhampton based business improvement consultancy Team Integra, in conjunction with leading local accountancy practice AGS, is delighted to announce details of two of its newest recruits who are among the top consultants in the worldwide application of a lean strategy.

Pioneered in Japan, in particular the country’s notoriously proficient Toyota Corporation, lean principles have long been recognised as the foundation for the most successful production system in the world. From manufacturing cars through to something simpler like facilitating administration, most Japanese businesses have long employed a lean strategy to achieve minimum waste and maximum productivity for practically any type of business process.

Masaaki Imai, an esteemed quality management consultant from Tokyo studied successful Japanese companies and documented how kaizen or lean principles could be used to support continuous improvement in his world renowned book ‘Kaizen: The Key to Japan’s Competitive Success’. After being flooded with requests for help from companies in the West he decided to set-up an organisation whose sole aim was to give hands-on support for the deployment of lean principles and Kaizen® Institute was formed in the early 1990’s. Split into four separate worldwide divisions, the Institute recruited only the top improvement practitioners to spread the lean concept, among which were Phil Vaughan and Ed Clements, now of Team Integra.

Having both enjoyed exceptionally prosperous careers within the automotive industry, Phil and Ed were handpicked to work as lean consultants throughout Europe. Since 1998 they collectively assisted and massively improved some 80 plus businesses, within a multitude of sectors, by helping them to employ lean principles.

After successful years of consulting in Lean both Phil and Ed have since joined Team Integra with an aim to support small West Midlands based companies by teaching them about this vital business strategy.

Phil Vaughan, Director of Team Integra comments: "Having assisted companies throughout North America, Japan and practically the whole of Europe to employ this world-class strategy, we are now looking forward to taking it to a more local level. We want to help local businesses to enjoy the benefits that come with using the complete lean solution."

Steve Aston, partner at AGS and co-founder of Team Integra comments: "Unlike many other accountancy practices, we have never been the type of firm that is comfortable to sit-still upon reaching a certain level of success, and are always looking for new ways in which to grow, develop and expand our services available to clients.

"We aspire to do much more than simply report on a client’s profit but rather want to show clients the various ways and means on how to improve that profit.

"As such, we are delighted that, in conjunction with Team Integra, we are able to allow our clients access to two of the top lean strategists in the industry."

For more information please contact Steve Aston at AGS on
Tel: +44 (0) 1384 217222