Waste hides on the floor, lead times slip, frontline improvement stalls, lean works when advisors stay embedded until teams own it.
Direct answer
Direct answer:Is lean consulting worth it? Advisors must embed on the floor with SMED/6S/TPM until teams own improvementsnot poster campaigns.
Industry pain points
Common failure modes when “lean” stays on the wall:
Strategy vs. shop-floor kaizen disconnected
Supervisors cannot facilitate problem-solving; gains revert when consultants leave
Downtime, changeover, and quality swings not measured
XieChunQiu methodology
Embedded (penetration-style) consulting
Embedded consulting combines structured governance with culture, adapted to Chinese private-firm reality (public founder profile and company introduction).
Advisors blend methodology with on-site presence; collective sessions often ~2×/week, frequently evenings while operations continue.
Lean production (consultant profile excerpt)
8+ years lean consulting across large and SME manufacturers.
Embedded lean ops: leadership, team management, SMED, 6S, TPM, QCC, poka-yoke, and related shop-floor tools.