Client Testimonials

I would highly recommend the tour to anyone who is in the business of improving people. The ideas stimulated through this tour have helped me reform our entire vision of what improvement means for our business.
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Dear Paul, Thank you for the nice experience you and your team were able to provide me! It has been a very professional tour and even more a very nice human connection with you, David and Eri. You have built a nice team that makes people’s lives change! Ciao, Maurizio
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Sekisui Rib Loc Australia engaged Shinka Management to support a proposal to engage with a Russian investor in the development of the Russian waste and fresh water pipe rehabilitation market. The plan incorporated the Japanese group’s international portfolio of technologies and products; and presented verifiable data on the Russian pipe rehabilitation market and its potential development. The plan needed to be instructive to the Russian client in a manner acceptable to the Japanese shareholder.

The business plan and related presentation was successfully delivered in Moscow. Paul Smith was directly engaged in the project with support from Ben Sparrow, to ensure the presentation was congruous with Japanese business norms. Shinka Management provided services to a very tight deadline. Paul worked seamlessly with the international group to draft the business plan for the Russian market.

Paul accompanied the team to Moscow, then from local advice modified and made an effective presentation to the target client. Shinka Management developed the business plan and related market development presentation delivered in Moscow to a highly professional standard, working to a very tight deadline for a unique market opportunity supported by Japanese stakeholders.

Their commendable work proved a critical element in our engaging a large corporate group in Russia.
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I would like to give my deepest thanks for helping us end the executive program on a high note. This week has summarized TPS / VPS in a very practical and eye-opening manner. The lean journey has become real and exemplified through the many visits we have done. The coaching by Hattori Sensei, and by David and Paul has helped to demystify what needs to be done to become successful. Also, by including a bit of Japanese culture, it made the week extra memorable. We had full support with everything from hotels, meals, tickets, etc. and this made us all relax, and focus on the learning and reflection of what we have seen.
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It was an excellent tour – professionally run and well executed. The companies selected implemented lean at a high degree. The passion they exhibited in sharing their lean journey was very inspiring. I have learned new strategies to bring home to implement. A time well spent.
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The one week Lean Japan Tour not only validates ‘how lean can make business sense’ but also provides the opportunity to learn and share with professionals across different industries.
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One of the best weeks of my life. It has changed the way I see my production facility forever!
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Had the pleasure to accompany Ben and clients on the 2007 Lean Japan Tour. I had worked with many Japanese, ASEAN, UK and US firms and as such have participated in benchmarking assignments and tours of their operations. Some involved attending and presenting at various strategy, productivity and quality management conferences. In that context, I was so taken away with Shinka Management’s tour. The productivity best practice survey lessons learned and lectures from our Japanese hosts followed by excellent Tokyo and Nagoya plant tours were breathtaking and one of the most enjoyable learning experiences. The re-enforcement of the little continual improvement activities, coordination and collaboration of all the companies and their suppliers was “in-your-face” so to speak. There was little need for explanation in some ways as the plants were “visual” and Ben’s clarifications were timely – every time. He filled the gaps in our understanding and what Ben’s clients had achieved by their productivity, quality and lean interventions. As for the personal time, the co-tour attendees and Ben’s hosting were memorable. During the in-bus post plant tour de-briefs it was interesting to hear what each of us got out of the visit and what we learned from what we saw – different eyes, experience and perspectives. Brilliant!
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The training was intense but had great value because the subjects have been explained in such a clear manner opposite to some European experts who know how to turn lean into some NASA scientific miracle from another planet.
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