Testimonials:

I attended the tour in 2011 and found the whole experience very useful to build on my understanding of Lean Manufacturing. For those having a reasonable understanding of Lean this tour shows in detail the gap that Australia experiences to world class productivity practices. Most interesting was the deployment of essentially the key elements of the Toyota Production System into an SME with 50 employees. It showed that even small business can be world class, and there is significant potential from my experience to do this in local SME’s as well as larger firms. This is really a must as part of the serious Lean journey and excellent for small and larger enterprises.
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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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The Shinka lean study mission of Japan offers participants an opportunity to see what is possible in undertaking world class manufacturing. The insights that are possible on tours like this can really challenge what you think are the real key success factors for implementation and enhance the chance of success in your own journey.
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I was a part of the November 2013 Lean Japan Tour and would highly recommend it for anyone who is serious about Lean Manufacturing. Ben and Paul are well organised and have put together a great tour. The tour is very enjoyable and a great insight into Lean manufacturing. I have come back with a greater appreciation for Lean Manufacturing and excited about where we can go with the ideas and knowledge I brought back with me from the tour. Paul and Ben, WELL DONE.
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This tour was recommended to me by our VP Operations who undertook the tour the previous year. Both Ben and Paul provided an excellent tour of the Japanese manufacturing industry and the program was both well run and highly focused towards the practical implementation of lean strategies. There were plenty of opportunities to ask questions of the particular line managers as well as the teams which implemented the lean techniques. I would have no hesitation in recommending this tour.
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A great mix of Japanese Business Etiquette, site visits show-casing lean principles, Japanese Culture and networking with the other members of the group. Both Ben & Paul were professional yet relaxed and friendly. Their relationships with key personnel in strategic lean businesses is impressive and their ability to translate quickly & accurately minimised the language barrier. I thoroughly recommend the Shinka Lean Japan Tour to any person wanting to improve their understanding of lean principles and see working examples of gemba, kaizen, TPS, kanban, andon & jidoka, etc.
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I highly recommend the Lean Japan Tour – it provided a very good insight, was well organised and is led by guys who are clearly very passionate for lean and Japan.
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Wow. What a great experience not just from a learning perspective but also a great cultural experience as well. From the start the group came together really well. It was a perfect mix of practical and theory, and to gain an insight into the Toyota Production System and see it in action at all the sites we visited this week was awesome. A big thank you to Ben for making everyone feel so warm and making the week run smoothly. Over the week I have seen there are so many opportunities for myself and my company to improve. Now I’m heading back to implement what we have learnt and will take small steps to achieve our ultimate goal as a business. This is a wonderful investment personally and for the company. In six months’ time I want to look back at this trip and show how much it has made me achieve.

Finally, to spend time with Yamashita Sensei and get hands-on insights into the Toyota Production System was an eye-opener and an experience I will never forget. Great tour with an awesome bunch of people.
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It was an inspiring week with great learnings around lean and how it is applied across various levels of the supply chain. The tour also provides a nice glimpse into the Japanese culture with its amazing food and friendly people.
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As I have had a previous unpleasant experience with lean training, I was worried about how much I could gain from this tour. At the end of this magnificent experience I can confirm that Shinka Management has exceeded my expectations. They are so organized, dedicated, helpful and generous. The tour was based on very-well known organizations using lean over decades and we got the maximum benefit from it.
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