Testimonials:

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 David and 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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This trip really enlightened me in some specific lean topics and showed me all the beneficial aspects of lean manufacturing. The biggest take away for me was a deeper appreciation of not just the tools but the philosophy. The way the trip was organised and flowed was amazing. Thanks to Paul and David from Shinka Management.
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The whole experience of the lean tour was excellent. I learned so much over the past week and all of my previous knowledge of lean was reinforced. Not only did I learn about lean management but I was also impressed with the Japanese culture. The whole team at Shinka Management were very helpful and made sure the tour went smoothly. It was an experience that I will surely remember throughout my lean journey. Thank you.
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I had several projects that I had been procrastinating on. They seemed too big, too complicated and I was actually struggling to know where to start. Without a word of a lie, after the first day I came back to my hotel room and wrote up the backbone of my strategy using the skills I learnt of the first day.
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