Exceptional client service is at the heart of our culture at Shinka Management. We partner with our clients to develop their people and processes, and to help them implement and sustain a culture of continuous improvement based on Japanese management practices.
We are proud to serve customers from over 60 countries, from owner operators to multinational corporations, in a wide variety of industries.
What Our Clients Are Saying About Us
Sebastian Donner, Lean Expert
Airbus
To do a lean learning tour with Shinka is definitely highly recommended. As lean is a personal journey for everyone who is involved in this topic, it doesn’t matter at which point of your journey you are in. At each…
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Thomas Baron, Financial Controller
Fuji Xerox
During the Lean Japan Tour I came to the realization that improving an organization is not through large capital investments alone. We were completely surrounded by examples of minor investments into small improvements that produced significant savings. The clever use…
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Lee Baines, Business Advisor & Manager Best Practice Unit
Department of Industry, Australian Government
Businesses need every weapon at their disposal to help compete in a global market. This tour opens up more ideas and opportunities and is highly recommended to manufacturers, engineering or service related industries. Everyone can learn something on this tour!…
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Gilbert Bruton, TPM Co-ordinator
Coopers Brewery Ltd
Not for the fainthearted, this action-packed tour will blow you away. It’s a one-week learning adventure supercharged with information on TPS (Lean) principles. The learning experiences and companies visited far exceeded expectations. The Japanese managers we met were friendly and…
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Isaac Villablanca Peters, Manager of Operational Excellence
Agrosuper
If I had to describe the Lean Japan Tour, I would describe it as a great “experience”. It was an experience in every sense – from being surrounded by a new culture, landscapes, food, people; and learning a successful and…
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Peter Reade, Volvo Production System Internal Consultant
Volvo Group
A great training experience with a very wise lean practitioner, simplifying understanding of approaches to lean.
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Chris Branson, CI Manager
Milwaukee Tool
I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to learn the Toyota Production System from the source. I look forward to implementing the many findings in our plant. This experience has given me a different approach to improving our plant’s lean journey. Thank…
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Adrián Riveros Olmedo, Owner and Director
B2Exc Consulting
For me, the Lean Japan Tour was a journey through different companies guided by experts who explained the tools and demonstrated how to live in a work culture based on continuous improvement. This allowed me to discover new concepts and…
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Cherrie Teh, Supply & Demand Director
Keysight Technologies
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…
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Steve Christiansen, VP of HR and Organizational Development
Idaho Milk Products
I was very impressed with the professionalism and preparedness of the Shinka team. The support both before and during the tour was fantastic. It was the right mix of culture and personal development. There were lots of learnings I will…
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Blas Poveda Navarrete, Operations Senior Manager
Airbus
The tour has given me the opportunity to understand in a practical way what I learned theoretically. I have checked that the theory is possible to put in practice. This has been the first time that I have felt the…
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Peter Cox, Director
Simply Lean Business Solutions Limited
I highly recommend the Lean Study Tour of Japan as an experience not to be missed. Having attended the tour for the past three years, supporting our clients, I have come away with new learnings every time. Whether you are…
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Andy Bisset, Process Improvement Manager
Calder Stewart Construction
If you have embarked on a lean journey The Lean Study Tour should be on your bucket list! It was inspiring to see the Toyota Production System in action as a management system, as well as the small improvements made…
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Simon Weston, Managing Director
TAL Apparel
Paul, I just wanted to reach out and give my sincere thanks for an amazing week in Japan. You and your team of experts across all areas of business and language gave me an unforgettable experience and reminded me of…
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Chub Horvath, General Manager
QTEC
QTEC Fire Services partnered with Shinka Management to implement the 5S system within its operations at its head office in Brisbane. We are confident that the new knowledge and information we received during the three days in-house training will further…
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Hussein Mgharbel, Operations Manager
Jubaili Bros
It was a fasntastic tour from the beginning to the end. It was very well-organised and informative. Sessions were followed with practical training which concentrated more on the ideas that had been explained. The factories visited were chosen in a…
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Martin Karlsson, Operations Manager
Volvo Buses
A great tour. Having spent over 20 years in manufacturing I now understand the true meaning of Kaizen.
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John Mills, Business Adviser
Australian Industry Group
I attended the Shinka Management / Ai Group / JMAC Lean Japan Study Tour in 2010 – outstanding, highly recommended. (I don’t have this much fun when I go on holiday.) To see the cultural home of Lean Manufacturing is…
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Stuart Cumming, Continuous Improvement Manager
ETEL Transformers
The fact that you can go past all the books and see the Toyota Production System in action first hand is fantastic. It is not sold in a complicated form by those involved but rather the opposite. The training room…
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Aaron Mato, Melbourne Port Terminal Manager
Emerald Grain
I thought the training was fantastic. It was well presented and organised, and the material was very relevant and can be applied to our organisation. Shinka Management created a comfortable environment where we could ask questions and participate in group…
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Isabelle Chéri, Managing Partner
Quality CHEQ
I want to congratulate the Shinka Management Team for the fantastic organisation of the Lean Japan Tour 2023. The tour has been a business and life-changing experience for sure. On Day 1 I was already enlightened, and all the bits…
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Juan Pablo Gazmuri Barros, Compensation Manager
Agrosuper
The Lean Japan Tour allowed me to understand in a practical and conceptual way the real essence of just-in-time and operational efficiency. The dedication of the team and their attention to detail have made this an unforgettable experience.
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James Martin, Head of Engineering
Actron Air
The Shinka Team enables an excellent learning environment for lean practitioners at all levels. They possess excellent communication skills and facilitate learning events incorporating theory, discussion and practical exercises. I would recommend to anyone interested in improving their business.
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Roberto Lammerts, Service Manager
Kador Engineering
Engaging Shinka Management was the best thing ever. The training was a great way of getting people on different levels involved on the pathway of improvement. The course was conducted very professionally and in a way that you had to…
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Mark Stratford, General Manager
KS Metal Fabrications
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…
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Andreas Parpan, Vice President Operations China
Rieter
Together with Shinka Management, Rieter China reached a new level of lean production capability. Through site workshops and on-site support we could develop our staff with the latest lean methodologies. The direct link between theory and practice was the main…
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Luke Ellery, Production Manager
Kelly Engineering
From a remote rural engineering company – to the shining lights of Japan’s finest. I have returned overwhelmed from the experience to learn from some of the worlds best manufacturers and absorb decades of experience from my fellow peers. Highly…
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Herry Wiputra, Head of Technology – Customer Systems
REA Group
I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the November 2013 tour. I learned so much about Japanese culture and TPS. Despite coming from the IT industry, I was able to gain valuable insights on the philosophy and principles of Lean that…
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Jan Schjottelvig, Quality Manager
Saint-Gobain Abrasives
I enjoyed every aspect of this extremely well organised kaizen tour including: factory visits, translations by Paul and Ben, TPS training, sightseeing, accommodation, transportation, and meals. This tour is a must for anyone trying to understand / implement LEAN into…
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Stuart Baak, Regional Manufacturing Excellence Manager
Lion
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…
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Robert Lloyd, Business Adviser
Australian Industry Group
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…
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Michael W McLean, Managing Director
McLean Management Consultants
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…
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Pablo Raúl Cincunegui, Industrial Manager
Escorial SAIC
The Lean Japan Tour has allowed me to learn both professionally and culturally. It has been an invaluable experience to learn through interacting directly with a Japanese sensei. It has been a pleasure experiencing this program in Japan, with the…
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Maris Freimanis, CEO
Karkasa Maja
The Lean Japan Tour program organised by Shinka Management is a fantastic experience for those involved in business and production. It inspires people to make changes for the better and to more effectively organize production regardless of the industry they…
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Anna-Maria Kähr, Learning Program Manager
Volvo Group University
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…
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Ahmad Dahchi, Supply Chain Manager
Jubaili Bros
The tour was a great experience on both a personal and a professional level. There was much learning and the culture we encountered was inspiring. I want to thank the Shinka Management team for their efforts in organising such a…
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Dale Seeto, Group Technical Manager
CSR Lightweight Systems
The training was great. Provides clarity and a practical approach to what can seem a very complex process.
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Lily Sayers, Operations Director
Chartwell Compliance
Shinka Management organized an excellent tour. It was structured to capture professional development and cultural experience. The tour also provided me with experiences related not only to the local culture and food of Japan, but also to the culture and…
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Mark Smallman, CFO
Techdrill Civil and Mining Services
Techdrill recently engaged Shinka Management to conduct a review of our HDD drilling operations daily production. The management team found the presentation and final report extremely useful. This has enabled us to introduce measures to address the inefficiencies thereby increasing…
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Lees Seymour, Managing Director
Nelson Forests
Amazing experience, exceptional learning. If you want to learn about Lean go on this tour!
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Damian Moscatelli, Plant Chief
Escorial SAIC
My experience on the Lean Japan Tour was much more than expected. I’ve come to realise that there’s much more for me to learn regarding TPS. The program is excellent in terms of the content, but also, and no less…
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Thomas Blanc, Continuous Improvement Engineer
Liebherr Group
I’m back from Japan where I visited one of Toyota’s final assembly line and several Toyota suppliers. After my China industrial tour in 2018, I was really impressed by the lean manufacturing study tour organized by Shinka Management. The tour…
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Bahman Khalaj, Executive Supply Chain and Procurement Leader
ANCA CNC Machines
I recently had the privilege of attending the Lean Japan Tour organized by Shinka Management, and I can say it was an unforgettable experience! From start to finish, the tour was exceptionally well-managed, and I came away with a wealth…
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Una Kasparaviča, HR Manager
AE Partners
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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Terry Glover, Production Manager
KS Metal Fabrication
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…
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Joanne Tuazon, Neonatal ICU Nurse
University of Maryland Medical Center
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…
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Michael Moroney, Production Manager
DA Hall
One of the best weeks of my life. It has changed the way I see my production facility forever!
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Ignacio Sanchez Gatell, Director – Lean, Quality & Business Transformation
Emirates Global Aluminium
Thank you Shinka Team – this is very useful and, believe me, we will use it extensively. Rest assured that we will call you whenever something is required as the team is extremely satisfied with your time with us and,…
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Alexander Sorokin, Operational Excellence Dept. Director
Eurasian Resources Group
I personally believe that understanding of Lean as the holistic concept and Lean instruments is necessary for all the managers in any business. Shinka Management introduced for us the origins of Lean Production and provided a great opportunity to observe…
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Michael Walther, Lean Manager
Comet
A very intensive and learning Lean Japan Study tour. Alternating with company tours, training session and feeling the Japanese culture. Experiencing the TPS live generated many new inputs and ideas for me. I can recommend it to anyone interested in…
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Andrew Hutchinson, Vice President – Technology Development
Thomas Electronics
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…
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Denise Cooper, HR Manager
Calder Stewart
It made all the light bulbs go off in my head. I knew the principles and I knew the theory but now it just all makes sense, now I can apply what I know and make real improvements in my…
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Jodie Hawkes, Director
Bowhill Engineering
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…
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Sue Phillips, Director Cross-Functional Process Improvement
Seattle Children’s Research Institute
I am now back in the office in rainy Seattle and wanted to say a huge thank you, once again for making the lean tour such an enjoyable learning experience. There are so many valuable learnings and enriching experiences that I…
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Joan Lang, Quality & Value Coordinator
Nelson Forests
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…
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Mohamed Zulfadli Mohamed Yussof, PMO Workstream Lead
Brunei Shell Petroleum
It has been a great and eye-opening tour. It made me believe more that lean is possible and achievable. The way the tour was organised impressed me – your team has put time and effort into making the program well-organised…
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Vikas Chhabra, Senior Manager – Operational Excellence
Certis CISCO Security
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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Sam Belfield, Chief Executive Officer
Bluedog Fences
In our experience it is hard to find good quality training. We have been very impressed with the content and presentation of the Lean courses run by Shinka. We felt we got really good value, and came away feeling inspired…
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Dr Omar Naguib Abd Elaziz, Vice President of Operations
Al Khafji National Hospital
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.…
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Geoff Short, Operations Senior Manager
Airbus
The tour has been a once in a lifetime experience and a real insight into Japanese Industry and culture. The warm welcome and organisation of the week including travel, hotels, places to eat and all visits were exceptional. The Toyota…
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Nick Gagliardi, Engineering Manager TI Australia
TI Automotive
The training course was very valuable to our organisation. Great results were achieved. I am still using the tools for improvements.
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Albanesa Ymaya, CEO
Ymaya Lean Academy
The Lean Japan tour is an experience that has to be lived, because words are not enough to describe it. With excellent logistics and shared experiences, the Lean Japan Tour allowed us to experience the Toyota Production System beyond just…
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Marcos Gaetani, Director, Country Manager – Argentina
Voith Paper
Thanks to the support of Shinka Management we were able to move forward in the implementation of Lean Manufacturing. More importantly, we took another step towards the cultural change we want to generate in our company. In this way, our…
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Mohammad Arkahdan, Operations Manager
Jubaili Bros
Learning 5S and TPS while experiencing and living the Japanese culture through communication, direct interaction and viewing various live examples from different perspectives, created a solid reference for us to understand the main reason behind the success of these systems.…
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Glen and Nancy Genner, Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer
Genneral Staircase
Dear Paul, Ben and Eri, We would just like to take a moment to thank you for such a wonderful tour. You exceeded all our expectations for a week long journey – from your very professional approach and even more…
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Ramon Kahrsch, Vice President Operational Excellence
Witzenmann
The Lean Japan Tour was the best lean management experience I have had. I wish I had done this earlier, so I could have done some things differently. One learns that some aspects of lean that one thought one knew,…
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Russell Leach, Director of Quality
Deutsche Windtechnik USA
I highly recommend this tour. You will learn lean from the experts which will greatly facilitate your lean journey.
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Donald Stewart, Managing Director
Calder Stewart Construction
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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Greg Curcio, Improvement Support Manager
Metro Trains Melbourne
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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Alexandre Belkanichi, Operations Manager
Airbus
Amazing Tour. Great experience to see and share with Japanese managers. I learned a lot about their culture, their way to think, to work and to improve by themselves. Great moments during training and after work. Thanks a lot. We…
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Mark McGuinness, Manufacturing Manager
Moffat
A high quality, professional and first-hand experience of how just-in-time and lean are mastered. Great for professional development and a genuine motivator to go further using the lean tools available. A marvelous cultural experience.
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Dr Suhansa Rodchua, Professor and Program Coordinator
University of Central Missouri
We learned from the masters (sensei), who were filled with wisdom, passion and experience. The Lean Japan Tour content was very practical and made a lot of sense. We received excellent hospitality from Paul and Craig of Shinka Management.
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Mario Neuwirth, Managing Director
E.Hawle Armaturenwerke
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…
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David Cunningham, Performance Manager
Metro Trains Melbourne
The whole tour was very professionally undertaken and led. Paul and Ben have to be congratulated for putting together a very informative and very enjoyable experience. The itinerary was excellent and to see from the raw material all the way…
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Maurizio Porta, CEO
Porta Solutions
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…
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Roman Wigger, Consultant
Bain & Company
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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Andrew Marshall, Production Manager
Wineworks Marlborough
Personally and professionally I found the week extraordinarily rewarding – not only as a fantastic Lean Japan Tour but as a cultural experience not to be missed. Imagine if you will… taking a group of people you had never met…
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Luciano Carbonell, Engineer
Escorial SAIC
The tour program has been an amazing experience and delivered in the best possible way. It has provided a great picture of what Japanese culture is in all areas (work, transport, life, etc.) and across different environments and scenarios. The…
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Corrinna Politis, Group CEO
Politis Companies
The 2-day program provided our leadership team with a great opportunity to focus on our business and to reflect on opportunities for improvement.
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Jeremy Hawkes, Managing Director
Bowhill Engineering
Paul and Ben from Shinka Management need to be commended for the tour that they ran in Japan. The experience has enlightened and energised me to intensify the lean efforts within our organisation. The tour was packed full of knowledge…
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Jasmine De Coninck, Business Consultant
Möbius Business Redesign
The Lean Japan Tour is an enriching experienced and organized very well by Shinka Management. It was the most wonderful training I have attended so far and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to be inspired about…
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