Publisher’s Note: Getting into Alignment
Anand Sharma, Co-founder & CEO, TBM Consulting Group
This issue of Managing Times addresses alignment, structure and support as critical elements of a Lean Transformation.  Throughout this issue are impressive stories about what many of you, our clients, are doing to create value for your business.  I encourage you to learn from others who are leveraging their lean capabilities to create competitive advantage and run a different race.

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Case Study: Lean Sigma Improvements Propel Growth Momentum at Link-Belt Construction Equipment Company
By Tonya Vinas, Freelance Editor
Through its reorganization and realignment of resources to support lean systems, Link-Belt has gained significant competitive advantage through cycle-time and waste reductions, supplier engagement, and speed and innovation of new product development.  Among Sumitomo Heavy Industries companies (its parent), Link-Belt is now recognized as a leading lean example.  Learn how Link-Belt has linked productivity to growth goals, how they focus on customer needs, and how they have worked to get themselves into a much-envied position as the construction industry rebounds from the current recession.

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Strategic Visioning: A Three-Step Process for Capturing the Financial Benefits of Lean.  Translating lean gains into superior shareholder value.
By Bill Schwartz, Managing Director, Medical Products and Pharmaceutical Consulting Practice, TBM Consulting Group
Make no mistake about it.  The lean journey is all about generating shareholder value.  It starts by focusing on the customer and responding to and serving customers well in order to grow.  Learn how to create value and drive shareholder return by ensuring that your lean activities translate directly into critical business performance metrics.

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Leadership Insights: Q&A with Fred Sutter, President, Carlisle Engineered Transportation Solutions, Inc.
By Tonya Vinas, Freelance Editor
A one-on-one interview with Fred Sutter, President of Engineered Transportation Solutions, a subsidiary of diversified manufacturer, Carlisle Companies, Inc.  Sutter uses the Carlisle Operating System (COS) to drive improvement in their core manufacturing and business operations.  As a result, they’ve reduced factory space, lowered inventory, improved cash flow, and raised customer service levels.

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Tech Talk: Phifer Uses TPM to Resolve Minor Issues and Improve First Quality
By Laura Jackson, Continuous Improvement Engineer, Phifer, Inc.
Phifer uses Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) to ensure that equipment performs their most critical value-added work with efficiency and accuracy.  Learn how they use a TPM log sheet process to keep small problems from turning into big ones.

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Consider This: TBM Lean Sigma Global Summit
By the time you read this, the TBM Global Summit has already come and gone.  This year we had nearly 150 attendees. The summit provided attendees with an extraordinary opportunity to immerse in innovative, strategic thinking to transform their continuous improvement initiatives.  Learn more about the event and contact TBM if you would like to learn more about the subjects covered or hold a spot for our event in September 2011.

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