Claude Armand brings to TBM in-depth experience in Lean-Sigma and Kaizen, operations management, manufacturing, operational excellence, and continuous improvement.
Claude is a lean leader with more than 30 years of project and multicultural team management. He also is a recognized expert in the Railway industry, where he worked intensively for Alstom Aptis and CAF France’s new factory implementation.
Earlier in his career, Claude worked as a Senior Consultant at Arthur Andersen, where he led the successful design and implementation of ERP on two Union Carbide Graphite sites. He later served as the Production Director at CLASS France, where he led the company-wide implementation of Lean.
As the Industrial Director at EOL SAS, a dealer and manufacturer of office furniture, Claude was responsible for the company’s manufacturing operations, implementing Lean and a new chain supply management system. As a result, direct cost was reduced by 30% and lead time was reduced by 75%.
More recently, Claude developed and successfully implemented the new industrial footprint for CAF France. The disruptive concept of “Usine sur Roulettes” is a full “one-piece flow” production site for train renovation. Coaches of more than 60 tons move around, from disassembly to testing, without any tracks, pits, cranes, or forklifts, with a Takt Time of 4 days. As a result, the investment needs for this project were reduced from 25 to 12 million Euros on the French site.
As a part of TBM from 1995 to 2005, Claude was instrumental in supporting the Lean efforts of companies such as Michelin, various Alstom plants in Europe, EDS, Mercedes-Benz, Tofas Türk Otomobil, Applica Durable in China, and other clients in Asia.
Claude has a degree in engineering (manufacturing) from the “Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Métiers” in Paris and served as a technology teacher at the National Engineering School of Tunisia. He was trained and worked with Mr. Chihiro Nakao, Shingijutsu’s founder, in the United States and Japan. Claude is fluent in French and English and has a working knowledge of German.