In November, the TMH TLM team sent a survey to Lean Champions at participating dealerships to learn how our team can better serve the dealerships. We want to thank those who took the time to participate and provide this valuable feedback. Much of the feedback was positive and reinforced that the TLM team has provided valuable support to dealerships as they develop lean processes and culture. Some of the opportunities to provide even more value were:
- Additional Services
Champions requested additional training on customer consulting, kaizen blitz facilitation, and project coaching. Over the next few months, the TLM team will develop content and provide virtual point training on these topics.
2. Virtual support
Champions wanted to maintain the quarterly visit cadence from their TLM consultant. Still, many recognize the benefit of a monthly or quarterly virtual touchpoint to focus better and maintain improvement inertia between visits. Beginning in January 2025, TLM consultants will work with Lean Champions to standardize this practice.
3. Resources
Champions identified time and resources as the primary roadblock to their lean maturity development. The benefits of implementing Toyota Lean Management principles and practices in any business have proven to provide a significant return on investment and improved business results. Many dealerships have added a dedicated resource to lead Lean activity in their dealership, but this may not be practical for smaller dealerships. We encourage all Dealer Principals and leadership teams to communicate with Lean Champions to ensure they have the time and resources necessary to drive improvement. The TLM team will work with the champions to learn and utilize lean tools to reduce waste in their work processes and increase workload capacity.
Thanks again to those who participated in the Lean Champion survey. Your feedback helps TLM continuously improve its processes!