Episode 56
Zero to Unicorn - From Adversity to Advancement: Norhart's Journey to Innovation and Growth
I remember when we were drowning in despair, desperate for a breakthrough that seemed impossible. The pressure was suffocating, but we took a leap of faith, partnering with Toyota to bring Lean into our operations. Skepticism turned to determination as we learned to question the status quo and strive for continuous improvement. But little did we know, this journey would lead us to an unexpected twist, a twist that would forever change the way we approached productivity and innovation...
I remember when I first stumbled upon the concept of Lean, a method invented by Toyota to boost productivity. It was a tough period, a time when the company was at a crossroads, and we were desperate for a breakthrough. We'd been hitting wall after wall, and the pressure was mounting. I recall the initial skepticism, the raised eyebrows, when we decided to partner up with Toyota to bring Lean into our operations. Cold feet, nervous laughs, it was all there. But we pushed through, driven by a collective desire for change, and a belief in ourselves. I'll never forget the first time we had a Toyota consultant come in.
Wearing a hard hat and carrying a clipboard, she walked through our site, observing our work and our people. We received a crash course on 'Lean' - identifying waste, focusing on the process, not the results, and striving for continuous improvement. It felt like a risk, a leap of faith. But we were committed to turning things around, and it began to work. Seeing the changes, the improvements, it was like seeing the first rays of dawn after a long, dark night. It was then I truly understood the power of questioning the status quo and relentlessly seeking improvement.
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