News

Goole-based O&H Vehicle Conversions has announced a partnership with the Toyota Lean Management Centre (TLMC) to implement Lean manufacturing processes across its operations.

This collaboration marks a major step forward for the emergency vehicle manufacturer. As part of the initiative, four TLMC representatives conducted a comprehensive audit of O&H, evaluating the company’s strengths and identifying areas for improvement. The findings have been compiled into a detailed feedback report, which has already been shared with O&H’s management team and team leaders.

An action plan is now in place to address the recommendations, and O&H’s team leaders have already visited a Toyota manufacturing plant which provided an opportunity to observe Lean principles in practice and gain valuable insights to further enhance O&H’s processes.

What Is Lean Management?

In simple terms, Lean manufacturing is a production methodology focused on maximizing value for customers while minimizing waste. Lean derives from the Toyota Production System (TPS) and has become a widely adopted approach in industries worldwide.

Image: Freepik

Lean originated in the mid-twentieth century in Post-World War II Japan. During this period, Japan faced significant resource shortages and economic challenges. Toyota, like many Japanese companies, had to find innovative ways to produce high-quality goods with limited resources. Inspired by Ford’s assembly line efficiency and the concept of just-in-time (JIT) production, Toyota refined these ideas into a unique system tailored to their circumstances and developed the 5 principles of Lean which are as follows:

• Value: Identify what the customer values and focus on delivering it.
• Value Stream: Map all the steps involved in producing a product or service to identify and eliminate waste.
• Flow: Ensure that production steps flow smoothly without interruptions, delays, or bottlenecks.
• Pull: Produce only what is needed, when it is needed, to reduce overproduction and inventory waste.
• Continuous Improvement (Kaizen): Regularly evaluate and refine processes to improve efficiency and quality over time.

This approach was formalized as the Toyota Production System, which eventually gained global recognition and became known as “Lean” in the 1990s after being popularized in the book “The Machine That Changed the World” by James Womack, Daniel Jones, and Daniel Roos and since then has been widely used across industries beyond automotive, including healthcare, construction, and technology.

Lean at O&H

Following a comprehensive three-day diagnostic conducted by a four-member team from TLMC, an action plan has been developed. This plan includes both immediate short-term improvements and a long-term strategy for the project’s ongoing evolution.

It’s great to be working with Toyota and their Lean Management experts. My thanks to Nick Pearn for leading this together with Stephen Curley from Team O&H. We are committed to improving our training, productivity and quality so that we can delight all our customers. Working with some of the very best in UK manufacturing is part of achieving that goal for Team O&H. 

We look forward to visiting Toyota Derby as part of our Continuous Improvement programme together with our Production Managers and Team Leaders.

– Mark Brickhill, Managing Director, O&H Vehicle Conversions 

      TLMC representatives conducting an audit at O&H.

O&H’s Production Managers and Team Leaders have already visited a Toyota manufacturing plant as part of an educational workshop hosted by TLMC. The visit provided a valuable first-hand look at how Lean principles are successfully implemented in a real-world manufacturing environment.

Key initiatives stemming from the Lean implementation plan include:

• Overhauling the quality and disciplinary processes to foster a culture centred on coaching, training, and continuous improvement.
• Introducing more comprehensive aptitude testing during the hiring process to ensure the right talent is recruited.
• Developing an internal Lean Continuous Improvement Programme, with a strong focus on visual management to enhance clarity and efficiency.

Several members of O&H’s management team have prior experience with Lean methodologies. To prepare the entire organization, presentations have been delivered to all staff, explaining what Lean is and how it will be implemented at O&H.

       Lean Visual Performance Boards have been created and distributed to each team leader.

I’m really enjoying working with the people at O&H. They have strong leadership and an eagerness to breakdown preconceptions. I’m sure we will have a great journey together as we work collaboratively to make O&H an EVEN BETTER place to work!

– Paul Blahyj, Senior Group Leader, Toyota Motor Manufacturing

O&H Vehicle Conversions’ collaboration with the Toyota Lean Management Centre represents a transformative move toward operational excellence. By embracing Lean principles, the company is laying the foundation for future success and reflects O&H’s dedication to continuous improvement and its commitment to delivering high-quality emergency vehicles that meet the needs of its customers.

In other recent news, O&H showcases its latest innovations in fleet at the AACE’s Ambulance Leadership Forum.