Why Gemba Walks Build Leadership Presence and Performance
Building Lean Culture: Why Relationships Drive Team Trust & Engagement
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The Hidden Cost of Incomplete Engineering: Why “Clear to Build” Is Critical for Operational Excellence
Most operations leaders have felt it: that sinking moment when a production line grinds to a halt because one small component didn’t make it into the build plan. Suddenly, everything waits. Teams scramble. Deadlines slip. And you’re left asking, “How did we not catch this sooner?” This isn’t just about a missing fan blade or…
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The Most Undervalued System in the Plant: Standard Work
You want to scale. You want performance to be consistent, predictable, and repeatable. You want to build a team that doesn’t rely on heroics or tribal knowledge. You want accountability without micromanagement. That’s the promise of lean manufacturing; streamlined processes, empowered teams, and consistent performance. But those outcomes depend on one thing more than most…
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Bob Morin
Bob Morin’s operational experience spans over 25 years in the aerospace, consumer products, and medical devices industries. Bob began preparing for his future role as a problem solver while serving in the U.S. Navy for eight years, honing his leadership skills in various locations. His Navy experience instilled in him a drive for simplicity and…
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Tim Mason
With an impressive career spanning over three and a half decades, Tim Mason, Vice President of Consulting Services, brings a wealth of experience and a unique perspective to his role at CBS. A seasoned mechanical engineer and Lean transformation expert, Tim thrives on dissecting processes, eliminating waste, and injecting efficiency into every facet of an…
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Dennis Kelley
Dennis Kelley, Vice President of Consulting Services at Competitive Business Solutions (CBS), is an accomplished leader and strategist with over 30 years of diverse manufacturing experience. Starting his journey as an operations engineer in the aerospace industry after serving his country with the United States Marine Corps., Dennis transitioned to strategic consulting, leveraging his comprehensive…
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Ed Hoffman
With nearly two decades of operations management experience at industry giants like GE and Lockheed Martin, Ed founded Competitive Business Solutions to deliver innovative strategic solutions that empower companies to achieve world-class operational performance, profitability, and sustained growth. His extensive background reflects a commitment to excellence and a passion for continuous improvement in the arena…
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Culture Eats Kaizen for Breakfast: Why Continuous Improvement Starts with People
The phrase “culture eats strategy for breakfast” is well known in business — and in manufacturing, it’s never more true than with continuous improvement. Because the truth is this: you can’t improve what you don’t culturally support. At CBS, we’ve seen too many companies launch lean programs, train their teams on kaizen events, and hang…
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The Strategic Supplier: What I Wish Every Executive Knew
There’s a lesson I learned in the late ’90s I won’t forget. I was running the supply chain for a telecom company during a boom cycle. Business was exploding, and like a lot of companies at the time, we were pushing hard—ramping capacity, driving suppliers to increase output, and betting big on our forecasts. We…
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Continuous Improvement and Process Optimization
When one of our clients recognized the extent to which rising inefficiencies were affecting their business processes, the client reached out to the CBS experts for help. In just a matter of months, the results speak for themselves: a significant bump in all relevant KPIs, with several areas improving as much as 93%.
