Services
Continuous Improvement Consulting
Turn one-time wins into how your plant runs—every day.
Get a quick read on where to start and what to fix first.
Most plants have run improvement projects. The problem isn’t finding wins, it’s keeping them. Without the right management systems, standard work, and leadership habits, gains erode and the next project starts from scratch.
CBS continuous improvement consultants build the operational infrastructure that makes improvement a daily function of the business, not a periodic event.
Proven Expertise in Driving Continuous Improvement
CBS has built continuous improvement systems across hundreds of operations: manufacturing plants, distribution centers, and multi-site enterprises. The work spans shop floor implementation through enterprise-wide CI program design.
What CI Looks Like When It Works
CBS builds the simplest system that solves the problem… one your team actually owns. We don’t deliver binders or run events that fade out after we leave. We co-create the processes, routines, and standards that compound week over week:
Faster problem-solving on real work
Clear processes and systems (built with your team)
Results that stick and compound
How We Get Results
Deploy with Speed and Purpose
Build Internal Capability
Transfer with Sustainability
Service Offerings
Continuous Improvement System Design
Building or rebuilding the daily management routines, standard work, visual controls, and CI cadence that make improvement a permanent operating function, not a project.
Lean Deployment
Implementing waste elimination, value stream mapping, TAKT/flow/pull, and related lean methods within specific production environments. Includes lean for high-mix, low-volume and engineer-to-order operations.
Six Sigma and Variation Reduction
Applying statistical process control, root cause analysis, and Six Sigma methodology to reduce variation, eliminate defects, and stabilize process performance.
CI Program Design for Multi-Site Operations
Designing and deploying enterprise-wide CI programs (including project selection frameworks, CI leader development, and governance structures) for organizations operating across multiple locations.
CI Leader and Workforce Development
Training and coaching for frontline supervisors, CI leads, and plant managers. Focused on building the internal capability to run CI without external support.
Rapid Improvement (Kaizen) Events
Structured kaizen and problem-solving events targeting specific constraints or quality issues, typically run in 3–5 day intensive formats with immediate implementation.
Continuous Improvement Consulting Case Studies
Aerospace: Program Turnaround in 90 Days with PIT Team Model
Overview
A midsize aerospace supplier specializing in general aviation jet wing manufacturing was struggling to meet delivery schedules, quality expectations, and cost targets on a key customer program.
Challenge
Program delivery was consistently late
Supply chain design and ownership transitioned from a previous vendor
Quality and labor performance were below contractual requirements
Workforce turnover exceeded 40% annually
Cost overruns and high rework hours threatened program viability
Solution
Deployed CBS’s 90-day Program Improvement Team (PIT) model
Established shared vision, goals, and cadence for accountability
Aligned cross-functional teams around business-critical metrics
Implemented standardized leadership routines and frontline training
Introduced targeted improvements to quality, labor, and equipment uptime
Results
On-time delivery improved from 77% to 100%
Total labor hours reduced by 15% (1,990 hours)
Rework hours reduced 60% (from 2,900 to 996 hours)
Quality defects reduced 43% (1,532 fewer defects)
CNC uptime improved from 68% to 98%
42% of craft workers trained through basic skills program
100% of program leaders trained in CBS’s standard work model
Continuous Improvement: Reducing Product Variation to Recover $600K+ Annually
Overview
established portfolio brand producing a wide range of frozen and ambient packaged foods was facing margin erosion despite year-over-year growth in sales.
Challenge
Profitability was declining with no clear root cause identified
Traditional cost control and sales analysis methods failed to isolate the issue
Leadership suspected operational inefficiencies but lacked data clarity
Margins were steadily eroding across high-volume production lines
Solution
Analyzed slicing processes and identified cumulative inefficiencies
Focused on protein management as the most significant cost driver
Ensured product slicing met—but did not exceed—regulatory minimums
Restored slicing equipment to original design condition
Introduced data-driven process control to reduce variation
Results
Product variation reduced significantly within one week of stabilized production
Over $600,000 in annualized savings recovered
Precision and process discipline restored margin performance
Continuous Improvement: Driving Enterprise-Wide Impact Across 62 Sites
Overview
A Tier 2 aerospace portfolio company with over 14,000 employees across 62 locations was underperforming investor expectations on key metrics like cash, margin, and growth. Leadership lacked the systems and capability needed to deliver a turnaround.
Challenge
Financial underperformance across multiple business units
Lack of consistent leadership or management systems
Low customer satisfaction and weak CI maturity
No centralized strategy for scaling improvements across locations
Solution
Deployed a comprehensive continuous improvement system across the enterprise
Delivered a full training and development program for CI leaders
Created a structured selection and deployment process for high-impact projects
Provided ongoing coaching and mentoring for sustainability
Facilitated 800+ CI events and trained 300+ employees in execution
Results
Cash performance improved by over $150M
More than 800 CI events implemented across all business units
Over 300 employees trained in CI project execution
$68M+ in savings generated in the first year alone
Frequently Asked Questions
CI at CBS draws on lean, Six Sigma, daily management systems, and organizational development depending on what the operation actually needs. We don't lead with a methodology, we start with the problem. If the constraint is flow, lean tools apply. If it's variation, Six Sigma applies. If it's leadership behavior, the work is different. Most engagements use more than one approach.
Continuous improvement focuses on building the systems, habits, and culture that make daily improvement a permanent function of the operation. Operational excellence is the broader framework; it includes CI, but also encompasses strategy deployment, quality management systems, and organizational design. CI consulting is typically more focused on implementation at the plant or site level. For system-level work that spans the whole organization, see our Operational Excellence Consulting page.
Most sites see measurable improvement in a pilot area within 4–8 weeks. Enterprise-wide impact takes longer... typically 12–18 months to see results compound across the operation. CBS structures engagements to deliver quick wins early while building toward durable improvement, so you're not waiting 18 months for the first data point.
The short answer is that sustainability isn't a phase at the end. It's built into how we work from day one. CBS coaches management routines and standard work at every level of the organization throughout the engagement, not just before we leave. The goal is leadership and frontline teams who own the system, not teams waiting for CBS to come back and fix it.
CBS has deployed CI systems in single-site operations of under 100 people and enterprise-wide programs spanning 60+ locations. The approach scales. What changes is how the program is structured, how CI leaders are developed, and how governance works across sites.
Yes. CBS can provide interim CI leadership (plant-level CI managers or enterprise CI program directors) on a temporary basis while an internal candidate is developed or hired. This is a common engagement pattern for companies early in their CI journey.
Continuous Improvement Consulting Insights
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The System Behind Continuous Improvement
When I reflect on my earlier career, I realize there were gaps in how we approached continuous improvement. At the time, I didn’t have…
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Inside the DNA of Real Continuous Improvement
How can you tell if a company’s culture of continuous improvement is real – or just for show? In this video, CBS consultants Bob…
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