Services
Operational Excellence Consulting
Building the Operating Disciplines That Drive Consistent Results
Proven Expertise in Driving Operational Excellence
Most organizations don’t fail because of a single broken process. They stall because the systems that connect strategy to daily execution (planning, throughput, quality, problem solving, visual management) stop working together. CBS operational excellence consultants work inside those systems. We identify what’s creating friction, build the disciplines to eliminate it, and help your team sustain the improvement long after the engagement ends.
The Problem Operational Excellence Is Built to Solve
Operational problems rarely announce themselves clearly. Output drops, but the root cause is three steps upstream. Quality escapes, but the fix keeps missing. A workforce works hard, against an operation that isn’t built to support them.
CBS engages where those patterns exist in manufacturing lines, supply chains, program offices, and service operations. Our work is diagnostic and hands-on. We operate at the level where the problems actually live.
CBS leverages internal expertise and client capabilities
How We Get Results
CBS operational excellence engagements follow a consistent approach regardless of industry or starting point.
Understand
Fix
Sustain
Service Offerings
Operational System Design
Building or restructuring the daily management routines, visual controls, and cadence systems that drive execution at the floor and program level.
Lean Deployment
Applying waste elimination, value stream mapping, TAKT/flow/pull, and related methods to specific value streams or production environments, including engineer-to-order operations.
Quality Systems & Six Sigma
Reducing process variation, eliminating escape defects, and building quality management systems that hold over time.
Strategy Deployment
Connecting organizational goals to operational priorities through structured policy deployment and visual strategy management. Commonly implemented as Hoshin Kanri.
Rapid Business Transformation
Compressed-timeframe engagements for operations under performance pressure, restructuring, or acquisition integration.
Interim Leadership
Short-term placement of experienced operational leaders during transitions, ramp-ups, or critical improvement phases.
What We Deliver
Clients typically see results across three areas: throughput, cost, and operating stability.
Operational Excellence Consulting Case Studies
Operational Excellence: Eliminating Waste and Increasing Shop Capacity
Overview
An industrial equipment manufacturer producing commercial products faced production inefficiencies that limited revenue and impacted profitability.
Challenge
Production capability was constrained and unpredictable
Quality concerns and inconsistent output disrupted deliveries
Operating margins were squeezed by excessive overtime and expediting costs
Lack of efficient product flow across assembly lines
Solution
Conducted a full operations assessment
Applied Lean and Six Sigma practices to improve flow and reduce waste
Implemented new material handling and assembly processes
Established standard practices for line efficiency and team ownership
Trained internal teams to lead future line conversions
Results
50% reduction in hours to produce equipment (initial line)
Output increased by over 100%
Cycle time reduced by 85%
Internal team empowered to continue deployments across additional lines with full conversion planned within 12 months
Operational Excellence: Enterprise Program with Green & Black Belt Training
Overview
A global manufacturer of systems and sub-systems in the high-tech industry—with over 85 locations serving aerospace and defense contractors—sought to build an enterprise-wide Operational Excellence (OE) program.
Challenge
Needed an OE framework tied directly to business strategy
Wanted a sustainable model to scale across business segments
Lacked a unified approach for training, best practice sharing, and continuous improvement
Required leadership alignment to drive lasting change
Solution
Partnered with leadership to design and model a total OE approach
Launched the program in one business segment before scaling
Adopted the OE model company-wide
Delivered proprietary Green and Black Belt training using a blended method
Embedded Six Sigma projects as part of the deployment
Results
OE process scaled from one segment to full enterprise adoption
Over 300 employees trained in Green and Black Belt methodology
$70 million in savings generated since the program began
Organization now equipped with a repeatable, strategy-aligned improvement engine
Operational Excellence: 275% Throughput Increase via Synchronous Scheduling
Overview
A global designer and manufacturer of systems and sub-systems in the high-tech sector—serving aerospace and defense contractors across 85+ locations—needed to dramatically improve throughput and on-time delivery.
Challenge
Unable to meet customer demands on quantity, lead time, and on-time delivery (OTD)
Throughput needed to increase by more than 200%
OTD on key product was 0%
Cost reduction was important, but secondary to throughput
Inventory inefficiencies contributed to production constraints
Solution
Partnered with planning and operations to develop a visual, synchronous scheduling system
Identified and optimized critical process centers and set-ups
Built and implemented production management tools to maintain flow
Ensured synchronization and controlled volumes across production lines
Results
Increased throughput by 275% (from 90 units to 247 units)
Improved OTD from 23% to 97% on same product
Reduced cost of product by 25%
Reduced total inventory by 15%
Frequently Asked Questions
CBS serves aerospace and defense, manufacturing, private equity portfolio companies, healthcare, government and regulated industries, and agri-business. The core disciplines (lean, daily management, quality systems) apply across environments. The deployment approach adjusts for the operating context.
Lean manufacturing is one methodology within a broader operational excellence framework. CBS operational excellence engagements typically span multiple disciplines (lean, six sigma, strategy deployment, quality management) and operate at the system level. If your primary need is lean manufacturing implementation, see our Lean Manufacturing Consulting page.
It depends on scope. Focused improvement projects run 4–8 weeks. System-level operational excellence engagements typically span 6–18 months, with CBS working on-site through deployment and transitioning to internal ownership over time.
CBS utilizes its proprietary knowledge transfer process throughout the entire engagement. We identify up front what skills need to be transferred, who they will be transferred to and how we (client and CBS) will measure the success of that information transfer.
Yes. Many engagements support or supplement an internal team rather than replace it. CBS can provide additional capacity, methodology depth, or independent assessment depending on what your team already has in place.
Latest Operational Excellence Insights
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Bridging the Gap: Aligning Strategy, Metrics, and Daily Actions for Sustainable Success
As business leaders, we’re all familiar with the importance of having a clear, well-defined strategy. It’s the roadmap that guides our decision-making, resource allocation,…
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Breaking through the Roadblocks (Before They Crash Production)
Let’s face it: every business has its problems, its constraints, and its inefficiencies. These issues can be like roadblocks, preventing you from reaching your…
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