LeanBuilding Blitz™ is a consulting process that identifies and eliminates waste in products and processes by engaging home builders with their key suppliers, component manufacturers, and trade contractors. This collaborative approach ensures everyone benefits.
This process never compromises operating margins. Instead, it employs a systematic process that targets waste—defined as anything in a product or process that does not add value—to save money for all parties involved.
The LeanBuilding Blitz includes participants from all company functions in a highly interactive workshop based on Lean principles and methods. These key stakeholders are the primary drivers in achieving significant cost reductions.
Benefits
In the LeanBuilding Blitz workshop, you will learn to maximize value at every price point for your business, suppliers, trades, and manufacturers while creating a better home for the customer. Two of our consultants will guide the workshop, ensuring a successful and productive session.
An average of 125 improvement ideasgenerated
per workshop
Workshops find an average of $15,000+ savings Opportunity
per unit
More than 250+ workshops
performed with
scalable results
PROCESS
The LeanBuilding Blitz process is intense. It identifies 7- and even 8-figure savings, enhances builder, supplier, and trade relationships, and leads to significant and lasting organizational change. Our process and consultants will guide you every step of the way so you can make the most of your time and participation.
3-4 weeks prior
Using materials provided by TrueNorth, letters are sent to the Supplier and Trade teams explaining the project, your goals for the week, expectations, and participant requirements.
10-20 days prior
All participants receive packages detailing the expectations and time requirements of the project.
Your orientation day will be split into two halves. One half will be a tour of job sites with a small group to get the consultant acquainted with your homes and construction process.
The other half of the day brings all suppliers, trades, LeanTeam members, and builder management together for a thorough orientation to the LeanBuilding Blitz process.
5 days
The LeanBuilding Blitz is a productive week, with the builder LeanTeam engaging in 20+ WasteID sessions. Your LeanTeam partners with each Supplier & Trade team to identify opportunities to eliminate waste in both product and process.
On Thursday, your LeanTeam will “Scrub” the approximately 125 improvement ideas using our 4-step analysis process. The consultants will guide them to cross-functionally analyze and evaluate each proposed idea for savings potential, degree of difficulty, customer impact, and prioritization.
On the final day, our consultants teach your LeanTeam the TrueNorth 10-Step implementation process and apply it to evaluate and action plan 6-8 of their top priority items. The rest of the day is spent on implementation details, such as choosing Supplier/Trade Council participants and participants to go through the Lean process during the follow-up.
30- 60- and 90- days out
After your LeanBuilding Blitz concludes, one of your consultants will help lead regular follow-up meetings, bringing your trade council, executives, and LeanTeam together for action meetings and progress updates. The consultant also helps you launch a Supplier/Trade council to keep the momentum of the Lean proceess moving forward. Any extra days can be spent on one of 14 additional offerings, such as process mapping.
PARTICIPANT SELECTION
At the core of the LeanBuilding Blitz is your LeanTeam, 9-12 carefully selected members from your organization. The participants you select have a huge impact on the outcome. Your team should be both cross-functional and multi-level to bring broad knowledge and experience. This selection shouldn’t be based on titles but on open-mindedness, opinion leadership, the ability to work collaboratively in teams, and an attitude of continual improvement.
Common participant titles include:
Your supplier and trade participants should be open to change and willing to speak up, similar to your internal LeanTeam. The emphasis should be on your highest-impact suppliers and trades. Don’t overlook trades such as trash removal or cleaning, as their contributions are often significant.
Examples of common supplier and trade participants:
