Key Executives from Border Kei’s Private Sector attend NMMU Business School’s Public Lecture on LEAN

East London, 6 September – HR, operations and logistics senior executives from the private sector in East London, including Daimler-Chrysler, Johnson & Johnson, Lear Corporation, Defy, REHAU and Nestlé, attended a special morning engagement event presented by South African LEAN authority Prof JJ Pieterse.

Prof Pieterse shared important insights and new findings on sustaining LEAN in organisations. These findings include goal alignment, CI culture, respect for people, discipline, supportive culture and persistence.

Commenting on Prof Pieterse’s presentation, event attendee and Nestlé LEAN Value Stream Pillar Leader Mr. Peter Thompson said:

“Business in South Africa is coming under more and more pressure to be competitive. We now have Walmart in the country and in many cases they can import products cheaper than we can make them locally. This is over and above the local competition. It is exactly for this reason that we have to implement Lean and optimise our value streams. If we do not eliminate all the waste from our processes and become more competitive it will soon affect people’s jobs and in the end the economy of the country.

“I do feel that, to effectively implement Lean, people involvement is the key. In fact it is almost more important that the elimination of waste. People involvement is often overlooked and can often be the reason Lean is not sustained.

“One of the key things raised at the breakfast was management buy-in and involvement. If we do not start the Lean journey with management on board, we are doomed to fail. Management presence on the shop floor is also key. It is exactly for this reason that I would like the Professor to come and do that presentation to the management team at the East London Nestle factory.“

Shalene Sogoni, NMMU Business School East London and Border Kei region Manager said: “We are always delighted to share cutting edge thought-leadership and new insights with our stakeholders. Engagement with our stakeholders is a strategic imperative and we have a further line-up of stellar forthcoming events with our faculty to support vision of NMMU.”