Move from Reactive Scheduling to Designed Flow

If your team is constantly adjusting plans to deal with today’s production mix, you’re not alone. High-mix environments often push beyond current capability, requiring frequent management intervention to keep things on track.

This three-day, hands-on workshop will show you how to:

• Define your value stream capability in terms of mix and volume

• Apply robust design guidelines to create a stable, repeatable normal flow

• Design standard work for abnormal flow—avoiding day-to-day rescheduling and firefighting

You’ll learn a structured, repeatable approach that replaces uncertainty with clarity—no endless debates, no guesswork. Just practical design principles supported by simple maths.

Delivered in partnership with Duggan Associates and the Manufacturers Network, this session is ideal for manufacturers looking to improve flow, reduce intervention, and increase resilience.

Book your place today and take control of your value stream.

What You’ll Learn

Get expert technical training on how to:

• Design lean flow in high-mix environments with variable demand

• Establish a true lean Pacemaker and calculate the correct Interval for your product mix

• Eliminate the need to schedule every process—move to single-point scheduling

• Apply advanced FIFO techniques to create binary flow connections and reduce reliance on supermarkets

• Extend lean flow into shared-resource areas where equipment cannot be dedicated

• Enable a management-free, stable flow of products to the customer

What This Workshop Offers

• High-quality, technical education

• Practical tools you can apply immediately

• A deep dive into advanced value stream design concepts

• Solutions to complex lean challenges that most organisations haven’t yet cracked

• A focused approach—no need to adopt a new improvement philosophy

  
  

What This Workshop Is Not

• Not a broad forum with multiple speakers

• Not a collection of short, surface-level sessions

• Not a networking event—although informal conversations are encouraged

• Not a sponsored event—no paid speakers or promotional content

• Not about general lean updates; it’s about solving a specific, technical problem

Agenda

Day One: Value Stream Design and Operational Excellence

• Understanding Operational Excellence and the process used to achieve it

• Learn the connection between Operational Excellence and Lean Value Streams

• Value Streams as a foundational lean tool

• Understand how to determine product families

• Review current state mapping

• Learn how to create a Lean future state map using the eight Lean criteria

• See how material and information flow from raw material to the shipping deck

• Review of implementation planning

  
  

Day Two – Creating Mixed-Model Value Streams

• Determining true product families

• Creating continuous flow in a mixed-model environment

• Calculating takt time for a mix of products

• Machine Loading and EPEI for Equipment

• Balancing labor for a mix of products

• Creating standard work for a mix of products with varying cycle times

• Setting up first-in / first–out (FIFO) lanes

• Developing pitch and scheduling the pacemaker

  
  

Day Three – Creating Flow through Shared Resources

• Determining process families when looking at upstream processes

• Dedicating parts to shared resources

• Setting intervals (EPEI) for shared resources

• Calculating branch takt time and average weighted cycle time

• Using multiple FIFO lane systems to create flow through shared resources

• Dealing with rework

• Creating flight schedules to handle batch processes

• Scheduling and sequencing upstream resources

• Managing the flow through a shared resource

The Facilitator

Mike Maxon - Director EMEA, Duggan Associates 

Michael Maxon has spent most of his career successfully improving international businesses. He has transformed industries such as MRO, defence, motorsports, medical products, automotive and aerospace. Companies he has assisted include Singapore Airlines, M1, Sikorsky, Lockheed, Siemens, Parker, Cartech, United Rentals, and Spectrum Plastics by implementing advanced lean principles to significantly improve complex customer delivery systems.

Michael’s passion for coaching lean skills has enabled companies to improve their business results and grow profitably.

Michael began his career at GKN, where he spent over twenty years in global Operational Excellence roles. He has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Integrated Systems Engineering from North Carolina State University.

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As a bonus, all event attendees will receive copies of Kevin Duggan's books at this workshop.