We interviewed Jorge Valle Rocha, consulting partner at Lean Transforma, to understand what factors guarantee the success of a Lean transformation in an industrial company.
At a time when many factories are seeking to become more efficient and competitive, the term “Lean” is gaining momentum. But do we really know what an effective and sustainable Lean transformation entails? How can we ensure it doesn’t remain just the use of tools or the implementation of one-off actions, and instead becomes a true management model?
To answer these and other questions, we spoke with Jorge Valle Rocha, consulting partner at Lean Transforma and an expert in helping industrial organizations improve their competitiveness through Lean management and people development.
Interview with Jorge Valle Rocha, consulting partner at Lean Transforma
To begin with, what is Lean Transforma and what sets you apart from other Lean consultants in the industrial sector?
At Lean Transforma we help companies become more competitive by improving their management, but we do it from a very clear perspective: drawing inspiration from the Japanese model, and more specifically, from the Toyota Production System.
Every year we travel to Japan, visit different organizations, and translate that knowledge into methodologies applicable here. We believe that drinking directly from the source is key. That’s why we maintain a very close relationship with Toyota Engineering Japan, something unique and exclusive in our country.
In addition, we only work with senior consultants, who have already experienced real transformation processes during their time as executives. And we always involve people in the company from the very beginning, so that the change is long-lasting and not just a one-off initiative.
It is often said that Lean is much more than a set of tools. How important are corporate culture and management commitment in this whole process?
They are fundamental. There are two very different approaches when it comes to applying Lean. One is more tactical, focused on one-off improvement projects, which usually deliver quick results but are not very sustainable because they don’t involve the whole organization.
We advocate for something deeper: a real transformation that starts with people, from management to operators. It’s about introducing new management habits aligned with the company’s objectives. It’s a more demanding path at the beginning, yes, but much more powerful in the medium and long term.
And for it to work, management’s role is key: they must lead the process, set a clear vision, allocate resources, and remove barriers. When all that happens, results not only come, but they endure and grow over time.
In this sense, when you enter a factory for the first time, what kind of barriers or challenges do you usually encounter? What is the hardest thing to change so that the Lean methodology truly adds value to day-to-day management?
When you first enter a factory, the main challenge is usually breaking with existing management habits. After all, a Lean transformation means changing the way people are used to working, and that always takes effort.
The hardest part is not applying tools, but changing routines and mindsets. That’s why it’s crucial to design the process well from the start and show results in the early stages. That helps build momentum and credibility, and that’s precisely where we help the most: in making sure the change has continuity.
From your experience and considering your partnership with Mapex, can Lean be implemented today without technology? Or does it no longer make sense to separate the two worlds?
I wouldn’t say it’s indispensable, but it is highly recommended. Ideally, Lean transformation and the technological side should go hand in hand, because when they are aligned, results multiply.
There’s no point in implementing a data collection system if you don’t know what you’ll do with that information or how you’ll develop people with it. And you can’t just focus on people without taking technological advances into account, because that means turning your back on the future. In the end, both dimensions must be integrated so that the change is real and the results much more powerful.
And how does an MES system fit into a Lean transformation?
I see two major advantages of working with an MES system in a Lean transformation.
The first has to do with data. One of the basic principles of Lean strategy is to make decisions based on facts and data, but for that the data must be reliable. And often, when it is collected manually or without enough rigor, we end up making wrong decisions. An MES like Mapex ensures data reliability, and that makes all the difference.
The second is closely related to Jidoka, one of the pillars of the Toyota Production System: the ability to detect and bring problems to light right when they occur. An MES allows those problems to surface naturally, in real time. And if you also train people to analyze them properly, give them structure, and empower them to act, you end up solving problems within the process itself. That has a very powerful impact on continuous improvement.
When an organization begins its Lean transformation, what common mistakes should it avoid?
Lean is, above all, a people-based transformation. Although many companies know this, sometimes they try to cut corners: they train a few workers, push isolated projects, and expect quick results. But that rarely works. Without involving the entire organization, changes don’t stick and competitiveness doesn’t really improve.
Another frequent mistake is thinking that management can delegate leadership of the process to the Lean team or to a consultancy. It happens less often now, but it still occurs. And the reality is that if management doesn’t lead, there is no transformation: Lean must serve competitiveness, and that must always be driven from the top.
It’s also very common to neglect the role of middle management, which is crucial. Many times they are overwhelmed with administrative tasks and don’t have time to lead, develop teams, or solve problems. If you don’t take care of that role, you kill the transformation at its source.
And lastly, another big mistake is thinking that Lean has a beginning and an end. It’s not a project with a closing date, it’s a continuous strategy. At Toyota they say it very clearly: the key lies in constant challenge.
If you had to give one piece of advice to an industrial company that wants to become more competitive, profitable, and sustainable with Lean, what would it be?
The first thing is to forget about the tools and think carefully about the business: what makes them competitive or what will make them competitive in the next five or ten years. In other words, clearly define their vision and how they are going to communicate it within the organization.
Then, the next step is to ensure that all management is focused on fueling those competitive advantages and aligning the whole company and all its people around them; that every person, every day, contributes to the company’s competitiveness—that is true Lean.
This is something we see very clearly when we visit companies in Japan: they have their competitive advantages very well defined and, above all, the whole organization knows what they are and how each person contributes to them on a daily basis.
Lean Transforma is a team of experts in transforming industrial organizations to improve their competitiveness through Lean management and the principles of the Toyota Production System. Their approach integrates people, processes, and technology to design and support sustainable transformations that align the entire organization with its strategic vision, achieving real and lasting results.
