Lean Summit 2025

Join us at the LIA Summit!

Industry leaders and practitioners will discuss the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities in Lean management. Engage in insightful discussions, network with industry peers, and gain practical knowledge to advance your Lean journey.

Themes:

Developing and Engaging Your People

Staying Current in the Evolving Digital Age

Best-Practice Industry Training Practices

Agenda

All workshops and presentations will be held at the UCT Graduate School of Business Conference Centre

Monday, 27 October

12:30pm Site Visit & Lean Improvement Case Study

Western Cape Blood Service - Head Office Location, Ndabeni, Cape Town

5:00pm Close

Detailed Agenda

12:30pm - Arrival

12:30pm - Light Lunch

1:00pm - Welcome, WCBS Introduction

1:15pm - Lean Implementation Strategy

1:30pm - Three Departmental Presentations (20 minutes each)

2:30pm - Site Walkabout

3:30pm - Questions and Answers

4:00pm - Informal Networking and Snacks

Tuesday, 28 October

8:30am Welcome and Introduction

Lean Institute Africa

8:45am Keynote Address

Christopher Thompson, Director - Lean Institute Brasil

9:30am Panel Discussion - Organizational Leadership & Culture

Facilitated by Ben Hoseus

10:15am Networking Break

10:40am Case Study Presentation

Empowering People for Continuous Improvement

Fika Mahleza, Production Engineer - HENSOLDT

11:20am Case Study Presentation

Lean Enterprise as a Dissipative Structure: Citizen-Centric Governance in a Rapidly Evolving City

Matthew Ferguson - City of Cape Town

12:00pm Lunch

1:00pm Keynote Address

Applying lessons from Africa’s Big 5 in re-energising the Transnet Continuous Improvement journey

Chris Faure, Continuous Improvement Lead - Transnet

1:50pm Case Study Presentation

Visualizing Value: Lean Flow and Kanban Dashboards for Citizen-Centric Service Delivery

Ebrahim Amed and Divan Vermeulen, City of Cape Town

2:30pm Networking Break

2:50pm Panel Discussion - Healthcare Innovation

Facilitated by Tshepo Thobejane

3:35pm Case Study Presentation

Unlocking Digital Transformation in the Supply Chain

Sanera Maharaj, Head of Operations - MAHLE Aftermarket

4:15pm Final Questions & Remarks

Lean Institute Africa

4:30pm Summit Concludes

5:00pm Speaker's Dinner

La Parada, V&A Waterfront

Panel Discussion - Organizational Leadership & Culture

Phil Isle, Partner - Contract SA

Christiaan Grové, Partner - GrowthLabs

Jake Morris, COO - Benchmarking & Manufacturing Analysts (BMA)

Panel Discussion - Healthcare Innovation

Lizan Henning, Process Improvement Engineer - Mediclinic

Mr. Grey Dube, Former Chief Executive Officer - Leratong Hospital

Garth Hankey, Lean Practitioner - Groote Schuur Hospital

Faisal Hassen, HOD Continuous Improvement and Projects - Western Cape Blood Service

Wednesday, 29 October

8:30am Full-Day Workshop - Daily Management: Executing Strategy through Lean Leadership

12:00pm Lunch (incl. in Registration)

4:30pm Close

Thursday, 30 October

8:30am Full-Day Workshop - Lean Digital Transformation: Mastering Disruption for Competitive Advantage

12:00pm Lunch (incl. in Registration)

4:30pm Close

Workshop Details

Workshop Title:

Daily Management: Executing Strategy through Lean Leadership

Workshop Description:

This workshop provides participants with a deep understanding of how to deploy Daily Management (DM) as a core enabler of lean transformation. Rooted in strategic alignment and frontline engagement, DM connects long-term goals with daily activities. Through hands-on exercises and real-life examples, participants will learn to lead daily routines that drive performance, accelerate learning, and develop people. The workshop equips leaders with the mindset and tools to create clarity, focus, and accountability at all levels.

Who Should Participate:

• Business Leaders and Managers responsible for execution and team performance
• Supervisors and Coordinators leading frontline teams
• Lean Practitioners and Continuous Improvement Professionals
• HR and People Development professionals involved in leadership development
• Strategy and Transformation Officers aiming to align daily work to strategic goals

Main Objectives and Goals:

• Understand how Daily Management connects strategy to execution

• Learn to design and lead effective daily routines and tiered meetings

• Apply structured problem-solving to drive continuous improvement

• Create visual management systems to increase clarity and accountability

• Develop people and leadership capabilities through purposeful coaching

Macro Agenda:

• Introduction to Daily Management and Lean Leadership

• Strategic Alignment: From Hoshin Kanri to frontline goals

• Designing Visual Management and Performance Indicators

• Tiered Daily Meetings: Routines, roles, and focus

• Structured Problem-Solving with PDCA

• Coaching and Reflection Routines

• Role of Leadership in Driving Engagement

• Common Pitfalls and How to Overcome Them

• Hands-on Practices and Group Activities

• Building a Roadmap for Implementation

Objective:

This workshop empowers leaders and teams to bring strategy to life through well-structured daily routines. By combining theory with high-impact activities, participants will leave with the mindset, tools, and confidence to build or improve a Daily Management system tailored to their organization’s reality.

Workshop Title:

Lean Digital Transformation: Mastering Disruption for Competitive Advantage

Workshop Description:

This workshop, inspired by Pascal Dennis's book “harnessing digital disruption”, provides participants with the tools and frameworks needed to navigate the digital landscape effectively. Through a combination of theoretical understanding and hands-on activities, attendees will learn to integrate lean thinking with digital innovation strategies to enhance customer value, streamline processes, and foster a culture of continuous improvement and agility.

Who Should Participate:

Business Leaders and Managers across all sectors looking to drive digital transformation.

Digital Transformation Officers and Innovation Managers seeking lean approaches to innovation.

Product and Service Design Leaders and team members aiming to improve customer experiences.

Continuous Improvement Specialists interested in applying lean principles to digital projects.

Main Objectives and Goals:

• Understand the impact of digital disruption and the role of lean thinking in navigating it.
• Learn to define problems effectively and identify opportunities for innovation.
• Apply customer journey mapping and persona creation to enhance user experiences.
• Utilize design thinking and lean methodologies to develop actionable strategies for digital transformation.
• Create a plan to implement lean digital transformation initiatives within your organization.

Macro Agenda:

• Introduction to Digital Disruption and Lean Thinking
• Defining Problems and Identifying Opportunities
• Identifying types of problems and areas for innovation
• Customer Journey Mapping & Persona Creation
• Hands-on activity: Mapping out customer journeys and creating personas
• Design Thinking for Digital Solutions
• Introduction to the Design Thinking process
• Hands-on activity: Design Sprint – generating and refining ideas for digital solutions
• Applying technology to enhance customer experiences and streamline processes
• Developing an Action Plan for Lean Digital Transformation
• Creating a roadmap for implementing changes
• Measuring success and continuously identifying and overcoming potential challenges.

Objective

This workshop is structured to ensure participants not only gain theoretical knowledge but also apply what they learn through practical exercises, which represent a significant portion of the day's activities. This approach is designed to empower attendees with the confidence and tools to initiate or further their organization's digital transformation journey effectively.