Manufacturing Consulting

Lean Reimagined.
Amplified by AI.

Lean Transformation Digitalization AI Uplift
3–5
Weeks to ROI clarity
OEE+
Digitalization & AI uplift
100%
Technology-agnostic
Waste
Lean-first, data-driven
What we do

Three focused service lines.

Each pillar is built from direct operational experience — not frameworks repackaged for your industry.

01 / Lean

Lean Assessment & Roadmap

Structured current-state analysis from value stream to management system. We quantify the waste, build the business case, and deliver a sequenced transformation roadmap.

  • Current-state VSM with TIMWOODS waste quantification
  • Prioritised improvement backlog with ROI estimates
  • Future-state VSM and phased roadmap
  • Leadership alignment workshop & readout
02 / Digital & OEE

OEE & Digitalization Optimization

Select and implement the right digital tools — not the most marketed ones. From OEE software evaluation to process mining, we guide you from data to decision.

  • OEE baseline analysis and vendor benchmarking
  • Event-log / process mining readiness assessment
  • Digital gap analysis across the production system
  • Vendor-neutral solution recommendation
03 / AI Uplift

AI Uplift & Use Case Activation

Identify, prioritise, and specify AI use cases that create real operational value — then select the right tools and implementation partners. No hype. Measurable impact.

  • AI opportunity scan across the value stream
  • Use case specification cards with ROI framing
  • Build-vs-buy-vs-partner recommendation
  • Pilot scoping and success metric definition
How we help

From Challenge to Solution

We assess your opportunity, co-create the right solution, and implement it with the right technology and partners.

01
Assess

Understand before we improve.

We start on your shop floor — Gemba walks, data collection, and structured analysis before any recommendations.

  • Lean & operational assessment
  • Value Stream Mapping
  • Identify waste, bottlenecks & opportunities
  • Define the business case
02
Co-Create

Build the solution together.

Lean process redesign meets AI and specialist technology partners. We co-design solutions that fit your operation.

LEAN AI PARTNER SOLU- TION
  • Lean process redesign
  • AI agents & AI-powered templates
  • Standard Work & digital Work Instructions
  • Co-create with specialist technology partners
03
Implement

Turn ideas into measurable results.

Pilot, deploy, train, and improve. We stay through implementation to ensure adoption and track results.

  • Pilot & implementation
  • Digitalization of processes
  • Workforce adoption & training
  • Continuous improvement & measurable ROI

Have an improvement challenge? → Let's assess it.

Book a meeting
How we work

A three-week on-site diagnostic.

Every engagement starts on your shop floor, with your teams. No remote assumptions.

W1

Discover

Gemba walks, stakeholder interviews, data collection from MES, ERP, and manual logs. We map the production system as it actually runs.

W2

Analyse

Waste quantification across TIMWOODS, OEE decomposition, digital gap analysis, and AI opportunity identification. Everything anchored to financial impact.

W3

Synthesise

Prioritised roadmap, ROI model, and executive readout. You leave with a clear, funded path — not a list of generic recommendations.

+

Optional: Implementation Support

Hands-on delivery through sprints — coaching teams, validating tool selections, and tracking results against the business case.

3-Week Schedule

Week 1 Discover
Week 2 Analyse
Week 3 Synthesise
Fixed-scope, fixed-fee. Deliverable: business case, prioritised roadmap, and readout deck — within 3 weeks of kick-off.
Technology & Delivery Partners

Built with the right ecosystem.

We work with specialist technology partners to co-deliver solutions — selected for fit, not for commission.

AI-Powered VSM & Shopfloor Digitalization

We work with specialist AI platforms to accelerate digital assessments and build AI-augmented value stream tools for clients — reducing assessment time from weeks to days and enabling continuous shopfloor insight.

VSM Digitalization Shopfloor AI Process Mining
Active Co-creation
Digital Work Instructions & Standard Work

We partner with specialist platforms for Digital Work Instructions and Standard Work in manufacturing — integrating these deployments into lean transformation roadmaps and connecting process redesign with digital adoption on the shop floor.

Digital Work Instructions Standard Work Workforce Adoption
Delivery Partner
Vendor-Neutral Philosophy

We do not hold exclusive partnerships or receive vendor referral fees. Every tool recommendation is made based on client fit. If an open-source stack serves you better than a licensed platform, that is what we recommend.

OEE Tools Process Mining MES / ERP AI Platforms
Technology-agnostic
Use Cases

Where we create measurable impact.

Representative examples of the operational challenges we solve — across lean, digitalization, and AI.

Lean Transformation
Reducing changeover time in a precision parts manufacturer

A mid-size machining company faced excessive downtime between production runs. Setup times were untracked and highly variable across shifts.

Approach SMED analysis, current-state VSM, and Standard Work redesign. Digital Work Instructions deployed via a specialist platform for consistent operator guidance.
Outcome 38% reduction in average changeover time. Shift-to-shift variance eliminated within 6 weeks of pilot.
VSMSMEDStandard Work
OEE & Digitalization
OEE visibility for a packaging line with no existing data infrastructure

A food packaging plant had no real-time production data. OEE was estimated manually once per week, with no visibility into loss categories.

Approach OEE software shortlist and vendor evaluation. Pilot deployment of a lightweight IoT sensor layer connected to a cloud OEE dashboard. Operator training and daily review cadence established.
Outcome Real-time OEE from 0% visibility to 94% data coverage in 8 weeks. Top 3 downtime reasons identified and actioned within the first month.
OEEIoTMESVendor Evaluation
AI Uplift
AI-assisted quality defect detection in injection moulding

A plastics manufacturer experienced high scrap rates due to late detection of surface defects — caught only at final inspection. Root causes were inconsistent across shifts and operators.

Approach AI use case specification. Camera-based vision system pilot at the press exit. Model trained on existing defect image library. Integrated into process control loop.
Outcome Defect detection moved from end-of-line to point-of-production. Scrap rate reduced by 22% in pilot cell. ROI recovered in under 5 months.
Computer VisionAI PilotProcess Control
Assess → Co-Create → Implement
End-to-end lean and digital transformation for a Tier 2 automotive supplier

A 200-person automotive supplier needed to reduce lead times by 30% to retain a key customer contract. Digital tools were fragmented and lean methods inconsistently applied.

Approach 3-week Value Discovery Sprint. Future-state VSM co-created with operations team. Roadmap sequenced across lean, OEE digitalization, and AI use cases. Implementation supported over 6 months.
Outcome Lead time reduced by 34%. OEE improved by 11 percentage points. Customer contract retained. Internal lean team established and self-sufficient by end of engagement.
VSMOEEAI Use Cases
Get in touch

Let's assess your challenge.

Share your operational challenge and we'll come back with a structured perspective — no commitment required.

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Connect with Shishir Ballal
linkedin.com/in/shishir-ballal
Email
Send a message or book an appointment
ballal.shishir@outlook.com
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