Lean for Micro Business Support Scheme Now Available

The Local Enterprise Office Offaly is pleased to announce we are offering a “Lean for Micro” support scheme for businesses in 2017.

Lean tools and techniques are helping companies across the globe to address competitiveness issues within their businesses, building the capability of their people to identify issues and improve their operations. Lean is about being effective and efficient - doing things quicker, better, cheaper…together. Lean strives to stamp out waste and to continually improve.

The Local Enterprise Office Offaly recognises these very substantial improvements in productivity and profitability that can result from the application of lean principles and aims to support owner/managers in effectively embracing lean methodologies in their businesses.

In 2014 an independent review found that Irish businesses engaged in lean business programmes recorded significant gains:

Productivity up 20%
Sales up 40%
Delivery adherence up 43%
Product & Service quality up 30%
Employment up 11%

What are the Objectives?

Participants will have the knowledge and skills to enable them undertake small lean projects resulting in continuous cost reduction improvements in their businesses. The scheme will help to:

Identify issues and potential improvement areas
Provide support to implement
Achieve savings and improvements in capability and capacity to deliver

What’s involved?

It will involve up to 5.5 full days of consultancy that will introduce business owner / managers to Lean concepts and enable companies to undertake a Lean assignment in their business under the guidance and support of a qualified Lean mentor.

The in-company assignment will be a cost reduction project and will typically be delivered over 8 to 12 weeks. After a suitable in-company project has been identified, a diagnosis of current practice and performance and key performance indicators will be established to achieve targeted business improvement measures based on a set of Lean tools and methodologies tailored to suit each client’s situation.

A Lean mentor will be available for up to 5.5 full days, with in-company visits to each business scheduled depending on each situation.

Who is it for?

It is aimed at owner / managers and key staff members of small businesses who wish to gain an introduction to lean concepts and allow them to gain a practical understanding of lean principles by undertaking a focused assignment with expert mentoring support.

The scheme will be available to a limited number of Offaly businesses in 2017.

Cost

The Lean for Micro Business Offering is very heavily subsidised and the business contribution will be no more than €1,000.

Testimonials

The Scullery “Introducing Lean Manufacturing will give me the competitive edge I need to move forward to the next level of my business”

West Cork Vegetable Solutions “The course has made our organisation more profitable by reducing distribution costs, increasing production efficiency and personally showed me how to protect my profit margins

Unison “..standard methods and improved efficiency increasing ability to meet demand at a competitive price”

Further Information and/or to Register your Interest

This scheme will be limited to a maximum of 5 businesses in 2017. For further information, or to register your interest and to receive an application form contact Geraldine Beirne on 0579357480 or email: geraldine.beirne@leo.offalycoco.ie.

Offaly