World Class Support
Strategy development, Lean techniques training and hands-on consultancy that helps your people — and your business — thrive in a changing world. We provide the guidance and training to make this goal a reality. Contact UsOver 40 years of experience helping more than 200 companies across 15+ industries build world-class operations.
We provide affordable, hands-on training and consultancy — in Lean techniques like 5S, SMED and TPM, and in leadership and business strategy — delivered flexibly online or in person.
Our goal: give your people the tools to lead continuous improvement themselves, long after we’ve gone.
We also help you to understand how Industry 4.0 digital technologies could transform your operations when allied with Lean techniques.
Pay As You Learn
Blue-chip training. Small business pricing.
- Pay only for the hours your people are actually trained
- Customised to your exact needs — no generic off-the-shelf courses
- Delivered online, at times that suit your team
- Backed by 40+ years of real industry experience and the latest research
Responding to a changing world!
The business environment has changed significantly in recent years, caused by such things as the development of Industry 4.0 technologies, the Coronavirus epidemic and Brexit.
The World Economic Forum in their Future of Jobs report published in January 2026 stated:
On average, workers can expect that two-fifths (39%) of their existing skill sets will be transformed or become outdated over the 2026-2030 period.
It is critical therefore, to give people the tools and skills to thrive in this more challenging environment.
What do we offer?
- Customised training developed to match your exact needs from our extensive range of modern training materials.
- You only pay for the hours in which your people are being trained.
- Our services are delivered on-line at a time that suits your people.
How We Deliver?
Training is delivered as a series of 1–2 hour digital webinars, at a frequency that suits you — combining traditional methods with modern online and multimedia tools.
This lets your organisation:
- Build a support programme unique to your needs
- Learn at the pace that least disrupts day-to-day work
- Run real work-based projects alongside the course, applying new techniques immediately
We believe this to be the most efficient and cost-effective mode of delivering training and support – particularly in these trying times.
We have the experience and specialist skills that enable our courses and support initiatives to be delivered using both traditional methods and the latest on-line and multi-media tools.
In this way companies can:
- Design a unique support programme that meets their exact needs.
- Receive state-of-the-art learning in the form and at delivery times that best suits them.
- Progress at a pace that least disrupts their day to day activities.
- Integrate work-based projects into the training, where they simultaneously deploy the techniques they have learnt into their day-to-day work.
Why It Matters Now
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs report found that 39% of workers’ existing skills are expected to be transformed or become outdated between 2026 and 2030, and that 6 in 10 workers will need retraining before 2030.
Analytical thinking and creative problem-solving top the list of skills employers value most — and they’re exactly what our courses are built around.
What expertise do we offer?
New range of courses
In addition to our long-standing range of Lean and Leadership courses, we have developed a series of modules which seek to enhance the strategic, analytical and problem-solving skills required to meet the demands of the more demanding modern world.
These include:
- Developing a strategic road-map for your organisation.
- Writing a Business Plan to fit this road map.
- Embrace and exploit the opportunities of Industry 4.0.
- Organic Chemistry in the workplace.
- The Unexpected Project Manager.
- Communicating effectively with your colleagues.
- Innovation management : new Product and Process Development.
- Capacity and Inventory management in a digital world.
- Supply Chain Management in the digital world.
- Kaizen : continuous improvement tools and problem-solving skills.
- The Lean Office: adjusting to hybrid working arrangements.
- Project management in a post-Covid and digital world.
- Time management in a post-Covid world.
- Leadership skills for the late 2020’s
These new courses fit in perfectly with our tried and tested range of courses:
What We Offer
Dr. John’s Lean Toolkit — built and refined across 200+ companies in 15+ industries.
Helping manufacturers improve productivity, reduce waste and develop confident leaders through practical, hands-on training
What courses are contained in the toolkit? (Click link for details)
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Developing a safe, well-organised Workplace : The modular 5S programme.
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Are you sweating your assets? : Maintenance best practice (Total Productive Maintenance).
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Profit from product changeover efficiency : Grand Prix Style S.M.E.D. Changeovers.
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Losing money because of material leaks from your Process Pipe? : Waste management.
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Enhancing the efficiency of your supply chain : Value Stream Mapping.
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How cost effective is your design process? : Design for manufacturing.
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Can you make it at a profit? : Understanding your Process Capability.
- Reducing product and process variability using Statistical Process Control.
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Problem solving in a systematic way.
- Preventing things from going wrong : Failure Mode and Effects Analysis.
- Capacity and Inventory Management.
- The use of O.E.E. to prioritise improvement programmes.
More details of these and all the other courses we provide are outlined in the What We Offer section of the website.
Click the icon to view the full portfolio of courses.
Rapid Onboarding for New Staff
We also offer a tailored onboarding service designed to get new or redeployed staff productive fast — built from the most relevant modules in our course portfolio, so key skills are learned quickly and applied straight away.
Ready to talk?
Every business is different, so every programme we deliver is shaped around your team, your industry, and your goals.
Book a free 20-minute consultation to talk through what you need, or get in touch directly — South Wales | 07900 982524 | drjohnthomas19@gmail.com
What Makes Us Different
- Training tied to real business problems, not theory
- Modular structure — a practical project runs alongside every course
- Every module tailored to your content and delivery needs
Client Testimonials
“Dr. John Thomas has worked for DS Smith for over 20 years initially as an employee and latterly as a consultant, supplying operational improvement services such as Lean, 5S, Manufacturing Audits and various other training and consultancy services.
During his time with DS Smith, John transformed many of our sites into beacons of excellence, working with local managers and crews, building engagement and commitment so that the improvements have been sustained.
I would have no hesitation in recommending John for any business/operational transformation projects where engagement and pragmatic solutions are key.”
I have known John Thomas for over 20 years and have worked with him as a colleague and also as a customer. John has a comprehensive knowledge of the tools and techniques of a variety of Continuous Improvement methodologies and is comfortable working with people throughout an organisation from boardroom to shop floor.
John’s ability to translate the sometimes opaque academic speak used in some of these methodologies into common sense, practical actions which can make a huge difference to performance have helped him to build up an impressive track record with his customers, many of whom have worked with him over a long period of time.
In addition to being able to make a real impact, John’s affable personality helps him to fit in quickly into the teams he works with.
I would have no hesitation in recommending John to help a business to move forward to a brighter and more successful future.
Past clients
