The Michigan Lean Consortium (MLC) was thrilled to partner with the 2024 Lean Solutions Summit, which brought together Lean professionals from across industries. A standout feature of the summit was the Lean Excellence Competition, where teams of six individuals competed in a live Kaizen-type event, transforming poorly performing processes into models of efficiency and success. MLC is proud to spotlight one of our Superior Level members, Dematic, who won this exciting competition.  

At the summit, teams tackled challenges such as poor quality, machine downtime, and inventory management. Armed with Lean tools and methodologies, Dematic and other competitors worked against the clock to unravel inefficiencies and implement ingenious solutions. This high-pressure event tested the teams’ technical expertise, collaboration, innovation, and Lean leadership.  

The Dematic team—comprising Kelly Robson, Tonna Agim, Kim Egan, Paul Hoekwater, Kyle Mahoney, and Brian Bolen—stood out for their ability to quickly assess the situation, devise creative solutions, and work seamlessly as a unit. Their performance exemplified Lean principles such as waste reduction, continuous improvement, and respect for people.  

Brian Bolen shared his excitement about the competition, saying, "Despite the challenges of working with a team of full-time facilitators, I was really impressed with our team’s ability to work together, show our thinking, and produce championship-level results. It was a great day working with the team. Thanks to John Dyer, the Lean Solutions Team, and the other facilitators for creating such a rich environment for learning and improvement."  

For Kelly Robson, the competition wasn’t just about winning but about the growth and experience gained: "We appreciate the opportunity provided by the Lean Solutions Team, John Dyer, and all of the judges. This was a wonderful team-building experience for Dematic, and we look forward to having others from our organization compete at future events!"  

The Lean Excellence Competition fostered a spirit of innovation and demonstrated the power of Lean principles in action. Teams like Dematic exemplified what it means to continuously improve and innovate under pressure. Their success highlights the value of Lean methodologies in transforming not just processes but entire organizations.  

Congratulations to Dematic for their impressive win, and we look forward to seeing more outstanding achievements from them in the future!