Value Stream Experts

VSE is a business improvement support company. We help organisations achieve sustainable business improvement.

We support them by giving them the affordable practical guidance and skills to improve themselves; utilising lean management principles at the heart of what we do.

Having supported organisations across many sectors including construction, defence, automotive and healthcare, we place our main focus on sustaining business improvement, because in our experience, that is where the greatest level of frustration and dissatisfaction lies.

We ensure that your efforts result in maximum benefit over the long term.

Continuous Improvement

Sustaining change is an interesting challenge. The transience of improvement activities can mean the lack of sustainability takes you by surprise when you think you are making progress.

A project approach has ‘event’ rather than ‘forever’ associated with it. By having an end date, the project approach effectively creates a feeling of being temporary. This often contributes to why the desired outcome of the benefits and the required continuous improvement culture are not achieved.

CI-Partner and TaskTrakLive are designed as a competitively priced support service, to eliminate financial barriers to adoption and swift financial payback.

VSE’s approach helps develop the habits and ultimately the culture for sustainable continuous improvement.

Lean isn’t a skill set, Its a mind-set

“20 years of implementing CI programmes has taught me that most programmes despite starting well, DO NOT end with sustainable improvement. Yes, there are some improvements but if they don’t last – what’s the point of all the financial outlay and emotional effort. VSE is totally focused on helping you solve this issue.

We understand why this lack of sustainability happens and we are committed to helping organisations overcome these challenges. That’s why we have developed our CI-Partner approach and TaskTrakLive app to ensure you have all the support you need to achieve those goals.”

Lorne Walters

Managing Director – VSE

Frequently asked questions

How do you sustain improvements?lorne28612023-02-01T13:26:35+00:00

How do you sustain improvements?

In order to sustain improvements, there must be an integrated approach to improvement across the organisation. As well as clear leadership, the necessary structure is required to develop and engender the necessary habits that will create the culture that will keep the whole organisation moving forwards.

CI Partner and TTL are specifically designed in order to achieve this.

Many organisations claim to make massive savings, is this true?lorne28612023-02-01T13:27:17+00:00

Many organisations claim to make massive savings, is this true?

Absolutely, there are huge saving to be made from a lean thinking transformational change – VSE deliver this kind of change. However, these claims are empty and worthless if the subsequent levels of sustainability are not achieved.

CI Partner and TTL are designed to ensure this happens.

What is the best approach for long term sustainability of improvement?lorne28612023-02-01T13:27:48+00:00

What is the best approach for long term sustainability of improvement?

At VSE we believe that it’s critical to build your internal skills, but in addition we believe it’s essential to have a ‘critical friend’ and experienced guide to challenge and help you get on and stay on the right path to sustainability.

It’s not about having lots of external expertise ‘on the ground’ on a long term basis – it’s really about driving it yourselves, but shortening the learning time by utilising experienced thinking at the correct areas of the organisation, be it board level or shop floor.

We have designed CI Partner and TaskTrakLive specifically to enable this.

Why not just go for results rather than long-term sustainability thinking?lorne28612023-02-01T13:28:30+00:00

Why not just go for results rather than long-term sustainability thinking?

As impressive as the numbers seem when potential benefits are calculated over the mid/long term; it remains that without taking the necessary actions to embed the improvements, such as knowledge enhancement and the correct thinking / habits across the various levels of the organisation; any potential benefits will eventually dissipate. As well as minimal long term benefits, other outcomes will typically be cynicism, demotivation and frustration at multiple levels of the organisation.

CI Partner and TaskTrakLive have been developed to ensure sustainability grows and you avoid these negative effects of failed implementation.

I have found a way to sustain improvements – I don’t know why you say it’s a problem?lorne28612023-02-01T13:29:03+00:00

I have found a way to sustain improvements – I don’t know why you say it’s a problem?

That’s great news!

We hope you have found a formula that works for your organisation.

What can also happen though, is that momentum and enthusiasm can last for a period of time before the lack of underpinning habits and knowledge mean that the improvements features begin to fall in to disrepute and eventually regress completely.

We have designed CI Partner and TaskTrakLive to prevent this happening – get in touch to find out how it works.

Why should I care about sustaining the improvements – I’m going to my next project soon?lorne28612023-02-01T13:29:35+00:00

Why should I care about sustaining the improvements – I’m going to my next project soon?

I hope you do care, because we do, and so do you colleagues.

Improvement activities are extremely motivational when done well, and will have a lasting positive effect on individuals and organisations. This means sustaining improvements is a hugely important factor for the whole organisation and will help you grow individually as an improvement focused person.

CI Partner and TTL helps provide the environment that ensures you receive the correct support and guidance to make sustaining improvement satisfying and rewarding.

Real-Life Results

Kind words from our clients

“The application of lean management within this industry is a real passion of mine. The consultants at VSE and their hands on practical approach was exactly what we needed.”

Andrew Orrey – CEO Ongo Homes

“The guys at VSE really helped us stay on track enabling us to build on our continuous improvement approach.”

Paul Robinson – MD Nottingham Trams

About VSE

About VSE