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“Genchi, genbutsu gennin” (現地・現物・現認), a key tenet of Japanese manufacturing methodology, is often translated as “go to the Gemba” but means going to the ‘real place’ where value is created, where interactions are happening between process and material, where engagement is happening with the people involved.

To this end, the EU-Japan Centre is delighted to announce that it will restart its Lean in Europe visits on Friday, 30 September, with a visit to PakMarkas – a Lithuanian SME manufacturer producing labelling and flexible packaging, industrial packaging engineering, and automation solutions.

This visit includes:

• An introduction to PakMarkas and its production processes.
• A Gemba visit.
• A genuine practical problem-solving exercise where PakMarkas will present an issue it would like the group to address. Participants will be asked to study that part of the process and then brainstorm suggestions.
• A pre-visit group discussion and dinner in Vilnius on the evening of 29 September.

It will be led by Richard Keegan, the EU-Japan Centre’s Lean Advisor and Adjunct Professor of Lean Operational Excellence at Trinity Business School in Dublin.

Lean in Europe is open to engineers and people responsible for process management / improvement, who are working for a company or organisation in an EU27 member-state. Your company’s sector of activity is not important, instead what is key is that you use – or plan to use – process optimisation and lean management tools in your business and would like to engage with the group and with PakMarkas. No participation fee applies, but your organisation must cover your travel and accommodation costs. Places are limited.

Other visits will be arranged later in the year. Please contact lean@eu-japan.eu if you have any questions about this visit, would like to get details about future visits when they are arranged, or think your company/organisation might be willing to host a Lean in Europe visit for us.

Lean in Europe #27 – PakMarkas, Lithuania on 30 September, with a pre-visit meeting and dinner on 29 September. Application deadline: 24 July.