Why B2B Lean Six Sigma Collaboration is Mutually Beneficial, Continued…

In yesterday’s blog, I began talking about my experiences with B2B collaboration regarding Lean Six Sigma. Having discussed Click Bond’s collaboration with the Nevada National Guard, let’s look at a few other examples of B2B collaboration.

Amazon

Amazon recently built a new fulfillment center on the outskirts of Reno, NV. They moved their operation in Fernley, NV to this new location. This move gave Amazon the opportunity to design a building exactly as they want it, rather than adapting to an existing structure. Recently, I was able to visit the facility with an agenda to talk “Lean.”  I would talk about what I saw and specifically learned there, but unfortunately, I had to sign an NDA. Luckily, The Reno Gazette Journal did do a write up on the facility when it opened, which gives you a good idea of what we saw without me breaking the Non-Disclosure Agreement. Meeting with the Amazon team allowed us to discuss how they handle Lean Initiatives in their company culture.  It was extremely beneficial and eye opening to see how they implemented Lean in their own custom way. I came back inspired with a fresh perspective.

GE Oil and Gas

A few years ago, I was invited to participate in a Kaizen event week out at GE Bentley in Minden, NV. These events are highly successful in part because of GE’s use of outside resources. GE invites employees from other companies to join in on these week long events. They value fresh eyes on processes that they have grown accustomed to.

To be successful in Lean Six Sigma, you need the people who are going to question and challenge the norm. You need the people that are going to ask “Why?” Allowing me and other non-GE industry professionals to participate in this event helped GE to obtain new ideas. In return, I was able to learn how they run these types of events and bring that new knowledge back to Click Bond.

Business to business Lean Six Sigma collaboration is beneficial to both parties. We’re talking continuous improvement, where the work NEVER ends. Fresh perspectives are invaluable, so start connecting, collaborating and continuously improving!

Do you have a positive B2B collaboration story? Leave a comment and tell me about it! Maybe we can collaborate too!