Business Practice Forum - Finding the first $1 Million dollars in Savings

Join us for our next Business Practice Forum - Finding the first $1 Million dollars in savings.

You are invited to participate in a special interactive workshop.

During this one-off workshop ORBIZ presenters will reveal how they identified on average, over a million dollars of initial savings for each of the participating businesses through the implementation of LEAN strategies.

You will hear:

· Powerful case studies that reveal how one company is set to generate an additional $3M throughout.

· How to identify the common areas most likely impacting your current production system.

· Strategies you can employ to produce more, even with a reduced workforce.

· 3 game changing tools that once adopted can rapidly boost production.

· Firsthand experience from one company that underwent the Lean assessment activity.

· The opportunity to ask questions and pressure test your own manufacturing systems.

Who Should Attend?

This session is highly relevant for anyone in manufacturing. This includes:

· Managing Director / CEO / General/Site Managers

· Production Managers

· Operations Managers

· Engineering Manager

· CI / BI / Quality / Strategy Manager

· Supply Chain Managers

About ORBIZ

A global consulting firm with decades of combined experience in LEAN manufacturing, the ORBIZ team of performance specialist have assisted some of the world’s leading organisations in achieving their operational excellence goals.

Whether your goal is to implement a more efficient process, increase productivity or build a high-performance culture, they can help make it a reality. Working collaboratively with their clients they assist in reducing costs, increasing capacity, improving productivity, driving revenue, and creating more customer value.

Arrival time 7.45am for and 8.00am start.

102/470 King St, Newcastle West

Speakers & Presenters:

David Leask - Emergent Group, Novecom, Manager - AgTech

David manages the Novecom AgTech team; he ensures best practice is maintained in safety, quality, environment and operations. David is an experienced, qualified electronics technician and a 21-year veteran in Vocational Education and Training. He is an accomplished educator and manager in roles at TAFE NSW including Head Teacher, Project Lead, Associate Faculty Director and Manager of Strategy and Operations.

David has successfully led initiatives in Electronics, Mechatronics and advanced manufacturing, notably overseeing the design and construction of a V8 Supercar simulator, the design and implementation of an advanced manufacturing training facility, and the development of a technician-based Mechatronics qualification framework to meet industry demands.

David holds strong industry connections in sectors including agriculture, renewable energy, systems automation, and robotics. Throughout his career, David has been recognised for his achievements and dedication to industrial and educational excellence, receiving multiple commendations and awards, including the Worldskills Gold Medal for Electronics, VET Teacher Trainer award at the Hunter region Apprenticeship and Traineeship Awards and the TAFE NSW Managers Association Leadership award.

David has competed in six Sydney to Hobart yacht races and one Melbourne to Hobart yacht race, he has competed at international level in performance single handed sailing skiffs, with multiple wins in national and state championship events. David is a qualified Beekeeper, manages his family farm near Gloucester NSW, and is currently studying a Diploma of Agriculture at Tocal Agricultural College. He is also the judge for the Hunter Manufacturing Awards ‘Apprentice of the Year’ category.    

Ross Sterland - Orbiz

Ross is an experienced management consultant and company director with diversified industry expertise across energy, mining, rail, construction, utilities, FMCG, defence and healthcare. Specialising in the leadership of operational turnaround and transformation programs underpinned by the application of Lean Management systems and processes to rapidly deliver significant and sustainable operational and financial performance improvements whilst fostering and embedding a culture and system of Continuous Improvement.

As a management consultant, Ross has extensive experience working at all organisational levels from project execution through facilitation and coaching at a frontline management level, to working alongside the executive teams of ASX listed companies and private equity funds in the role of Program Director to lead the development and delivery of significant transformation and turnaround programs delivering savings of $100M+.

As Managing Director, Ross led the development, growth and diversification of the Asia Pacific arm of a multi-national management consultancy firm delivering 87% growth in 3 years FY13-FY15, significantly increasing industry and service diversification whilst developing a robust structure of support functions to enable the business to successfully and sustainably grow. Ross left this role in December 2015 with the company on course to deliver a further 20% growth in FY16.

Prior to his consultancy career, Ross held various operational and project leadership roles within Toyota Motor Company where in a eight year career he was immersed in the Lean methodologies of the Toyota Production System enabling him to develop a deep understanding of the key principles and culture of the Toyota Way.

Ali Eghbaljoo - Orbiz

Ali is a Lean Six-Sigma practitioner with over 23 years of experience working across a large variety of industrial environments in engineering, management and consulting roles. Ali began his career as a manufacturing engineer in the automotive industry with Peugeot, where he also became an accredited Six Sigma Black Belt practitioner by managing projects through the DMAIC methodology.
In 2005 Ali joined Renault, where he was trained at their global training centre in France before taking the Renault Production System Manager role at a Renault manufacturing facility. This role saw Ali lead the implementation of Lean strategies across the plant.
Ali relocated to Australia in 2010 and since then has further developed his Lean and Six-Sigma knowledge and experience across various industries through a series of consulting roles where he has been engaged to improve the business performance of ASX-Listed companies such as BlueScope Steel, Downer, UGL, Ventia, Orora, and McConnell Dowell (Western Program Alliance).
With his extensive hands-on experience complemented by his strong technical background, Ali focuses on providing valuable expertise and practical knowledge to individuals and teams to help develop and deliver sustainable performance improvement outcomes.

Geoff Yeatman - Orbiz

From the hangars of the Royal Australian Air Force to the production lines of Boeing North America and now into ASX-listed businesses and sites across Australia, Geoff’s career has always been about solving complex problems and driving meaningful, lasting improvement.

Geoff began as a Radio and Avionics Technician with the RAAF, where he developed a disciplined approach to engineering and maintenance. That foundation led Geoff to Boeing, where he spent eight years immersed in world-class Lean manufacturing practices through the Lean Enterprise Office’s 'Lean 201' program. This experience shaped Geoff’s approach to operational excellence and gave him first-hand exposure to high-performance cultures.

Over the years, Geoff has held key roles in engineering, production, and business improvement - often in unionised, trade-based environments within aviation and rail. He has led cultural change initiatives, implemented Lean in aerospace MRO and manufacturing settings, and helped organisations bridge the gap between strategy and shop floor execution.

Since 2014, Geoff has worked as a business improvement consultant in rail, construction, mining, coal seam gas, food processing, and retail. Geoff’s passion lies in helping people and organisations grow, transforming how they work, think and lead.

Today, he is focused on building capability, embedding change, and unlocking performance across a wide range of industries.