OERT Masterclass | Inventory Management from a LEAN Perspective

This is a free event to SIRF Member companies.
Your company is not a SIRF Member? Please contact us to discuss membership options.

Whether you're on the shop floor or overseeing logistics, you'll gain practical insights into how to apply LEAN principles to streamline inventory, reduce excess, and support more efficient, value-driven operations.

Overview:
In today’s competitive environment, traditional thinking around inventory can quietly undermine operational efficiency and financial performance. This session challenges long-held beliefs and explores how leading lean organizations approach inventory—not as a safeguard, but as a form of waste to be relentlessly minimized.

Key discussion points include:

• The link between 5S and effective inventory management—why visual order and workplace discipline are essential foundations for inventory control.

• Why inventory is not “money in the bank”—and how holding excess stock ties up capital, masks process issues, and drains profitability.

• A breakdown of hidden inventory costs—including storage, handling, obsolescence, and quality risks—that often outweigh the original purchase price.

• How truly lean businesses treat inventory—as a necessary evil, not a sign of strength or security.

• Exploring just how lean inventory can get—with real-world examples of operations running on minutes, not months, of stock.

Led by an industry veteran with 35+ years in global manufacturing leadership—including time spent with Toyota-trained Sensei and the launch of one of the leanest factories in the world—this session offers practical insights for leaders, engineers, and continuous improvement professionals ready to rethink the role of inventory in their operations.

Agenda 

• Intros and setting expectations

• Main Presentation

• Group discussions and Q&A

• Conclusion

Meet John Thomas

After completing his Technician Apprenticeship in South Wales, John spent over 35 years progressing from production engineer to managing director by age 36, followed by roles as project director and senior management consultant. A career highlight was supporting the launch of the most lean factory he has ever worked in: a Johnson Controls greenfield site in Adelaide, built to supply the VE/WM assembly facility in Elizabeth, SA. Running a two-shift operation with just 79 minutes of finished goods and two hours of raw material inventory, at a TAKT time of 76 seconds, created an unmatched environment of efficiency and energy—an experience I’ve yet to see equaled in the 19 years since.

FAQs

What will I need to participate in this event?
Access to a PC/ Tablet / Smartphone with Camera and Microphone.

How do I connect to my event?
You will be sent a link a zoom link one day prior to the event.

Who can I contact for further information?

Reanne Signorelli

reanne.signorelli@sirfrt.com
Mob: 0437 305 349