Sectors / Manufacturing
Lean for Manufacturing
From brewing to chemicals to print โ we help Irish manufacturers reduce waste, improve throughput, and build a culture of continuous improvement on the factory floor.
7
Published case studies
30โ78%
Process time reductions achieved
3
Manufacturing clients
2016
Working with manufacturers since
Manufacturing in Ireland demands efficiency
Irish manufacturers face constant pressure โ rising costs, tight margins, supply chain volatility, and the need to deliver consistent quality at speed. Whether you’re running a craft brewery, a chemical production facility, or a print operation, the fundamentals are the same: every minute of waste directly hits the bottom line.
Lean isn’t a theory exercise for manufacturing โ it’s where it was born. Our approach takes the Toyota Production System principles and makes them practical for Irish operations: real problems, real teams, measurable results within weeks.
We’ve worked with manufacturers across brewing, chemicals, and print since 2016 โ helping their people identify and solve the problems they see every day on the floor.
Watch: Introduction to our Lean Practitioner programme
Common challenges Lean addresses in manufacturing
Process time waste
Waiting, searching, rework, unnecessary movement โ Lean tools like Process Mapping and Standard Work make waste visible and eliminable.
Inventory & storage
Overproduction, racking overflow, stock management chaos โ Value Stream Mapping and Kanban create flow and reduce carrying costs.
Equipment downtime
Unplanned breakdowns and inconsistent maintenance โ 5S and preventive maintenance systems keep machines running.
Quality inconsistency
Variation between shifts, operators, and batches โ Standard Work and root cause analysis drive consistency.
Changeover delays
Long setup times between product runs โ SMED principles reduce changeover and increase flexibility.
Team engagement
Employees closest to the work see the problems first โ the 8-Step methodology gives them the structure to solve them.
Proven results across Irish manufacturing
Every case study below was led by an employee who identified a real problem in their own work area โ and solved it using Lean methodology.
Rye River Brewing
Inventory Cycle โ Lean Practitioner
52% faster
93% racking accuracy and โฌ23.4k annual waste eliminated through 8-Step problem solving.
Read case study โ
Rye River Brewing
Milling Process โ Lean Practitioner
30% reduction
Eliminated blockages and dough balls, cut milling time by 30%, improved brew consistency.
Read case study โ
Rye River Brewing
Forecasting Racking โ Lean Practitioner
4.3 โ 2.3 hrs
Replaced reactive racking with weekly forecasting system. QC checks cut from 1hr to 15 min.
Read case study โ
ย
Colorman Ireland
Under/Over Production โ LeanPlus
Waste reduced
Reduced raw material waste, reprints, and scrappage across the print production line.
Read case study โ
Colorman Ireland
Time Management โ LeanPlus
Time saved
Improved workflow efficiency and reduced non-value-added time across operations.
Read case study โ
Barclay Chemicals
Preventive Maintenance โ Lean Practitioner
PM compliance
All machines now maintained as required with full visibility on maintenance status.
Read case study โ
Training pathways for manufacturing teams
Full Pathway ยท 8 Weeks
Lean Practitioner
The complete Lean pathway โ your team member identifies a real problem and delivers a measurable improvement project over 8 weeks.
Learn more โBuild Foundations
Lean Essentials
Online training in Lean fundamentals โ ideal for building awareness and capability before committing to a full project.
Learn more โEnterprise Ireland
LeanPlus
EI-funded Lean transformation for manufacturers โ deeper engagement with multiple improvement projects across the operation.
Learn more โReady to improve your manufacturing operations?
No commitment. Just a 15-minute conversation to understand where you are and what would actually help. We’ve been working with Irish manufacturers since 2016.
Lean Training for Manufacturing in Ireland
LeanTeams provides practical Lean training and coaching for manufacturing businesses across Ireland. Our programmes โ including Lean Practitioner, Lean Essentials, and Enterprise Ireland LeanPlus โ help manufacturing teams reduce waste, improve throughput, and build a sustainable culture of continuous improvement. We work across brewing, chemicals, print, and general manufacturing, with published case studies from Rye River Brewing Company, Colorman Ireland, and Barclay Chemicals. Explore all our sector experience or view our training programmes.