A good Lean consultancy engagement rarely starts with a big bang. It starts quietly, with observation, honest questions, and a fair amount of walking the shop floor. Those first 90 days set the tone for everything that follows, yet many teams sign the contract without a clear picture of what the weeks ahead actually hold. This article walks you through the first 90 days of a Lean consulting engagement, split into three phases, so you know what to expect and how to judge whether the work is genuinely on track.
The first 90 days at a glance
The first 90 days of a Lean consultancy engagement move through three phases. Days 1 to 30 focus on assessment and baselining. Days 31 to 60 cover prioritisation and a pilot improvement. Days 61 to 90 scale what works, build internal capability, and lock in measurement. Early, visible wins matter far more than sweeping change.
Day 1 to 30: Assessment and baselining
The first month is about understanding, not fixing. A credible consultant resists the urge to change things early and instead spends time at the gemba, the actual place where work happens, to see reality rather than the version described in meetings.
Expect the following during this phase:
- Kickoff and alignment: agreeing on scope, sponsor, and the business problem the engagement must solve.
- Gemba walks and observation: watching the process run, timing steps, and talking to operators who know where the pain really sits.
- Baseline data collection: capturing current numbers such as cycle time, lead time, defect rate, changeover time, and downtime.
- Value stream mapping (VSM): drawing the current state of a product or service flow to expose where value stalls and where the eight wastes, or muda, pile up.
- Waste and constraint identification: spotting overproduction, waiting, excess motion, and other losses, along with the one or two bottlenecks that limit output.
By the end of Day 30 you should have an agreed baseline, a current-state value stream map, and a shortlist of improvement opportunities backed by data rather than opinion.
Day 31 to 60: Prioritisation and the first pilot
With a clear picture in hand, the middle month turns analysis into focused action. This is where the consultant helps you choose what to tackle first and proves the approach on a contained area before spreading it wider.
Typical activities include:
- Prioritisation: ranking opportunities by impact and effort, so quick wins and high-value fixes rise to the top.
- Target-state design: sketching a future-state value stream map and setting realistic goals for the pilot area.
- Pilot implementation: running a controlled improvement in one line, cell, or department. This often includes 5S to organise the workplace, standard work to stabilise how tasks are done, and a Kaizen event to solve a specific problem quickly.
- Root cause work: using tools like the 5 Whys and PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) so fixes address causes rather than symptoms.
- Early results review: measuring the pilot against the baseline and adjusting before any wider rollout.
The pilot matters because it builds belief. When operators see clutter gone and a smoother flow, the case for Lean stops being theoretical.
Day 61 to 90: Scaling, capability building, and measurement
The final month shifts weight from the consultant to your own people. A healthy engagement leaves you less dependent on outside help at Day 90 than you were on Day 1, not more.
This phase usually covers:
- Scaling what works: extending the proven pilot approach to adjacent areas, with adjustments for local conditions.
- Capability building: coaching supervisors and operators so they can run Kaizen, sustain 5S, and lead daily improvement without hand-holding.
- Standardisation: locking gains in place with standard work, visual management, and simple audits so improvements do not quietly slip back.
- Measurement and cadence: setting up a small set of meaningful metrics and a review rhythm, often daily huddles and a monthly steering review.
- Roadmap handover: agreeing the next 90 days and the longer journey, since Lean is a continuous path, not a one-off project.
How is progress measured in the first 90 days?
Progress is measured against the Day 1 baseline using a few practical metrics rather than a crowded dashboard. Common ones include:
| Metric | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Cycle time | How long one unit takes to move through a step |
| Lead time | Total time from order to delivery |
| OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) | How well equipment runs, in availability, performance, and quality |
| Defect or scrap rate | Quality of output and rework burden |
| Downtime | Time lost to breakdowns and stoppages |
The point is not to track everything. It is to track the few numbers that reflect the problem you set out to solve, and to watch them move.
What should you expect, and what should you not?
Expect clarity, a firm baseline, at least one visible win, and a team starting to think differently. Do not expect a full transformation in 90 days. Anyone promising a complete turnaround in three months is usually setting you up for disappointment. The real measure of a strong start is momentum you can carry on your own.
A simple 90-day snapshot
| Phase | Focus | Key output |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1-30 | Assessment and baselining | Current-state VSM, baseline metrics, opportunity list |
| Day 31-60 | Prioritisation and pilot | Ranked priorities, one proven pilot improvement |
| Day 61-90 | Scaling and capability | Standardised gains, trained team, metrics and roadmap |
Frequently asked questions
How long before a Lean consultancy shows results?
Often within the first 60 days, through a focused pilot. These are early wins in one area, not company-wide change, but they prove the approach and build support.
Do we need to pause production during the engagement?
No. Good Lean work happens alongside normal operations. Gemba walks, VSM, and Kaizen events are designed to fit around live production, not stop it.
Who from our side needs to be involved?
A committed sponsor, the supervisors of the target area, and the operators who do the work. Their involvement is what makes improvements stick after the consultant leaves.
What is the difference between Lean and Kaizen here?
Lean is the broader system for removing waste and improving flow. Kaizen is the habit of small, continuous improvements made by everyone. A Lean engagement uses Kaizen as one of its main engines.
What happens after the first 90 days?
You move from a guided start to self-driven improvement. The consultant typically hands over a roadmap and coaches from a distance while your team leads the next cycles.
Is TPM part of a Lean engagement?
It can be. Where equipment reliability limits output, Total Productive Maintenance and OEE tracking often join the plan to cut downtime and stabilise flow.
The key takeaway
The first 90 days of a Lean consultancy engagement are less about dramatic change and more about a solid, evidence-based start. You should finish this period with a clear baseline, one or two proven improvements, a team learning to run Lean on its own, and a roadmap for what comes next. Judge the engagement on momentum and capability, not fireworks.
If you would like to explore how this could work for your operations, feel free to get in touch with the team at https://ribcon.com