Session Description
Learn how the Central Procurement Office embraced Lean Thinking to transform the way it delivers value. By building a department-level Lean program, engaging leadership, and supporting employees through change, procurement lead times have been reduced by more than 50%, supplier feedback has improved, and benchmarking now shows the team moving from one of the slowest to among the best-performing procurement organizations in government. Participants will learn the critical steps from both an operational excellence and management perspective, as well as the employee experience of adopting Lean, offering practical lessons for driving sustainable change.
Learning Objectives
- Learn the key steps critical from a Lean/OpEx’s perspective to set up a successful Lean program at the department level
- Learn the critical elements needed from the department’s management’s perspective to embrace Lean
- Learn what impacts and challenges face the employees as they navigate change and embrace Lean Thinking
Presenter Information
| Jared Thatcher – Jared has over 20 years of Lean experience and has been with the Port of Seattle for six years. He previously consulted with organizations such as Nike, Mercy Corps, and Standard Insurance, and supported Lean efforts at Daimler Trucks and Alaska Airlines, contributing to more than $100M in cost savings. A Lean author and consultant, Jared is also a frequent global conference speaker, corporate keynote presenter, and guest lecturer at universities.
Hala Rabbo – Hala brings more than nine years of Lean process improvement experience and has dedicated 31 years to the Port of Seattle. Her Lean journey began in the Central Procurement Office, where she initially worked on smaller projects and advanced to leading highly complex initiatives with significant impact across the organization. While these projects did not generate immediate monetary savings, they achieved substantial process time reductions that are expected to deliver long-term value through labor cost efficiencies and faster service delivery.
Lisa Maddox – Lisa has over 5 years of Lean experience and has been with the Port of Seattle for 4 years. She previously facilitated reporting operations during the merger and acquisition with Vitamin Shoppe and Super Supplements and holds over 25 years supporting lean purchasing efforts in the private sector, including REI and Macy’s.
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