About Us

our purpose

Sustainable Development of Society

our Vision

Contributing to better organisational outcomes and quality of life by advancing  Lean Thinking and Practice in Sub-Saharan Africa.

our mission

We aim to achieve our vision by building the community of lean practitioners through co-learning partnerships, action research and knowledge sharing.

our Vision

Contributing to better organisational outcomes and quality of life by advancing  Lean Thinking and Practice in Sub-Saharan Africa.

our mission

We aim to achieve our vision by building the community of lean practitioners through co-learning partnerships, action research and knowledge sharing.

Not for Profit

We are a registered NGO promoting Lean Thinking and Practice in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Specialised Unit of the Graduate School of Business UCT

We were established in 2008 by Emeritus Prof Norman Faull as a centre of excellence. Our applied research approach enables us to provide high-quality content in our workshops, experience-based facilitation in our educational programmes and high-impact results for the private and public sector organisations with which we partner. 

Bringing the African lean community together

Each year we convene a national, lean conference, alternating between the Lean Summit Africa and Lean Healthcare Summit, drawing on renowned international speakers such as Jim Womack, Dan Jones, John Shook, Mike Rother, Michael Ballé and John Toussaint.

Making things better

Founded by Jim Womack and Dan Jones, the Lean Global Network is a community of thought-leaders and practitioners with the goal of making things better.

Our team

Samantha Allen

Samantha Allen

CEO

Samantha has extensive experience in a variety of industries which include Healthcare, Pathology Services, Oil and Gas and Financial Services. Samantha spent nearly a decade in the UK implementing Lean Methodology and Process Optimisation for the National Health Service.Read More

Norman Faull

Norman Faull

Chairman

Norman is the founder of the Lean Institute Africa, a Lean Executive Coach and formerly a Professor of Business Administration at the Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town. He was among the first researchers in South Africa to introduce innovative manufacturing and supply chain improvement concepts,Read More

Anton Grütter

Anton Grütter

Research & Development Director

Anton is a Lean Executive Coach and a member of the Management team. He has helped organisations to implement and institutionalise operational performance improvement programmes in industry, commerce and the public sector justice and healthcare systems for many years.Read More

Tshepo Thobejane

Tshepo Thobejane

Operations Director

Tshepo is a BSC Industrial Engineering graduate with a diverse working experience gained from working in manufacturing, management consulting, logistics, supply chain, banking and public healthcare. His career has focused on achieving operational improvement through the use of process improvement methods, Read More

Melika Chiswell

Melika Chiswell

Lean Coach

Melika is a Lean Coach at the Lean Institute Africa. Having originally qualified as a Registered Nurse, she went on to complete a Masters of Public Health and developed a keen interest in the implementation and management of systems, that ensure efficient and effective service delivery for the end user.  She has been actively involved in the implementation of lean practices and principles across multiple industries Read More

Ben Hoseus

Ben Hoseus

Lean Coach

Ben is a Lean Coach at the Lean Institute Africa. Ben partners with individuals, organisations, and enterprises on the journey of continuous improvement. Ben’s prior years of experience as a lean practitioner and advisor have provided him the opportunity to lead projects, facilitate executive training, and improve systems and processes in client engagements across the globe. Read More

Our Associates

Furuhashi

Furuhashi

Furuhashi has more than 40 years experience and is regarded as an expert in the implementation of the Toyota Production System, organisational transformation and leadership development. He has supported organisations in South Africa, Great Britain, India, Italy, Romania, Mexico and China. Read More

Jan Erasmus

Jan Erasmus

Jan started his working career as a mechanical design engineer. He has experience as a management consultant where he headed several interventions to improve productivity, improve customer care, reduce cost, and develop the leadership of companies and change cultures. Read More

Our Founders

DR. JIM WOMACK

DR. JIM WOMACK

Founder and Advisor of the Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI) Inc. The LEI is a nonprofit training, publishing, conference, and management research company chartered in August 1997 to advance a set of ideas known as lean production and lean thinking, based initially on Toyota’s business system and now being extended to an entire lean management system. Read More

PROF. DANIEL T. JONES

PROF. DANIEL T. JONES

Founder and Chairman of the Lean Enterprise Academy United Kingdom. Daniel T. Jones is a senior advisor to the Lean Enterprise Institute, management thought leader, and mentor on applying lean process thinking to every type of business. He is the author with James P. Womack of the influential and popular management books that describe the principles and practice of lean thinking in production, Read More

EMERITUS PROF. NORMAN FAULL

EMERITUS PROF. NORMAN FAULL

Norman is the founder of the Lean Institute Africa, a Lean Executive Coach and formerly a Professor of Business Administration at the Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town. He was among the first researchers in South Africa to introduce innovative manufacturing and supply chain improvement concepts, such as lean manufacturing, into the country. Read More

Head Office

+27 21 650 3758

Graduate School of Business
UCT Breakwater Lodge
V&A Waterfront
Cape Town

Our Global Network

News

SA Mass Vaccination Preparation: a View through a Small Window

U3A  (The University of the Third Age) hosted Prof. Norman Faull talking about the vaccine roll out in South Africa. Do take a look through his small window into the systems that will support this process and learn about his suggestions for simulations to strengthen...

As we learn by doing

One of the things that I appreciate the most about my work is the high amount of learning that goes together with doing my work. Recently I concluded a pilot project where we managed to reduce the average patient journey time (from arrival at the facility’s Admission...

A Call to Arms

The call to bare arms is now widespread. In Argentina. In Germany. In Indonesia. In fact, we see the call to arms in all the countries that have secured supplies of the vaccine to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. It is a call for upper arms to be bared, and injected. Our...

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