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Team Member Profile

Ron Taylor

Ron is a highly experienced Lean Process Improvement Facilitator and Leadership Coach who has helped many organizations in manufacturing, healthcare, and government achieve Operational Excellence by implementing the principles, systems, and tools of the Toyota Production System.

Ron began his career at the Johnson Controls factory in Ontario, Canada, a leading supplier to the Toyota plant in Cambridge, Ontario. Like all top Toyota suppliers, this Johnson Controls plant was deeply committed to operational excellence based on the Toyota Production System, which is the basis for Lean. Ron lived in a culture of continuous improvement and learned the Lean tools in the high-performance environment at this plant.

Ron began his career at Johnson Controls as an Electrician Tradesman. During his years at this plant he progressed to the roles of Controls Engineer, Maintenance Supervisor, Engineering Manager, Production Manager, Launch Leader, and finally, Facility Manager. His outstanding performance in all of these roles gave him a thorough and practical knowledge of all aspects of industrial operations. His hands-on, front-line experience with Lean forms the basis for his exceptional ability to work with all levels of any organization, from line workers to the C-suite to teach and coach Operational Excellence. His focus on the front line; his inherent respect for people; and his humble, respectful, yet deeply knowledgeable approach enables him to work successfully with each individual, no matter their role in the organization..

During Ron's tenure at Johnson Controls, the plant won Chrysler's Pentastar Award, Toyota's Pinnacle Award, and the highly regarded national Lean award, The Shingo Prize.

Ron was recruited by John Beakes, Chairman of OPS, then the President and Co-Founder of RWD Technologies, to join the 150-person Lean team that was working on the global transformations of Ford, Jaguar Chrysler, and other Fortune 100 organizations. Ron quickly earned a leadership role on the team that was implementing the Ford Production System at all of their factories world-wide.

Ron then formed Value Stream Production Systems, where he serves as President. Most recently, he is working with OPS on the Lean Transformation at the U.S. manufacturing operations of a German manufacturer of vacuum pumps. Ron worked with OPS Chairman John Beakes on the highly successful transformation of several manufacturing plants at J. B. Poindexter & Company. Ron works with OPS on select assignments, and with other high-quality Lean consulting organizations.

Ron has assisted dozens of organizations, either directly or as a subcontractor to other Lean firms in: Strategy Deployment; Operating System Development; Organizational Structure; Level Scheduling; Material and Information Flows; Plant Layout; Planning; Internal Logistics; Supply Chain; Standardized Work; Problem Solving; Error Proofing; Total Productive Maintenance; Leadership Standardized Work; and Leadership Coaching.

Ron earned the internationally recognized designation of Certified-in-Management from the Canadian Institute of Management. This certification required extensive course work in all aspects of business at the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario. He holds a Certificate in Electronics Engineering from Fanshawe College, London, Ontario