Lean Audits Across Regional NSW Manufacturers

NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development: Lean Manufacturing Pilot Program and RBIP extension

The Client's Position

Extensive industry consultation by the NSW Government had made one thing clear: regional manufacturers wanted to adopt lean manufacturing principles, but had no reliable way to know where to start, what it would cost, or whether it would actually pay off for a business their size. The Department launched the Lean Manufacturing Pilot Program to fund a structured audit process and answer that question with evidence rather than assumption.

What Tektology Contributed

Tektology, together with our partner ORBIZ, followed a structured four-phase approach across regional NSW manufacturing sites. Consultants delivered foundational lean training on site, mapped value streams by hand, assessed each business's operational excellence and lean maturity, and carried out in-depth site evaluations. Just as important as the technical audit was the human one: consultants spoke directly with frontline staff and leadership at each site to gauge genuine willingness and capability to change, not just where the waste was hiding on paper.

The relationship extended beyond the original programme. Following the initial 59 audits delivered under the Lean Manufacturing Pilot Program, the Department commissioned a follow-on extension, RBIP, which delivered a further 62 audits, bringing the total to 121 manufacturers audited across seven regions.

Outcome

Across both phases, the programme audited 121 regional NSW manufacturers and identified 2,572 improvement opportunities, with an estimated AUD $361M in potential net savings over three years. Post-programme surveys found 98% of participants rated the audit team's professionalism, communication and technical knowledge as excellent or good, and 98% were satisfied or very satisfied with the audit process itself.

Several businesses have since engaged Tektology directly for follow-on work beyond the original government-funded programme. At PolyPipe, for example, a separate six-week engagement following their initial audit cut average changeover times from 208 to 127 minutes, a 39% improvement, unlocking an estimated AUD $376K in annualised opportunity.