We are Public Sector Process Improvement Specialists

We help busy professionals enhance operational performance by providing process improvement expertise to optimise their processes and maximise productivity.

Almco brings together Lean, Programme Management and Change Management expertise from both private and public sectors. Over the years there have been many learning points and if was to pinpoint the single most important thing I’ve learnt as a public sector Lean specialist – hands down it would be that change is all about people!

I’ve successfully led many transformation programmes and worked with many public sector organisations to deliver large and small scale change. The secret of my success? Working with people, being laser focused on delivering tangible change and going the extra mile to fully understand what needed to be delivered.

Lean Health and Social Care

There are many differences between change/process improvement initiatives in the private and public sector. I should know as I started my career in the manufacturing sector. I was a supplier development leader working with first tier car manufacturers like Toyota and Honda and then moved to work at Rolls-Royce Aerospace tasked to improve supplier quality, cost and delivery performance.

After a while all the travelling nationally and internationally eventually took its toll and I decided that I needed to do something different. I was fortunate enough to get a role doing what I loved best i.e. ‘Lean’ this time as a public sector Lean specialist in health and social care settings particularly in NHS secondary acute and local government social care settings. I’ve worked with numerous NHS Trusts up and down the country in my role as a Management Consultant for Deloitte, Capita and for smaller Lean boutique consultancies.

Whilst the learning curve was steep I discovered some crucial points that would lead to a successful career undertaking transformation as a public sector Lean specialist i.e. Lean in the public sector is;

1. all about the people
2. all about the people
3. it’s still about the people
4. you getting the point – it’s all about the people
5. quality is essential
6. improving access times (aka delivery in manufacturing speak)
7. do all the above well – then you save money i.e. reduce costs!

Almco – Company Values

1. We’re here to help you add value. It’s simple and clear. We’re here to help you be better and add value to your patients, citizens or customers.
2. We deliver tangible change. Delivering something that is ‘real’ is something we take great pride in. Talk is cheap as the saying goes. We work hard to deliver sustainable and visible change.
3. We work in collaboration and co-design is at the heart of our approach as public sector Lean specialists
4. We’re not hear to show you how clever we are. It sounds odd, but we’re not. You’ll see how good we are not just by the results but by how we get those results. See point 3 above.
5. Listen first. If we do not understand what you need (and sometimes what you need isn’t necessarily what you want) how can we help you improve. See point 1 above.

Trust

You’ve probably guessed by now that an essential point for any public sector Lean specialist to remember at all times is that Lean is all about the people! To work effectively with people and teams you have to gain their trust. Simple. Without authentic trust it’s practically impossible to build meaningful relationships and without relationships it’s difficult to ‘engage’ people and win hearts and minds. I know it sounds cliche but it’s one hundred percent true.

At Almco we strive towards the excellence of ‘trust’. Listening, understanding, sincerity and friendship are invaluable by-products of ‘how’ we work with our customers. As each one is unique, with differing wants and needs, our goal is to offer a bespoke service that is tailored to your requirements.

I truly look forward to working with you. We’re here to help, and by the way if you’ve not noticed we’re pretty good at Lean in healthcare and social care.