Eric Lail, vice president of Total Insight Performance Solutions, will be sharing his expertise on the LEAN business approach at the Operational Excellence Conference on October 3-4 at Eccles Conference Center located at Utah State University.

Lail's presentation, "Extended LEAN: LEAN for the Total Supply Chain," will explain how the "Extended LEAN" approach allows clients to tackle the hidden wastes up and downstream beyond their four walls. Lail is one of the world's 200 Shingo Prize Examiners, a coveted recognition only given to individuals after a rigorous approval process. Examiners are then able to evaluate, assess and award companies that are implementing LEAN business processes throughout their enterprise.

The 38th annual conference is hosted by Partners in Business, a nationally recognized program sponsored by the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at USU. The program brings experts from across the United States to share their advice and experience with business professionals and students.

In addition to Lail, other Shingo Prize representatives and LEAN experts will be presenting. The LEAN objective is to preserve value with less work by reducing waste (non-value added steps). These steps contribute to inventory carrying costs, longer lead times, quality defects and increased labor costs.

Lail has been in the LEAN manufacturing industry for 18 years. He began his career at the HON Company working as the Rapid Continuous Improvement Consultant. As General Manager of the Hickory Chair Company, he implemented a LEAN pull system approach for a highly customized product line. He has led many companies down the LEAN path as VP for multiple sites and is now proud to represent Total Insight and sister company, Transportation Insight, a third-party logistics (3PL) provider.

LEAN processes have saved companies millions of dollars. Total Insight focuses their strategic services extensively on LEAN expertise in logistics operations, performance management and sourcing. This combination gives clients something not easily found in LEAN or logistics communities.

"The reality is that most companies focus on what's going on inside their four walls, which is typical of the first three to five years of business. There is not a lot published about waste outside of those four walls," says Lail. "Most companies don't have the expertise to see the waste in the supply chain, let alone attack it. What makes Transportation Insight unique is that we have the resources to connect their businesses. We act as a support for them."