 Dr. Davies began her own lean journey in the 1980’s as a Senior Consultant and Manager of Program Review and Development for the original Productivity Consulting Group. This group was:
- Founded by Norman Bodek, who developed and provided the cutting edge Japanese improvement technology that is today’s standard lean practice worldwide.
- Known for having researched, developed, and applied the first quality methods from the US and Japan based upon the Toyota Production System, a cornerstone model for both the service and manufacturing sectors.
Dr. Davies is also one of the very few consultants who worked and learned from the seminal leaders in the field, many of who were first published and promoted by Productivity, Inc.
These include:
- Shingijutsu Group: Cell design and standard work
- Shigeo Shingo: Zero Quality Control & SMED
- Bunji Tozawa: Kaizen Teian Systems
- Ryuji Fukuda: Policy Deployment, Cedac™
- Shigehiro Nakamura: Standardization
This position was instrumental in Dr. Davies expanding her knowledge to become an expert in kaizen/lean leadership, practices and implementation.
Dr. Davies was hand selected in 1994 by founders Stu Chalmers and Kim Kaddatz to work with the Kaizen Institute as a key consultant and account manager. The Kaizen Institute (KI) was one of the first Lean Consulting groups in the USA, and was founded in Japan by Masaaki Imai, author of the seminal book "Kaizen". As a consulting partner, Dr. Davies has provided consulting, strategic management and client management services to their international consulting group since that time, all with a common purpose – to create world class Kaizen organizations.
Her roles and work have included:
- Director of the North America Strategic Business Unit in a major leadership restructuring.
- Served on the KI global leadership council for US, Canada and Mexico.
- Worked with European and Asian KI units to reestablish integrated and seamless consulting relationships and services.
- Conceived and collaborated with the KI German Office to initiate an English version of their Study Tour for non-German companies. This established an invaluable training ground for new consultants and clients today. (Study Tour: An International group of executives who visit other companies for research/knowledge.)
- Worked with the CFO and CEO to bring on affiliate partners, facilitating their strong partnership with Kaizen Institute of Mexico, and supporting the Mexico Director’s development as the succeeding Director for the SBU. This important move further integrated the North American growth possibilities through the marriage of the mature US market and growing Central American market.
- Partnered with the late Stu Chalmers for 10 years (a close friend and colleague and founding member of the USA Office of the Kaizen Institute Design) that resulted in the development of the Kaizen College, variety of organizational improvement tools and assessments, and next generation lean applications.
Toni Davies earned a joint Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate School and San Diego State University, and her Bacholors Degree from Denver University.
Dr. Davies was honored to have studied with Peter Drucker during this time applying this knowledge to her own research on leadership, organizational structure and their effects on productivity.
RECOGNITION
- United Electric Controls cited Dr. Davies for her assistance in their successful application for the 1989 Shingo Prize for Manufacturing Excellence.
- Dr. Davies was also one of only two consultants to receive the Ford Customer Driven Quality award (1994) in recognition of her work with Ford and its suppliers in Error Proofing (Poka Yoke).
- Dr. Davies has worked closely over many years with Dr. Ryuji Fukuda, her sensei and the originator of the Deming prize winning Cedac™ method, and collaborated with him on his latest book Building Organizational Fitness (1997)
- Dr. Davies was recognized twice by the Kaizen Institute for her outstanding account management services.
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