Industry Day

Lean Festival

Lean Awards Festival
  • Event
  • April 24, 2025

Learn, connect and celebrate operational excellence.

The Lean Festival brings together industry leaders, professionals and enthusiasts to share knowledge, network with peers and discover innovative solutions that drive operational excellence. Throughout the event, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of sessions, including keynote presentations, interactive workshops and engaging round table discussions. 

Why attend?

  • Gain practical insights from expert speakers
  • Engage in meaningful conversations and network with industry leaders
  • Be inspired to drive operational excellence within your organisation

Join us to learn from experts, share best practices, and gain valuable insights that will empower you to drive efficiency and innovation within your organization, while connecting with like-minded professionals and being inspired by this unique opportunity.

Interested in joining the festival?

Register by 9 April 2025

Programme

lean festival
13:00 - 13:30  Welcome and registration 
13:30 - 17:30 Workshops and keynotes at different stages
17:30 - 18:00 Lean Festival Awards Ceremony
18:00 - 18:30 Wrap up, closing and Q&A
18:30 - 20:00 Walking dinner
13:30 - 17:30 Lean Fair

Breakout sessions and speakers

Speakers

Tom Vermeir 

PwC Belgium

Olivier Maillet

PwC Belgium

How a continuous improvement program can drive operational excellence and value creation

In this transformative session, discover how a Continuous Improvement Program can serve as a catalyst for operational excellence and value creation across your business. We will explore the development of a comprehensive CI strategy which is scalable towards a multi-site setting. Attendees will gain insights into strategic planning and execution techniques necessary to build a cohesive framework that not only enhances operational efficiency but also nurtures a culture of continuous improvement, bottom-up and top-down. This session will address best practices for overcoming common challenges. Participants will leave equipped with the tools and methodologies to standardize processes, minimize variability, and achieve consistent, high-quality results across diverse locations.

Join us to discover how a continuous improvement program can drive operational excellence and value vreation. 

Speakers

Laurent Brackenier

PwC Belgium

Identifying and tracking value in continuous improvement programmes

This session focuses on how your EBITDA improvements can be identified and realised using a pragmatic approach. We will explore a hypothesis driven approach that enables companies to identify and quantify improvement potentials and design a roadmap for delivering them. Furthermore, practical client examples will demonstrate the importance of using a well-designed value tracking system to monitor progress once implementation of the improvement initiatives begins.

Join us to discover how to monitor progress, validate results and achieve sustained improvements through effective value tracking.

Speakers

Thomas Colebrants

PwC Belgium

Lean Six Sigma tools & predictive analytics in action: a hands-on problem-solving workshop

Description: In this interactive workshop, participants will have the opportunity to tackle a real-world case using Lean tools and methodologies. Designed for professionals eager to enhance their problem-solving skills, this session will guide attendees through the process of identifying root causes, implementing effective solutions and driving continuous improvement. Through collaborative exercises and hands-on activities, participants will learn how to apply Lean principles to streamline processes, reduce waste and achieve measurable results.

Join us to experience the power of Lean tools in action and gain practical insights that can be applied to your own projects and initiatives.

Speakers

Eulalie Bauwens

PwC Belgium

Syrah Bilsen

PwC Belgium

Strategy in action: Bridging the Gap to Shop Floor Success – a collaborative round table

Join us for an engaging and interactive round table workshop focused on the critical process of translating strategic projects into actionable plans on the shop floor. This session is designed for professionals who are passionate about bridging the gap between high-level strategies and operational execution and are eager to share their insights and experiences.

Participants will collaborate with peers to discuss real-world challenges and explore best practices for aligning strategic objectives with shop floor capabilities. The workshop will feature open discussions, allowing attendees to gain valuable perspectives and practical knowledge that can be applied to their own projects. Key topics will include overcoming communication barriers between management and shop floor teams, implementing effective change management practices, and utilizing tools such as Lean Six Sigma to drive continuous improvement.

Whether you're a project manager, operations leader, or part of a strategic planning team, this workshop offers a unique opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and enhance your expertise in transforming strategy into successful execution. Join us to learn, collaborate, and contribute to a dynamic conversation on driving success from strategy to shop floor.

Speakers

Julie Delville

PwC Belgium

Margaux Dorthu

Knauf 

 

Unlocking the power of Lean Six Sigma: Transformative quality management

In this session we will take you on a journey that uses a real-world case study from the insulation industry to show how the implementation of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) principles sparked a significant evolution in quality management. Our client’s experience demonstrates how the LSS DMAIC approach not only improved product quality but also unlocked opportunities for a comprehensive quality management system (QMS) overhaul. We will delve into every step of the project, from assessing the current state and envisioning the future to successfully implementing transformative changes. Discover how to build a robust QMS, establish clear governance and foster a culture of quality awareness within your organisation. This session is your gateway to understanding how strategic quality improvements can drive sustainable success. 

 

Join us to learn and elevate your organisation's quality management practices.

Speakers

Sara Leroi-Werelds

Hasselt University

Beyond the Buzzword: Customer Centricity Unlocked

In today’s fast-changing and competitive business world, customer centricity is a key driver of success. This session goes beyond the buzzword by ‘unlocking’ the House of Customer Centricity, a newly developed framework that is based on academic research and business insights. Attendees will gain a deep understanding of customer centricity and explore the building blocks of a truly customer-centric organization. By linking this framework to Lean Six Sigma, we shed light on how customer centricity can be translated from theory into practice. Real-world examples illustrate how leading companies have used Lean Six Sigma to become more customer-centric and enhance their products and services.

Join us and discover how you can integrate customer centricity into your organization to drive continuous improvement.

Speakers

Khalid Benaîssa

IKEA Belgium

Unveiling IKEA Belgium's Lean Journey: A Path to Excellence

Join us for an exclusive presentation by IKEA Belgium and discover how IKEA embarked on their lean journey to transform logistics efficiency.

Learn about the beginnings of lean methodologies at IKEA Belgium and explore the cultural shift that will be made. From a pilot and business case which paved the way for implementation, to the team that was set up to drive this transformation. Get insights into the current stage of their lean journey and discover the concrete tools used to implement lean.

Don't miss this opportunity to see how IKEA Belgium is setting new standards in logistics efficiency and team engagement.

Speakers

Lucas Cornette

PwC Belgium

Wouter Travers

PwC Belgium

Harnessing GenAI for continuous improvement

In this keynote session, we will explore the transformative power of artificial intelligence (AI) in driving continuous improvement. Attendees will gain insights into how (gen)AI technologies are revolutionising traditional processes, enhancing efficiency and fostering innovation. The session will cover real-world examples, highlighting success stories and lessons learned. Participants will also learn about AI agents that can be leveraged to optimise workflows, reduce waste and achieve operational excellence. 

Join us to discover how (gen)AI is shaping the future of continuous improvement and how your organisation can harness its potential to stay ahead in a competitive landscape.

Lean Fair: Discover, connect and grow 

Join us at the Lean Fair, where you will have the opportunity to explore a variety of interactive booths and engage with cutting-edge solutions in Lean Six Sigma and continuous improvement. This fair is designed to provide a hands-on learning experience, featuring exciting activities such as a Lean Six Sigma escape room, a VR site visit and the chance to conduct a quality assessment for your organisation.

Additionally, you will discover innovative tools for tracking overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and more. Network with industry experts, share best practices and gain valuable insights to drive efficiency and excellence in your organisation. 

Lean Festival Awards

The Lean Festival Awards celebrate excellence in Lean (Six Sigma) practices and continuous improvement across various industries. This event recognises organisations and individuals that have demonstrated outstanding commitment to Lean principles, achieving remarkable results in efficiency, innovation and operational excellence. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from the best, as award winners share their success stories and insights into their Lean journeys. The awards ceremony will highlight exemplary projects, innovative solutions and impactful initiatives that have set new benchmarks in Lean implementation. 

Interested in joining the festival?

Registher here by 18 April 2025

Contacts

Jochen Vincke

Partner, Ghent, PwC Belgium

Email

Koen Van Kerckhoven

Senior Manager, Brussels, PwC Belgium

Email

Valerie Janssen

Senior Associate, Brussels, PwC Belgium

Email

Hanne Bockstal

Senior Associate, PwC Belgium

Email

Connect with PwC Belgium