Explore Our Latest Thinking

Practical ideas, perspectives and industry experience from IPA, our members and specialists.

14 September 2026 • Efficiency Works

Kaizen vs Lean: What’s the Difference and How Do They Work Together?

Kaizen and lean are two of the most widely used terms in process improvement — and two of the most commonly confused. Many ...

09 September 2026 • Efficiency Works

Lean Supply Chain Consulting: Cut Lead Times and Reduce Stock Costs

Australian businesses are carrying more stock than they need, waiting longer than they should, and paying more than ...

28 August 2025 • Efficiency Works

Practical Ways to Lead Through Change

Change is essential for growth. Yet, even the most well-intentioned and well-planned initiatives often meet resistance—from ...

22 February 2024 • Efficiency Works

Success Needs a Plan

Strategic Planning is vital for organisations as it provides a roadmap for achieving long-term goals

29 November 2022 • Efficiency Works

8 Ways to Eliminate Waste in Your Business & Supply Chain

In this episode at Supply Chain Partners TV & Podcast, Robert Briffa, the Business Manager at Efficiency Works, ...

23 September 2021 • Efficiency Works

Proactive Problem Solving for the Modern Organisation

Most companies aren't run much differently than they would have been 50 years ago.

30 November 2020 • Efficiency Works

What is the problem...with your Continuous Improvement?

It is easy to get excited about how continuous improvement tools (Lean Six Sigma)

20 May 2020 • Efficiency Works

7 Ways to Improve The Impact of Your Lean Initiative (Part 7)

PART 7: Leverage the mutual interdependence of Systems Thinking and Lean (Michael Ballé 2009)

29 April 2020 • Efficiency Works

7 Ways to Improve The Impact of Your Lean Initiative (Part 6)

PART 6: Focus on “rapid learning cycles” * using A3 Thinking (and PDCA)

18 March 2020 • Efficiency Works

7 Ways to Improve The Impact of Your Lean Initiative (Part 5)

PART 5: Value Stream Mapping to work on real bottlenecks and constraints.

19 February 2020 • Efficiency Works

7 Ways to Improve The Impact of Your Lean Initiative | Leader Standard Work

PART 4: Leader Standard Work

22 January 2020 • Efficiency Works

7 Ways to Improve The Impact of Your Lean Initiative (Part 3)

PART 3: Understand the important role of leadership

18 December 2019 • Efficiency Works

7 Ways to Improve The Impact of Your Lean Initiative (Part 2)

PART 2: Begin with the end in mind.....and connect the vision with daily management

27 November 2019 • Efficiency Works

7 Ways to Improve The Impact of Your Lean Initiative (Part 1)

PART 1: Steering Group to guide and monitor

05 March 2019 • Efficiency Works

Why do Business Improvement teams often struggle to get results?

As an organisation whose core services revolve around Lean and Continuous Improvement, Efficiency Works regularly interacts ...

19 February 2019 • Efficiency Works

What are Gemba Walks and why they should become Standard Work?

The Gemba Walk is a walk through the value creating (or destroying) processes of your business.