TPS
Operational Excellence · Toyota Production System

MORE OUTPUT FROM
THE FLOOR YOU
ALREADY HAVE.

Fourtre recovers productivity, lead time, and delivery performance inside your existing operation — and builds the leaders who sustain it. The method is the Toyota Production System, deployed where the work happens by OMDD / TSSC-trained practitioners.

Request an Engagement → The 90-Day System →
Est. 2006 · Toyota OMDD / TSSC Trained · The Source.
Q3 2026: 1 engagement slot remaining · Next intake Q4
25+
Years TPS Practice
200+
Kaizen Events Facilitated
40%
Avg. Productivity Gain
Who We Are

WE DON'T CONSULT FROM CONFERENCE ROOMS.

Fourtre Consulting partners with companies who are serious about transformation — not incremental tweaks, but the kind of deep operational change that moves the needle on safety, quality, cost, delivery, and culture simultaneously.

We accept a limited number of engagements each year — and we say no to more than we take on. If leadership isn't ready to commit to real change, we'll tell you, and we'll decline the work. Our calendar is the constraint, and we protect it.

We've been in your building, on your floor, and inside your numbers. Whether you're a Plant Manager fighting chronic waste, a VP of Operations executing a productivity mandate, or a C-suite sponsor launching an enterprise-wide operational transformation — we speak your language and deliver results you can measure.

The methodology is Toyota's. The commitment is ours.

Credentials
TOYOTA OMDD &
TSSC TRAINED
Our consultants were trained directly through Toyota's Operations Management Development Division (OMDD) and the Toyota Supplier Support Center (TSSC) — the same rigorous methodology Toyota uses to develop its own operations leaders worldwide.

This isn't adapted TPS. This isn't "Lean-inspired." This is the source.
OMDD Certified TSSC Trained Authentic TPS Toyota Methodology
The Problems We're Called In For

WHEN THE FLOOR CAN'T KEEP UP
WITH THE ORDER BOOK.

Most of our clients don't call to talk about Toyota. They call because output, delivery, or margin is under pressure — and the usual fixes haven't held.

Capacity
Output capped by labor you can't hire
Demand is there, but you can't staff to it — and every new hire takes months to reach rate.
Delivery
Missed shipments & slipping schedule attainment
The plan says one thing, the floor does another, and the customer feels the gap.
Cost
Overtime eating the margin
You're paying premium hours to hit numbers that standard hours should already cover.
Quality
Escapes reaching the customer
Defects found downstream — or in the field — instead of caught at the source.
Lead Time
Too slow to compete
Cash and responsiveness both trapped in a process that takes far longer than it should.
Sustainment
Gains that vanish when the consultants leave
You've improved before. It didn't stick, because nothing changed how the floor is run day to day.

These aren't culture problems or tooling problems. They're system problems — and the Toyota Production System was engineered to solve exactly them. We install the operating system that makes performance repeatable.

Why This Is Different

NOT LEAN CONSULTANTS.
TOYOTA PRACTITIONERS.

Almost anyone can earn a certification and run an improvement event. Our consultants were trained inside Toyota's own OMDD and TSSC organizations — and have deployed this work on live production floors, not in classrooms.

Typical Lean Consultant
  • Lean certification, learned in a classroom
  • Tools installed, then handed off
  • Slide decks and recommendations
  • Improvement events that fade
  • Leaves you a report
Fourtre
  • Trained inside Toyota's own OMDD & TSSC
  • Real deployment on live production floors
  • Side-by-side coaching on the gemba
  • A daily management system your leaders run
  • Leaves you an operating system that sustains
The Fourtre Operating System

THE FACTORY
PERFORMANCE SYSTEM.

Every Fourtre engagement installs one system. Not a toolkit, not a workshop — a connected operating system that runs the floor and holds the gains. Each service that follows is a layer of it.

01StabilitySafety, 5S, and a floor you can plan on
02Daily ManagementFMDS, hour-by-hour, tiered accountability
03Standardized WorkThe repeatable method behind every result
04Leadership DevelopmentTeam & Group Leaders who run the system
05Problem SolvingA3 and root-cause capability at every level
06Model LineA proven reference the rest of the plant can copy
07Enterprise DeploymentScaled across lines, plants, and sites
08SustainmentLeader standard work and audits that lock it in
What We Do

OUR SERVICES

Each of these is a layer of the Factory Performance System — deployed on its own or as part of a full operating-system build, from rapid kaizen events to long-term transformation.

01
Jishuken Kaizen Events
Intensive, structured improvement workshops that deliver measurable results in days. Cross-functional teams, real problems, real solutions — not simulation exercises.
→ Flagship Service
02
Shop Floor Leadership Development
Team Leader and Group Leader capability programs. Standardized Work, FMDS, visual management, and daily accountability systems that outlast the engagement.
→ Culture Change
03
TPS Operating System Design
End-to-end operational system builds — JIT, pull systems, takt-based production, 4M change control, and Andon escalation frameworks built to Toyota standard.
→ System Build
04
Executive Hoshin Deployment
Translate boardroom strategy into shop floor reality. Hoshin Kanri cascade, KPI architecture, and PDCA governance that connects every level of the organization.
→ Strategy Execution
05
OEE & TPM Programs
Equipment reliability strategies, loss-category analysis, and total productive maintenance rollouts that reclaim hidden capacity and eliminate chronic downtime.
→ Asset Performance
06
Gemba-Based Assessment
Rapid two-day floor assessment with a prioritized improvement roadmap. Know exactly where your operation stands and what to attack first — no fluff, no filler.
→ Quick Start
Greenfield · Production Preparation (3P)

The Factory Performance System doesn't only recover operations that are already running — it designs new ones right the first time, with daily management, Standardized Work, and problem-solving engineered in from day one instead of retrofitted later.

Pre-Capital Design · 1–3 Weeks
3P Design Event
A focused design intensive for a new line or cell — flow, layout, takt, and Standardized Work resolved before capital is committed. The expensive decisions get made on paper, not discovered on the floor.
→ Design it right the first time
Design to Ramp · Multi-Month
New Line / Plant Launch
End-to-end stand-up of a new line or facility — carrying the 3P design through build-out, daily management install, and ramp to stable, rated output. The management system goes in with the equipment, not after it.
→ Output stable from launch
Real-World Results

CASE STUDIES

Three engagement examples. Three industries. Measurable outcomes that speak for themselves.

Frozen Food Processing · Business Turnaround
SAVED IN 6 WEEKS.
NOT 6 MONTHS.
The Problem
A frozen food processor faced bank action on a $20M loan — six months of no profit, order fluctuations, inventory chaos, and operational breakdown. Fourtre had 8 weeks to turn it around.
The Strategic Pivot
✅ Convert C-Suite financial goals into actionable shop floor metrics
✅ No plan survives first contact — execute in real time
✅ Lead time is the ultimate metric
✅ Standardized Work deployed across three facilities for lasting sustainment
The Outcome
✔Business returned to profitability in  6 weeks
✔Lead time reduced by  46%
✔Overtime reduced by  90%
✔A third-generation family business was saved
Read the full case study →
Global HVAC Supplier · Cost Reduction
$8M SAVED.
3 MONTHS.
The Problem
A global residential HVAC supplier saw a 20% spike in conversion costs driven by low productivity and inexperienced management — threatening revenue across multiple sites.
The Strategic Pivot
✅ Convert C-Suite financial goals into actionable shop floor metrics
✅ No plan survives first contact — execute in real time
✅ Lead time is the ultimate metric
✅ Standardized Work and management coaching locked in gains across all sites
The Outcome
✔$8M in conversion cost savings within 3 months
✔Revenue grew from  $75M → $90M/month
✔Recovered  $17M in lost sales via improved supplier performance
Read the full case study →
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage · Lead Time Reduction
120 DAYS TO LESS THAN 15.
The Problem
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage faced federal pressure to cut loan modification time. The process took 120+ days — creating regulatory risk and massive customer impact across three campuses.
The Strategic Pivot
✅ Convert C-Suite financial goals into actionable shop floor metrics
✅ No plan survives first contact — execute in real time
✅ Lead time is the ultimate metric
✅ Process standards established across 3 campuses for cross-site consistency
The Outcome
✔Loan processing time cut to  <15 days
✔Rework reduced by  86%
✔Consistent results across all 3 campuses
Read the full case study →

Your operation has a number like these waiting to be recovered. Let's find it.

Request a Diagnostic Conversation →
How We Work

THE ENGAGEMENT MODEL

Four phases. Measurable outcomes at every step.

1
Gemba Assessment
Two days on your floor. We observe, document, and prioritize. No assumptions — only what we see.
2
Roadmap Design
A structured improvement roadmap tied to your strategic targets, built around your team's capacity.
3
Kaizen Execution
Facilitated events with your people. We teach while we improve — capability transfers in real time.
4
Sustain & Scale
PDCA governance, leader standardized work, and audit systems that lock in gains and spread them across the plant.
The TSSC Methodology

MODEL LINE ENGAGEMENT

The TSSC model line approach is how Toyota actually transfers TPS — not through classroom lectures or tool installations, but through hands-on learning by doing, anchored in a focused pilot area where real problems get solved with real people.


The model line becomes a living laboratory — a place where leaders experience TPS firsthand, build the muscle to sustain improvements, and develop the confidence to spread the system across the rest of the organization. This is the Fourtre Consulting engagement model. It is the same approach TSSC has used with over 500 organizations since 1992.

PHASE 1
🎯
Top Management Workshop
2.5 Days
Senior leaders (CEO, COO, VP) learn TPS philosophy, understand their role in transformation, and align on the business need driving the engagement.
PHASE 2
🔍
Select Model Line / Pilot Area
Weeks 1–2
Identify the highest-priority value stream or work area. Start from need — the most pressing operational problem becomes the teaching ground.
PHASE 3
🛠️
On-Site Coaching & Kaizen
9–12 Months
Weekly on-site presence. Consultants work side-by-side with your leaders implementing TPS — building stability, flow, pull, and built-in quality through repeated PDCA cycles.
PHASE 4
👥
Leader Capability Development
Concurrent
As we improve the model line, we simultaneously develop the internal leaders who will sustain and spread TPS. The goal: your team coaches themselves.
PHASE 5
🚀
Sustain, Spread & Scale
Ongoing
The model line becomes a showcase. Proven gains are locked in with standardized work, FMDS, and daily management — then replicated across the enterprise.
MODEL LINE → ENTERPRISE
→
Stability First One-Piece Flow Pull Systems Built-in Quality (Jidoka) Visual Management Leader Standardized Work Daily Management (FMDS) Problem-Solving Culture
The model line proves it works. Then your leaders spread it. That's the Toyota way — and it's how lasting transformation happens.
Domain Expertise

SPECIALTIES

Every discipline in TPS — applied at depth, not surface level.

Toyota Production System Jishuken Kaizen Standardized Work FMDS Hoshin Kanri OEE / TPM Shop Floor Leadership Gemba Visual Management Takt Time Kanban PDCA A3 Problem Solving 5S Andon Yamazumi 4M Change Points Muri / Mura / Muda Operational Excellence Continuous Improvement Group Leader Development SWCT OMDD / TSSC JIT DOWNTIME Analysis
Online Learning

LEARN TPS ON YOUR SCHEDULE

Not every transformation starts with an on-site engagement. Fourtre Consulting's online learning platform gives your team access to Toyota Production System fundamentals — built by OMDD and TSSC trained practitioners, not adapted from a textbook.

Our courses are designed for Team Leaders, Group Leaders, and Operations Managers who need working knowledge of TPS concepts they can apply immediately on the floor.

🏭
Introduction to the Toyota Production System
FOUNDATION
📋
Standardized Work
OPERATIONS
📊
FMDS & Visual Board Management
LEADERSHIP
🔄
Kaizen Fundamentals & A3 Thinking
PROBLEM SOLVING
🎯
Shop Floor Leadership Development
LEADERSHIP
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🎓
FOURTRE
LEARNING
Self-paced courses built on authentic TPS methodology. Learn at your pace, apply it on your floor.
Access Online Courses →
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The People Behind the Work

OUR CONSULTANTS

Toyota-trained practitioners who've done this work inside the world's greatest production system — and now bring that knowledge directly to your organization.

Monte Mitchell
Monte Mitchell
President & CEO · Principal Consultant
★ LEI Faculty · OMDD Trained
Monte began his career at Toyota's NUMMI facility, managing Production, Special Projects, and the TPS Group. In 2003, he was selected from over 600 managers to join Toyota's three-year Executive Development Program at OMDD, where he led jishuken across North American Paint and Plastics facilities and deployed TPS at supplier companies — mentored by members of Toyota's elite OMCD. He founded Fourtre Consulting in 2007 and has since applied TPS across automotive, retail, finance, healthcare, and building products industries on a global scale.
Toyota OMDD NUMMI / TMNA Jishuken Lead LEI Faculty 35+ Yrs TPS Global Deployments
Paul Hamilton
Paul Hamilton
Senior TPS Consultant
★ Operations Executive · OMDD Trained· President-Optimum Value Partners
A strategic and tactical organizational leader with 28+ years of Toyota-trained TPS experience, Paul brings rare depth to every engagement. His tenure with Toyota's Operations Management Development Division shaped a practitioner who moves fluidly from C-suite strategy to frontline standardized work. At Avon Technologies, he served as President of Global Operational Excellence and CI, deploying TPS culture across international operations. Known for translating high-level financial objectives into measurable shop-floor outcomes that stick.
Toyota OMDD Global OpEx C-Suite to Floor 28+ Yrs Experience CI Transformation
Salvador D Sanchez
Salvador Sanchez
Senior TPS Consultant
★ LEI Faculty · TSSC/OMDD Trained · CEO-Operations Management Consulting
Sal's TPS journey began in 1990 at NUMMI, where he progressed from Assembly Team Member through Team Leader, Group Leader, and ultimately Manager of the Plastics Plant. He spent three years at Toyota North American HQ learning TPS directly from Japanese managers at TSSC/OMDD, then traveled to 100+ plants across 20 countries as Global Senior Manager for a Toyota supplier's Operations Excellence team. His certifications from Toyota include Standardized Work, Master Train-the-Trainer, and Problem-Solving Facilitation — earned in Japan.
TSSC / OMDD NUMMI 20 Yrs 100+ Plants Global LEI Faculty Toyota Certified SW Jishuken Facilitator
Matt Wehr
Matt Wehr
Senior TPS Consultant
★ LEI Faculty · TSSC/OMDD Trained · CEO-Big Four Lean
A former Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America executive, Matt was trained by general manager-level sensei under former TSSC presidents Hajime Ohba and Hideshi Yokoi. From 2002–2009 he led TPS transformations across all Toyota North America Assembly plants, overseeing national workshops in powertrain, stamping, body weld, paint, plastics, and assembly. A graduate of Harvard Business School, Matt brings executive breadth — equally at home guiding boardroom strategy and coaching frontline leaders on the gemba.
TMENA Executive TSSC Trained LEI Faculty Harvard MBA All NA Assembly Plants Executive Coaching
Timothy Benningfield
Timothy Benningfield
Senior TPS Consultant
★ 30+ Yrs Manufacturing · Automotive & Industrial · Multi-Plant Leader · Toyota "A" Supplier
Tim brings more than 30 years of hands-on TPS and manufacturing leadership spanning automotive, building products, packaging, and industrial spring manufacturing. His decade-long tenure at Akebono Corporation — where he implemented TPS and JIT across three plants and served as Plant Manager — built the shop-floor foundation that defines his practice. Subsequent roles at Tomkins Building Products, Caraustar (Operational Excellence Business Partner), and Automatic Spring Products Corporation — where he rose from Plant Manager to Director of Manufacturing over a combined nine-year run — demonstrate a track record of sustained operational transformation at scale. At Fourtre, Tim deploys TPS principles where they matter most: the floor.
Automotive / Industrial TPS & JIT Multi-Plant Leadership Director of Manufacturing 30+ Yrs Experience Akebono · Tomkins · Caraustar
Lysandra Michele Thomas
Lysandra Michele Thomas
Senior TPS Consultant
★ 24 Yrs Toyota · TSSC · OMDD · 45+ Projects · Founder, A Second Look Consulting
Lysandra built her TPS foundation from the floor up — beginning in 1991 as a Production Team Member in Body Weld at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky (TMMK), where she contributed to production of the Camry, Solara, Sienna, and Venza, advancing to Group Leader by 1997. She joined Toyota's Operations Management Development Division (OMDD) in 2011 and transitioned to the Toyota Supplier Support Center (TSSC) in 2016, where she coached and developed organizations beyond Toyota, guiding 45+ projects across 18 companies and nonprofits before retiring as Senior Manager in December 2024. In 2026 she founded A Second Look Consulting to continue her mission of driving operational excellence through authentic TPS culture.
Toyota TSSC Toyota OMDD TMMK · 24 Yrs 45+ Projects TPS Culture Non-Profit & Industry
// Is Your Operation a Fit?

WE TAKE ON A FEW
ENGAGEMENTS A YEAR.

If your leadership is ready to commit to real operational change, request a diagnostic conversation. We accept only the engagements where we know we'll move the needle.

Request a Diagnostic Conversation →
Q3 2026: 1 slot remaining · Next intake Q4