Certified Consultant René Kindervater on improving with Cierpa Software

Cierpa Certified Consultant: René Kindervater

Certified for: Cierpa Kaizen

Improvement Consultant since: 2004

Companies:  KSL Solutions 

“For a lasting change in company culture, everybody needs to be on board. Cierpa Software is easy to use and results appear quickly. That’s great to get people on board!”

What does KSL Solutions do?

“We have a team of 7 people working on different improvement programs. We mainly guide companies with developing and implementing their operational strategy, mostly in the manufacturing and process industries. How can we shape the process for long-term optimization of people, process and result?”

What is your vision on improvement processes in general?

“Improving has its pitfalls, such as starting without a spot on the horizon. For instance, to get lasting change in company culture you need to get everybody on board: management and especially the work floor. That’s why we really focus on the employees: how do we get them on board? How can we support them as much as we can? An operational strategy is oftentimes a top-down program lasting several years. It’s important to be clear on who plays which role in the improvement program.  What do we do, what do you do? Once all of that is clear, you can start working bottom-up. And be a little bit better every day.”

“Cierpa listens to the market and to the consultants. That’s why the software gives us what we really need.”

How does Cierpa Software connect with your way of working?

“For employees, Cierpa Kaizen is a great way to get to know the new software and start working differently. It’s very easy to use and the results appear quickly. We start with some simple activities on the work floor: everybody’s happy to see paper-based action lists and single Excel sheets disappear. That’s a great way to gently get the employees moving – and that’s what we want.

The Kaizen-app helps too. It really makes work easier for people on the work floor. No more leaving the hall, washing hands and typing on the computer: just use a mobile phone and upload a picture of the situation.

The great thing is that everyone in every department unknowingly starts working the same way. That’s also great for multiple sites, where recognition is company-wide. You can even stimulate it by creating internal competition by comparing charts from other sites. This way, everybody grows into the same software system.”

“Cierpa Software is very easy to work with. From the work floor to the management team, anyone can use it.”

Do employees need a lot of training to start using Cierpa Software?

“Not really. The software is really simple. From the work floor to the management team, anyone can use it easily. And once people know Cierpa Kaizen, it’s a small step towards Cierpa OEE or Cierpa Competence, because the look and feel of the software is already familiar.

In addition, we work with a “team manager year program” for people that manage teams of about 10 people. Each week we also talk about LEAN and leadership. We’ve included Cierpa Kaizen in it too. This way, we can optimally support team leaders with management.”

“I bring in clients for Cierpa, but as a certified consultant, I also get clients from Cierpa. That’s a win-win situation!”

What made you join the Cierpa Certified Consultant (CCC) program?

“First, it’s really the versatility of the software. Cierpa listens to the market and to the consultants. That’s why the software really delivers what we need. Second, the software is easy to use, from implementation to every-day use. You can even link several improvement modules, so you can internally link from one software module to the other. In addition, you can instantly monitor progress, so you don’t have to go look for updates and reports before a meeting.

So yes, I like to work with Cierpa Software. I bring in clients for Cierpa, but as a certified consultant, I also get clients from Cierpa. That’s a win-win situation!”

Cierpa Software advantages, according to René Kindervater:

• The software is designed well from a business point of view and meets the need of the work floor

• Cierpa is a great company to work with. The head quarter is located in the Netherlands; they are easy to reach, great to work with, and they listen to the market and the consultants.

• Department status is instantly visible, no need for visits to get information or documentation for a meeting or overview

• The web-bases software makes for easy implementation

• The software is easy to use, from the work floor up to the management

• Links between the different improvement modules save time; no need to open a different program each time, just click and work

Getting started with the consultants of KSL-Solutions

René and his colleagues from KSL-Solutions get the most out of the improvement processes of its customers with Cierpa Software. Contact them to look at the possibilities for your organization!