Speaking at his appointment at the Annual General Meeting of Members held on April 25th in Dublin, Mr Aherne said, “Some 75% of private sector employment in Ireland is provided by the SME sector and the failure to address the debt issue could result in a tragic vicious circle taking hold where companies have their lifeblood and ability to grow drained away by unsustainable debt service payments. We must break this circle before it is allowed to fatally undermine our economic recovery and the job creation we so desperately need in this country.”

Calling for a more innovative approach to SME debt to support the survival of viable small and medium businesses Mr Aherne said, “From the perspectives of both accountant and business owner, I have witnessed the landscape change rapidly in the last two years as conditions have become more and more challenging for small businesses. One of the most significant issues affecting SME’s in Ireland at the moment is the level of unsustainable debt that is impacting otherwise profitable operations. Recent reports from the Central Bank suggest that up to €25billion in SME debt is currently impaired. Job creation and growth are being stifled as profits are swallowed up by these debts. Ironically unless these businesses are allowed to grow, their capacity for servicing the debt is diminishing all the time”.

“We need the banks to take a much more imaginative approach to the restructuring of SME debt. In some cases a significant portion of the debt or even all of it should be warehoused with capital and interest payments ceasing for a certain number of years and interest payments ‘forgiven’ for the warehousing period. This would allow businesses the breathing space required to reinvest profits in growth, particularly in export based growth.

“In others, the banks may have to look at some kind of debt-for-equity swap deals which would again offer the businesses respite from onerous debt servicing costs but will still offer the banks the prospect of recovering their money in the longer term.”

Mr Aherne also spoke about the possibility of banks identifying and bringing new investors in to SMEs. In this instance, the new investors could recapitalise the business to the extent that the debt burden is lowered sufficiently to allow the business to recover and grow. However, the banks would probably have to look at some element of debt forgiveness in such cases in order to make the proposition sufficiently attractive to potential news investors.

“Such imaginative and innovative approaches by the banks would help regenerate confidence within the SME community and would have the potential to create their own momentum resulting in improved performance of many other outstanding SME loans. SME’s are our business heroes. Their growth and sustainability will be the key to Ireland’s economic recovery and it is vital that they get the support they need now to survive the current difficulties. The banks claim to be partners in the recovery, it is time that they proved it by bringing their skills and ingenuity to bear to lift the millstone of debt from thousands of small and medium sized businesses and their hundreds of thousands of employees throughout the country.” 

Mr Aherne is a past student of the Cork Institute of Technology. Mr Aherne has worked for many years in the food, healthcare, aviation and manufacturing sectors. In 1995, he established the Leading Edge Group – a consulting company supporting change and continuous improvement in organisations. The company has its headquarters in Cobh, County Cork with offices in the UK and Canada. He is on the Board of Court of Experts. Mr Aherne is married to Anna and has three children, Kayde, Ciara and Emily.

CPA Ireland is one of Ireland’s leading accountancy bodies with 5,000 members and students in public practice, industry, financial services and the public sector.

Toronto, CANADA– 24th April 2013, Leading Edge Group, the foremost international provider of change management and continuous improvement training and consulting services, today announced it will be delivering a free webinar in May entitled ‘The Role of Quality Improvement in Public and Community Health’ to launch the annual Ontario Public Health Association (OPHA) Fall Forum. The OPHA quality-themed webinar will be transmitted live on the 2nd of May by the eminent healthcare clinical consultant, Jane Bishop of Leading Edge Group.

The webinar ‘The Role of Quality Improvement in Public and Community Health’ will explore the following topics:
• The Importance of Quality Improvement in Public and Community Health
• Introducing Six Sigma as a Quality Improvement Methodology in Public and Community Health
• Deploying Six Sigma Tools and Practices in Public and Community Health
• Factors for Success and Sustainability

The live web-based presentation will be held at 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM (EDT) on 2nd May and is open now for registration at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/6211150719#.

The Ontario Public Health Association’s annual fall healthcare forum will be held on the 22nd October 2013 at Chesnut Conference Centre, Toronto and is open to members of public health organizations; healthcare professionals, academics and any members of the public interested in public health.

About Leading Edge Group:
Leading Edge Group is an international company that specialises in the area of change and continuous improvement by providing consultancy, corporate training and education to companies across multiple sectors. Established in Cork in 1995 and with international offices in Canada and the UK, Leading Edge Group is a global leader in the provision of Lean and Six Sigma consulting and change management, delivering strategic and operational improvements for organisations by enhancing customer service, increasing quality and efficiencies and optimising resources. Leading Edge Group also works in partnership with a number of academic and professional bodies to provide internationally accredited Lean certification programs. For more information visit www.leadingedgegroup.com.

About OPHA:
The Ontario Public Health Association (OPHA) is a not-for-profit organization that provides a strong, unified, independent voice for all citizens, public-health professionals and volunteers committed to improving the health of Ontarians. Through strategic partnerships with hundreds of health units, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), addiction centres, academic institutions and community health centres, OPHA has succeeded in influencing and addressing specific public health issues as well as broader elements of health policy. These include preserving the environment, promoting disease prevention, narrowing health disparities and reducing poverty.

Media information: Roisin FitzGerald, rfitzgerald@leadingedgegroup.com, +353 21 4855863

Joe Aherne, CEO commented on the expansion ‘This year both Ireland and Canada have seen a rise in demand for our Lean consulting and training courses, in quarter one alone we have trained  over 1,000 professionals, both on-site and on-line and are currently delivering eight international Lean transformation programs. This growth in business places huge demands on our resources and as a result we have added to our teams in Canada and Ireland. I am delighted to welcome Linda Hunter, Lean consultant with over 28 years experience in the Healthcare sector to the team in Toronto’. Joe added ‘We recently welcomed Damien Morris, formerly of GE, to the team as Operations Director to manage our organization-wide Lean transformations in the Irish and International markets.’

Linda Hunter is a nurse with a Master’s Degree – with over 28 years experience working in the health sector. Her areas of expertise include organizational change, performance measurement, quality and process improvement, and group facilitation. She completed her executive leadership training at Queen’s and finished the Champlain LHIN Senior Leadership Course. Linda is also a certified Patient Safety Officer, a Patient Safety Education Program facilitator and trainer. She recently held the position of Director of Quality and Patient Safety at The Ottawa Hospital, prior to that she worked at the Conference Board of Canada conducting research and at Accreditation Canada. Linda is a certified Green Belt in Lean and is currently finishing her PhD in Nursing Sciences at the University of Ottawa.Linda is passionate about quality and process improvement and patient safety. Linda thrives on helping staff and organizations reach their outcome goals.

About Leading Edge Group:
Leading Edge Group is an international company that specializes in the area of change and continuous improvement by providing consultancy, corporate training and education to companies across multiple sectors. Established in Cork in 1995 and with international offices in Canada and the UK, Leading Edge Group is a global leader in the provision of Lean and Six Sigma consulting and change management, delivering strategic and operational improvements for organizations by enhancing customer service, increasing quality and efficiencies and optimizing resources. Leading Edge Group also works in partnership with a number of academic and professional bodies to provide internationally accredited Lean certification programs. For more information go to www.leadingedgegroup.com.

Further information: Roisin FitzGerald, rfitzgerald@leadingedgegroup.com

Toronto, CANADA – 15th April 2013 - Leading Edge Group, the foremost international provider of change management and continuous improvement, today announced it has partnered with The Chemical Institute of Canada and the Canadian Society for Chemical Technology  to present a two-day Lean Sigma course specifically designed to enhance the knowledge and working experience of chemical technologists and engineers. This bespoke two day workshop will develop an understanding of the principles of Lean Sigma and a basic proficiency in applying key tools and practices in the workplace to achieve quantum improvements and will be delivered on June 3-4 in Edmonton,  Alberta and September 17-18 Toronto, Ontario. Participants on the program have the option of completing an exam to receive ‘Yellow Belt’ level certification – a continuous improvement qualification that is recognized across Canada and internationally.

The Chemical Institute of Canada (CIC) is the national, not-for-profit, umbrella organization that encompasses The Canadian Society for Chemistry (CSC),  the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering (CSChE) and the Canadian Society for Chemical Technology (CSCT) which is the national, not-for-profit, technical association that unites chemical technology professionals who work in industry, academia, and government.

Lean Sigma is a methodology that combines Lean and Six Sigma with a focus on reducing non-value-adding or wasteful elements in a process as well as enhancing quality through eliminating variation and errors. The successful application of the methodology and its associated tools and practices will help decrease/avoid costs, increase efficiencies, reduce turnaround time, enhance product and service quality and improve customer and employee satisfaction.

This course has been devised and will delivered by Leading Edge Group consultant and trainer Samantha Waytowich who been a Lean Sigma Black Belt for the past 8 years. Before joining Leading Edge Group, she worked within a national organization, supporting client services and analytical operations as a coach, trainer and project lead. Her work has extended throughout the value stream, with many project outcomes replicated nationally throughout the business. Samantha has been a board member on the Canadian Society for Chemical Technologists (CSCT) Board of Directors since 2006.  In this role, she has participated in many speaking engagements, attended board meetings with other executives and held the portfolio of student relations.

The two-day course will cover the data-driven improvement cycle DMAIC which is used as a core tool in Six Sigma organizational processes improvements. DMAIC is an abbreviation of the five improvement steps: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control and the course will define specific implements such as Data Collection, Process Maps, 8 Wastes, Stakeholder Management as well as the principles of Lean and where to apply Lean Sigma. For who would like more information on either of these Lean Sigma two-day courses in Edmonton (June 3-4) or Toronto (September 17-18) or wish to register for this course please email info@cheminst.ca.

The CEO of the Leading Edge Group, Joe Aherne, commented “Partnering with APICS gives us the ability to offer their full suite of training courses and certification programmes internationally recognised as the best in the industry. The curricula cover the full supply chain from foundation courses to certification programmes for senior supply chain professionals”.

Six Sigma focuses on enhancing the quality of processes by identifying and eliminating variation and errors that exist therein. This course will focus on how Six Sigma can be applied across the healthcare continuum to identify process variations that lead to defect errors, quality issues and associated costs. It will also focus on the effective use of data to drive and enhance quality patient outcomes.

Through this course, participants will gain fundamental knowledge in using the key tools and practices associated with Six Sigma such as DMAIC, basic statistical tools and data collection / analysis. They will also learn how to identify and eliminate variation in healthcare processes and measure the capability of common processes.

Learning Objectives
• Develop an awareness as to what Six Sigma can achieve in healthcare settings
• Gain an understanding of how Six Sigma is used in healthcare as a performance improvement tool
• Identify and analyze variation in healthcare processes and data
• Identify and effectively apply statistical tools used in Six Sigma projects

The Leading Edge Group program leader is Samantha Waytowich B.A.Sc., Lean Sigma Healthcare Black Belt.

Click here to register on-line.

A Lean transformation, delivered by the team of Lean consultants, is a universal company initiative adopted to create a continuous improvement culture whilst improving productivity performance. Leading Edge Group is currently providing six international Lean transformations to various sectors including food manufacturing, food retail, healthcare, electronics and technology.

Joe Aherne, CEO of the Leading Edge Group commented: “This appointment will strengthen our capacity to support our clients in achieving world class continuous improvement deployment that creates lasting value. Damien’s experience with blue chip clients such as GE and Telefonica O2, and his track record of achievement will significantly add to our core skills in Lean Six Sigma, project management and supporting culture change”.

Damien originally joined GE in 2001, as part of their IT organisation managing acquisition integration, ERP rollout and continuous improvement within their IT systems before becoming a certified Six Sigma Black Belt under GE’s internationally recognised Quality Leadership Programme.  During this phase he moved closer to operations taking on a series of corporate change projects to maximise value in the supply chain and improve overall business unit performance. 

In 2006 Damien joined Telefonica O2 Ireland as a Business Excellence Consultant before taking on the role of Business Improvement Program Manager, a role that included leading a team of change consultants, driving the implementation of a portfolio of change projects and developing the Lean thinking culture across the organisation resulting in over €30M in tangible benefits for the company. 

In 2010, he rejoined GE as a Global Project Manager working in the Global Operations team on a series of corporate change projects in the shared services arena as well as leading a programme to develop Lean Six Sigma and Project Management capability across the regions. 

Damien said about joining the Leading Edge Group: “This is a great opportunity to join a rapidly growing Irish company with a strong presence in international markets. The client base of the company is diverse and this really excites as it allows me the opportunity to work across a range of industries and cultures and to use my experiences within GE and Telefonica to help the team achieve its vision”.

About Leading Edge Group:
Leading Edge Group is an international company that specialises in the area of change and continuous improvement by providing consultancy, corporate training and education to companies across multiple sectors. Established in Cork in 1995 and with international offices in Canada and the UK, Leading Edge Group is a global leader in the provision of Lean and Six Sigma consulting and change management, delivering strategic and operational improvements for organisations by enhancing customer service, increasing quality and efficiencies and optimising resources. Leading Edge Group also works in partnership with a number of academic and professional bodies to provide internationally accredited Lean certification programmes. For more information go to www.leadingedgegroup.com.

Media Information:
Roisin FitzGerald, Leading Edge Group
Tel: +353 21 4855863
E: rfitzgerald@leadingedgegroup.com

Cobh, Ireland – 15 January 2012, Joe Aherne, CEO and founder of Leading Edge Group, the foremost international provider of change management and continuous improvement, will speak on front line innovations in business at the seminar entitled ‘Innovation – the Key to Success’ at Fota Island Resort Hotel on Friday 1st February. Joe, using the example of management consultancy company Leading Edge Group which has been successfully established in Canada for over five years, will cover how companies can launch and grow their businesses in overseas markets.

Commenting on the event Joe Aherne said: “Leading Edge Group is delighted to sponsor this Cobh & Harbour Chamber event as we are very passionate about utilising innovations in business. Using our own example we will show how it is possible to grow export markets from a local base without significant investments in capital. We have achieved sales in excess of $1m in our Canadian market and doubled sales in Ireland over a three year period using the internet and establishing a dedicated social media platform. We are now able to support companies located around the world to reduce waste and improve efficiencies using innovative tools and techniques from our bases in Cobh, Canada and the UK”.

The seminar ‘Innovation – the Key to Success’ is organised by Cobh & Harbour Chamber and features speakers Sean Gallagher, entrepreneur and former Dragon’s Den panellist, Joe Aherne of Leading Edge Group, Neil O’Carroll of Phillips 66, Cormac Fitzgerald of Bluehaven Food Company and Niall Hughes of Connect Ireland. This half day seminar on harnessing innovation in business will be held at Fota Island Resort Hotel on Friday 1st February. The event commences at 9am and registration costs €50 for Chamber members and €60 for non-members and includes a light lunch.

About Leading Edge Group:
Leading Edge Group is an international company that specialises in the area of change and continuous improvement by providing consultancy, corporate training and education to companies across multiple sectors. Established in Cork in 1995 and with international offices in Canada and the UK, Leading Edge Group is a global leader in the provision of Lean and Six Sigma consulting and change management, delivering strategic and operational improvements for organisations by enhancing customer service, increasing quality and efficiencies and optimising resources. Leading Edge Group also works in partnership with a number of academic and professional bodies to provide internationally accredited Lean certification programmes. For more information go to www.leadingedgegroup.com

Media Information:
Roisin FitzGerald, Leading Edge Group
Tel: +353 21 4855863
E: rfitzgerald@leadingedgegroup.com

“Small steps to get started right away. No waiting”  “you guys have actually empowered us”  “more in control” “This is stuff we can actually do tomorrow”

Leading Edge Group, the foremost international provider of change management and continuous improvement programmes, recently held a Kaizen Event for four western Canada hospitals led by Senior Healthcare Consultant Jane Bishop. A Kaizen Event is a Lean rapid improvement approach that aims to improve processes by eliminating waste and increasing efficiencies over a short period of time. The event can involve staff at all levels from directors to front line workers. A selection of testimonials commending Leading Edge Group’s facilitation from some of Canada’s preeminent hospitals are below:

- It's so good to have something to focus on instead of just running around in a circle.  To really understand what you guys are working with (from a nurse).  Hope that the work we've done this week can help make it better because it's just frustrating for everyone - they talk about it every day.  It's nice now to have a plan (and be on the same page as pharmacy). 

- We have a current process, we have a future plan and we have the steps on how we are going to change it and we are actually going to start Monday to do this.  This is stuff we can actually do tomorrow - wow!

- What I liked the most was actually having the small steps to get started right away.  No waiting...

- You told us we were the experts...the fact that you guys have actually empowered us so that we can actually do this is huge.  We're not just going to work and doing what someone else tells us to do (whether it's the right thing or not).  We can now all work together!

- Was great to learn that we all have the same problems and that we have the OK to go and do it and not just talk about it.  This at least tells us where to start trying, even if it doesn't work, we can then try something else.  We're not just stuck in the same thing. 

- Was pretty sceptical that it would do much but I do feel there is hope now and as long as we all keep moving forward and we work on this and then take on the next thing and that we all communicate still.  Now feel like we are all on the same team.

- I know that I was doing non-valued added things but to know that it was 18% was pretty disheartening.  But even coming up with the SOPs, (I realized) we are all tackling the same problem but we are doing four different things trying to tackle it.  We are all one big unit but we always feel so isolated and no one cares what we are doing.  But now, from whatever you try, I'll be looking and thinking that I might try that too or learn without having to try that way myself.  I'm excited to see how yours turn out.

-  I was so burned out yesterday (Day 2) and thought, did I really understand what they were saying (about value) but I'm so happy today.  There is a good outcome and hope. It used to be a happy place to work and then it just got frustrating.  Now we have the support and I look forward to that and working with the nurses too.  Understand it needs to be team work with other disciplines, not just us. 

- It's a great way to approach something and it gives you the tools so you can actually be part of fixing it instead of just being frustrated. 

- I believe change is necessary but I was constantly spinning my wheels and I didn't like it and I didn't like my job. But I feel now more in control in that it is up to me to make it better.  We've had so many things for us go downhill and it's just nice to know now that even if we don't have a Pharmacist, it's OK. 

- Excited for all the change.

About Lean:

Lean is a methodology and set of tools and practices that enables an organisation to better focus on what their customers want and need (value). Lean identifies wastes - activities that do not enhance the customer experience, and provides a means to remove or reduce them. This increases operational effectiveness and efficiency and results in significant cost savings or avoidance for the organisation, as well as greater job satisfaction for everyone working there. Becoming a Lean organisation enables a culture of ongoing continuous improvement, while the application of Lean provides a means to achieve, maintain and sustain a quality service delivery.

Leading Edge Group, the foremost international provider of change management and continuous improvement programmes partnered with University College Cork in 2004 to develop market-responsive Lean Supply Chain Management Green Belt and Black Belt programmes. Last week it was announced that student Eoin Broderick has been nominated for a Gold Award within PepsiCo Worldwide Flavours (PWF) for his Lean SCM Green Belt Project.

Eoin Broderick who is currently participating in the UCC/ Leading Edge Group Postgraduate Diploma / Masters in Supply Chain Management (Lean SCM Black Belt) is Inventory Manager with PepsiCo Worldwide Flavours. Eoin supported by his in-house project team undertook his Lean SCM Green Belt Project on the topic of Pallet usage. This has delivered over $100,000 annual savings, resulting in the project team been nominated for this Gold Award. The nomination is in recognition of the team’s outstanding accomplishments in the category of ‘Continuous Improvement (Cost, Quality, Service, H & S, Env etc)’, demonstrating clearly exceptional performance. The award is the highest recognition within PepsiCo Worldwide Flavours for employees proactively achieving cost savings outside of their day-to-day task.

Referring to the nomination, Eoin wished to thank Dr. Seamus O’Reilly and the Green Belt Tutor Joe O’Callaghan of the Leading Edge Group for the structure and academic learning’s that made this project feasible.

“I am delighted to see Eoin leverage the practical assignment part of his Green Belt learning into an impressive outcome for his organisation. I applaud PWF for acknowledging Eoin and the team that drove the improvement. It shows what can be achieved when one puts what you have learned into practice!”  Joe O’Callaghan, Green Belt Tutor, Leading Edge Group.
The awards will be announced on December 22nd 2012.

Leading Edge Group would like to congratulate Eoin and wish him the best at the awards announcements on the 22nd December.