Speed Leadership. Continuous Improvement

This is my archive

LEAN for Micro Programme

We are delighted to announce that the Dublin City Council, Lean for Micro Programme cohorts are commencing for 2018. This programme is… Read More

Experiencing a need for specialists for startups, SMEs and multinationals

By Pádraig Hoare Marvel Studios’ latest Avengers movie, Infinity War, has reached $1bn (€835,774,000) in record time, evidence of the enduring appeal of a wide ensemble of superheroes with different types of troubleshooting gifts. Cobh-based chief executive of Leading Edge Group, Joe Aherne, is no superhero. But the consultant with over 30 years’ experience has assembled a team of specialists with a range of experience to hire out for specific roles in startups, SMEs, and multinationals, that he thinks can shake up the business world. The off-shoot company, ReganStein, allows companies to uniquely search for expertise as needed — be it short-term, longer-term, or even for one-off tasks.It was founded to fill a gap for the immediate supply of middle to senior management specialists. Read More

‘My biggest loss, by far, was purchasing Eircom shares’

ReganStein appeared in the Irish Times on May 8th 2018 – Me and my money: Joe Aherne, Managing Director, ReganStein. Written by Tony Clayton-Lea, The Irish Times. Are you a saver or a spender? I am definitely more of a spender. I spend a lot of money on golf balls as I lose so many off the tee every week in Cork Golf Club! Do you shop around for better value? Yes, but mainly for clothes. The best value is the Eaton Centre in Toronto. The prices are typically 20-25 per cent cheaper and there always seems to be an excuse for the retailer to offer various discounts for birthdays, various seasons of the year, Canada day, coupon rebates, you name it. What has been your most extravagant purchase and how much did it cost? Regretfully, 15 years ago and on the spur of the moment, I decided to purchase an apartment in Almeria in Spain for around €140,000. I sold it 10 years later for €75,000 and was lucky to get it! On top of that, we never furnished or used the apartment so not my best decision – as my wife keeps reminding me. Thankfully, other investments worked out okay. Read More

Lean is the way to go in Pigs, and not just on the Plate

When you hear “Lean” and “Pigs” in the same sentence, it is natural to automatically think of the best cuts of pork. But in this case, it’s not about taking the fat out of streaky bacon, it’s applying the toolset and principles of Lean Manufacturing in an area where it hasn’t previously had much exposure in Ireland; the Pig Farming Industry. That’s what Leading Edge Group, amongst other companies, has been doing for the past couple of months. As part of a Bord Bia/ Teagasc/ Enterprise Ireland initiative, 30 of Irelands top pig farmers have been participating in a large scale feasibility study looking at the improvement’s that can be made to a farms operations and profitability by applying the well-established Lean Manufacturing tools and principles on Piggeries. As part of the project, consultant Barry O’Brien has worked closely with several clients, one of whom is Pat O’Keeffe of O’Keeffe Piggeries based in Ballylough, Mitchelstown, Cork, Ireland. Read More