János Karsai, Lean Manager at ALUFLEXPACK’s Umag plant, will share his experiences at this year’s Lean Academy on how ALUFLEXPACK embarked on its transformative journey toward operational excellence. Discover the challenges they faced before implementing DMS and how DMS became a cornerstone in optimizing their operations.
János Karsai brings over 19 years of Lean methodology expertise in multinational environments across two countries. His extensive experience spans production and warehouse management, production transformation, continuous improvement, Lean project execution, leadership, and team management. As Lean Manager at ALUFLEXPACK, János leads initiatives to implement Lean processes and systems, driving operational excellence throughout the organization.
We thank him for taking the time, despite his busy schedule, to engage in a conversation and answer a wide range of questions.
1.What key challenges related to the topic of your presentation have you successfully addressed, and how have they impacted business results?
The key challenge in implementing DMS (Daily Management System) is demonstrating to all stakeholders that regular daily activities—such as Gemba walks and daily meetings—are not an additional workload. (A common excuse is: “I have so much work, I don’t have time for these.”) Instead, DMS is a method to structure existing tasks in a far more efficient way. I addressed this by showing how these daily events help solve many tasks and make others significantly easier. For example, instead of individually communicating with all stakeholders, a two-minute update during a daily meeting is often sufficient. Since implementing DMS, we’ve assigned an average of 2-3 tasks per day, with over 80% completed on time.
2.How did you gain support from leadership and employees for implementing organizational methodologies, and what obstacles did you have to overcome?
Leadership and employees require entirely different approaches. Leadership needs results. No matter how impressive your presentation about future plans may be, they will immediately ask about current results and future projections. So, give them what they want: show cost savings from reduced machine breakdowns, the increasing number of tasks completed month by month, and the resolution of quality issues through continuous improvement projects. For employees, the focus is on how Lean transformation makes their work easier. For example, demonstrate how 5S simplifies product changeovers or how autonomous maintenance reduces machine breakdowns. Show them how their contributions align with company targets, such as OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) and waste reduction.
3.What innovative approaches or tools do you use to improve process efficiency, and what results have you achieved with them?
In short: use automated solutions, custom-made reports, and AI. Automated solutions save time on administrative or analytical tasks, allowing you to focus on managing real improvements. Custom-made reports from your ERP system can also streamline processes. For example, a complex report that used to take 5-6 hours to compile from multiple Excel sheets now takes just three clicks in the system. And then there’s AI—the eighth wonder of the modern world. If used correctly, AI can handle much of the background work, enabling you to achieve far more. You won’t necessarily work less, but you’ll accomplish significantly more.
4.How does your improvement philosophy influence long-term strategy, especially in the context of digitalization and Industry 4.0?
My improvement philosophy is rooted in continuous, step-by-step improvements based on data-driven decisions and employee empowerment. This aligns with our company’s long-term strategy of efficiency, flexibility, and sustainability. Industry 4.0 tools are key to this transformation, but they must serve the processes and people—not the other way around. We use these tools to make the best data-driven decisions possible, support employees in their work (not replace them), and enable business expansion through adaptability (rather than becoming a constraint).
5.What advice would you give to companies just starting their transformation journey? What are the key steps to take and pitfalls to avoid?
My advice boils down to three key points:
- Identify and involve key stakeholders early. These aren’t necessarily top executives but often middle managers. Once they understand and embrace Lean principles, it becomes easier to cascade these principles throughout the organization.
- Ensure accurate and fully available data. If you don’t have reliable data, your first step is to establish systems to collect it. No analysis or improvement can be made with incomplete or inaccurate data.
- Celebrate every small success. Don’t wait for a project to be fully completed. Highlight every step forward and every task solved. This builds momentum and makes it easier to get colleagues on board.
6.What business mistakes have you made in the past that provided you with the most valuable lessons, and how have you applied them to your development?
I strongly dislike micromanagement, so in the early days of implementing improvements—such as Gemba walks or 5S—I would often let processes run on their own, trusting they would sustain themselves. This was a huge mistake. In the beginning, when introducing new practices to hundreds of employees, strong controls are essential to ensure these improvements don’t become temporary initiatives forgotten after a few months. To address this, we implemented regular task reviews, strict schedules for Gemba walks, and frequent 5S audits with immediate feedback to employees.
7.How do you prefer to spend your weekends when you want to disconnect from work and recharge your batteries?
The first step to recharging is keeping my laptop in its case and out of sight! Once that’s done, I focus on relaxing and enjoying my time. I prefer active weekends, exploring Istria or other parts of Croatia with my wife, or even venturing into neighboring countries like Slovenia, Italy, or Bosnia. Often, we combine these trips with concerts by our favorite bands. That said, I also cherish weekends spent resting on the couch and watching Netflix—those are just as important and needed!
8.What message would you like to convey to the potential attendees of your presentation, and what will be the greatest added value for them?
The main message of my presentation is that continuous improvement isn’t (always) rocket science. It’s about taking simple, consistent steps that collectively deliver significant value. Persistence is key, as is having accurate data and information. Automated solutions can drastically reduce time spent on administrative or analytical tasks, freeing you to focus on driving real improvements. Attendees will leave with practical insights on how to implement these principles in their own organizations.
🌟 Join us at LEAN ACADEMY 2025 and gain firsthand insights from top Lean experts, including János Karsai!🚀
