Meet Patrick Kalshoven
Co-owner and 5S/CI Consultant
An energetic 48-year-old business expert with a passion for change management and a keen eye for visual solutions. Creative, integrally thinking and proactive. Growing up in an environment where entrepreneurship is in the blood, he has learned that failures are often the best learning moments. Outside his working hours you can often find him doing odd jobs and also restoring a vintage 2CV, a perfect reflection of his love for experimenting and creativity.
SUCCESS IS MORE THAN MEETING EXPECTATIONS
For Patrick, success in his work is more than just meeting expectations; “It's about seeing people who go beyond the plan, who have learned and apply new insights in different situations. I get my energy from sharing knowledge and seeing people who independently tackle new things. It's great to experiment with improvements and see how they really work. I am especially strong in visualization, app-development and sales. Making complex factory processes understandable and designing intuitive program interfaces are my specialties. My interest in 5S and Continuous Improvement started during my business studies studies. Those boring subjects next to change management motivated me to dig deeper and discover how we can really optimize business processes.”
What sets 5S and CI Company apart and do you think makes it so powerful?
“We are not a standard training agency; we understand the customer's problem and the process inside and out. Our motivation is to really understand what is going on. We dive in together, share knowledge and skills and don't let go. Our approach is holistic; we provide support throughout the entire process. That is where our strength lies. We are a versatile team, each with our own specialties, but with one common goal. Our strength lies in open and transparent communication, where we continuously encourage each other to grow and learn. Due to our diverse backgrounds, we complement each other perfectly, which ensures a constant energy boost, even during the most demanding moments for our customers.”
How do you keep a company motivated if the process is not running smoothly?
“If a process is not going as smoothly as expected, we dig deep as a team to understand what is going wrong. We remain proactive and constantly ask ourselves: what could be improved? Sometimes there are situations that are beyond our control, but that doesn't stop us from continuing. It is important that the preconditions are clear and if that is not the case, we will enter into discussions to rectify this.”
Do you also apply the lean and 5s theory at home (in your daily work)?
"Of course! I made my wife happy by labeling laundry baskets for color, white, black and towels, which helps us sort the laundry before it goes in the machine. We have a shelving unit where each laundry basket contains the appropriate detergent. My tools and materials are also neatly sorted in transparent bins, so we can quickly check stock without having to open everything.”
Patrick's advice to other companies looking to implement 5S and CI:
“Start with small steps and dare to experiment. View your company through the lens of Lean and discover what you can improve, for example by applying Kaizen. Start with the essentials. As soon as you get a taste of improvement, energy will naturally arise. Always remember: an organization is not shaped by structures, but by the people who are part of it.”
