Hugh Eastwood recognized a changing market for photo books and wall décor, as more clients wanted multiple formats, substrates and variations. "The plain-vanilla, basic, 11-by-8-inch book is long gone," he says. Brands located across Australia and New Zealand now want a world of on-demand options for their personalized products. "The challenge for every manufacturer is how to do it," says Hugh, Managing Director of Australia-based Photo Create.

He and his team have been working on that challenge for 10 years. During that time, the company has learned how to move away from batch-and-queue manufacturing and adopt lean manufacturing processes. Today, Photo Create offers nearly 1,000 photo, gift and home products, all delivered with the precision and efficiency of just-in-time manufacturing.

The team's continual-improvement mindset and methodology have been guided by a Japanese sensei, a consultant who formerly ran a plant at Toyoda (the parent company of automaker Toyota). The sensei has helped Photo Create adopt, execute and advance its lean processes. The team now knows which indicators and incidents lead to delays and errors, and every person, machine, method and material is tracked and held accountable for adhering to established standards.

"It's fun," Hugh says. "It becomes a way of life and way of thinking that leads to continuous improvement."

In this sit-down conversation at Edge Indy with Amy Yu, Dscoop's Community Success Manager for the Asia-Pacific/Japan region, Hugh shares his thoughts about the value of lean manufacturing to his company and clients.