For many of us, Christmas seems to creep up quietly, and be over all too quickly. Thankfully, there are dedicated organisations such as Hlanganani Ngothando, that make Christmas into something worth looking forward to.

Every year, Hlanganani Ngothando facilitate "The Shoebox Project" to deliver shoeboxes filled with treats as well as necessary items to children in need. Thinking People recognise the importance of creating basic stability in children's lives so they also stand a chance of a brighter future, and we ensure every year that we contribute both time and funds to this worthy cause.

Should you wish to learn more or be part of delivering hope to children, visit www.hno.co.za

You may be surprised to find that many of the projects you have been working on already make a difference to your focus on environmental sustainability.

Think about some of the projects you have been involved in:

• Layout improvement and 5S Kaizens that result in less transportation waste (Less emissions!)
• Set-up time improvement to maximize flexibility and capacity utilization (Less energy waste! Less materials waste!)
• Improvement in the number of scraps or reworks (Less materials waste!)
• Boiler efficiency project (Less emissions and water usage!)
• Packaging cost reduction (Less refuse! Less materials waste!)
• New light timer system (Less energy waste!)

Alignment between Green Thinking and your existing improvement strategies is therefore not so far-fetched.

Taichi Ohno was considered the father of the Toyota Production System, and he provided us with a guideline on the common wastes found in processes, that hinder delivering value to the customer. Over time, these wastes have been modified, but the basic principles remain. Click here to view these wastes.

Thinking People have taken this one step further. We encourage you to expand your thinking to include the 7 Green Wastes. Look at the time-line from the moment the customer gives you an order, until you collect the cash, and find all the possible opportunities to reduce the Green Wastes within that time-line.

Is there a business case for Green Thinking? Can it improve the top and bottom line? Consider these questions, and draw your own conclusions:

• Will a reduction in Energy, Water, Emissions, Transport, Garbage or Material Waste impact your costs and therefore your profit margins?
• Will your company be more attractive to investors if you can demonstrate a focus on environmental sustainability?
• Will more markets open up from discerning customers, should you present a more responsible image?
• Will your customers and consumers think more of you, and can this build loyalty towards your company or brand?

Join us this July for a workshop covering the fundamentals of Green Thinking and how a systematic approach can deliver results both for the organisation and sustainable development. We will present the steps to seek out and address the 7 Green Wastes, as well as demonstrate how this thinking has benefited a variety of organizations, from small to listed entities.

A comprehensive workbook to guide your leadership team through the development of an improvement and learning culture. Includes theory, templates and exercises to practically apply in your own environment.

Contact us for more information.