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About UsMy name is Gabriela Drescher. I am an engineer, a Christian, a wife and mother of two (not necessarily in this order, depending on whom you ask), a friend, a proud dog owner (87.5% lab, 12.5% golden retriever as my brother, a vet, informed me) and a very passionate lean manufacturing manager. I assume you are interested in my lean credentials. My journey started over 20 years ago, after my graduation from the university in Romania, with a Master's degree in Applied Sciences (Engineering). The decision to leave my country and move to the North American continent was followed by years of hard work and preparation. Finally, 14 years ago I moved to Canada together with my son. I enrolled in a Co-op program in Toronto that gave me the chance to gain Canadian work experience as an engineer. Subsequently I got my first job in the engineering field. That job took me through several companies in Ontario, Michigan, Ohio and Indiana where we installed turnkey systems for the automotive industry. I ended up working as an engineering manager. But my personal life suffered because of my extensive travel so I decided to settle down in a company that did not demand me to be away from home. My son and I developed a much closer relationship that lasts to this day. Then the company I was working with was taken over by a Toyota supplier. And from that point on, I was able to witness and be part of a tremendous lean transformation of the whole enterprise. From a company deep in the red, we turned it around into a profitable business. Lean manufacturing was at work. At that time I also got the title of professional engineer in the province of Ontario. A few years down the road I met my future husband. That event made me decide to follow him and I moved to a different town and company. Extensive lean training was provided to me and I became the lean design champion for the company. But it didn't seem enough for my desire to embrace lean and I took it upon myself to get more training from the ones I considered the best at that time: Lean Enterprise Institute. I paid a lot of money and obtained the title of lean trainer for the value stream mapping. Finally I started to see the profound effect of the seven wastes (or eight, if you consider the under-utilization of the human potential). So, I decided that I wanted to dedicate all the time to the implementation of lean manufacturing. I was offered a full time job as a lean manufacturing manager with another company that supplies Toyota among others and I accepted it gladly. I've been practicing lean for many years now and the true power of lean never ceases to impress me. Every time when I help sister companies to implement or improve different lean tools I can see the excellent results of teamwork and correct application of proven methodologies. You may find providers of lean training, lean consultants and so on. Remember that if the theory is important, the correct application of lean is crucial to your success. I discovered through my own experience what works. My site is meant to share this knowledge freely with the seeker of knowledge in the lean manufacturing field. If you are one of those, welcome to my site! For privacy reasons, I cannot provide pictures with examples from the companies I've been working with. I have to apologize for this inconvenience and promise to make it up to you in other ways. My wish to you is: Live Lean and Prosper!
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