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Leverage Your Time: We Have the Crow Bar
Do you need someone to fill a skill gap or to build around it on your team? Want help managing the load of projects on your plate? Looking for support to increase your production capacity to whatever sales promised? Sometimes as an operations leader, you just need help leveraging your time!

Strapped for resources?
our solutions
Like you, we have managed operations and understand that given the resources or time, you would likely do it yourself. Yet every year it seems to get more challenging to find new ways to reduce costs and improve the process. Our intent is to be a fresh set of eyes and see the things that you would see when you walk into someone else’s shop. Think of us as your utility man!
Step 1:
Plan
- Vision Organization
- Policy Deployment
- People Analyzer
- KPI Development
- Value Stream Mapping
- Prioritization of Key Problems
- Data Architecture
Step 2:
Do
- Kaizen/5S Events
- Physical Plant Transformation
- Supply Chain Development
- Master Scheduling
- Process Engineering
- Project Management
- ISO Implementation
- Preventative Maintenance
Step 3:
Check
- KPI Review
- Dashboard Analytics
- SQDC (Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost)
- Safety Audits
- Quality/ISO Audits
- Service Level Review
- Costdown Initiatives
- Financial Analysis
Step 4:
Act
- Culture Transformation
- SOP Development
- Lean Training
- Integration
- Onsite Leadership
- Mentorship

Stay on track
I need a Thousand Shipped by Friday!
You are studied in the art of Lean or Six Sigma. As you know, conducting Kaizen or 5S events is not rocket science. It just takes time, of which you have none because someone in sales decided to sign up the company for an unrealistic deadline to ship product...and didn’t tell you...until the week it had to ship. It’s OK, we get it, Operations is always cleaning up the mess.
Tackle Your Goals
Key Benefits
Sometimes you just need a problem taken care of and someone you trust to hand it to. As lean champions, we are passionate about bringing a team around a problem that needs solving. We like rolling up our sleeves to do the work, so you don’t have too!
What Success Looks Like
• More time for you
• Better clarity for areas of improvement
• Teams that will help you drive the change
• Less stress

Time to clarify
THE PROCESS
Our goal is to keep it simple. We work together to ensure we understand the core value of the company and the offering to the customer. With that, we map the elements and metrics to define success. Then we execute!

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I started working with The Next Step Inc. as I was entering a new company and new role. Their understanding of the markets and ability to map out what buyers are thinking was critical for me to get up to speed quickly. It’s great to have a metric focused marketing firm that is always pushing to drive value and uses the data to bring clarity to where we need to put our resources. I have really been impressed and enjoyed working with them.
TONY NORRIS

I worked with Jeff and his team to build out our first Google Ad campaign. We hadn’t done one before and their team was able to do the heavy lifting. They understood my market and products, mapped out the forms, built the content, and launched the campaign. Within a few weeks the new ad was driving 25% of our website traffic with one ad! I didn’t need to write content, project manage or really get involved. This is the way a marketing firm should work.
STEVE SOWADA

I was given Jeff’s name as a recommendation from a friend. The front-end assessment of our business and market helped align our team quickly. Within a matter of a week, they built out the highly professional content with a clear value proposition message. They helped us focus on a few key materials that would drive value in the sales process. The Next Step team managed everything so I didn’t have to, and also were able to get grant money in the process to help pay for the efforts.
DAVID KENSINGER

I sat down with Jeff to talk about building a new website for my business. He quickly assessed that before we could build anything, let’s first go work on selling a system so that we could understand what was actually needed to market the product. His approach of finding the key elements to close business was impressive, and I enjoy working with someone who understands the technical nature of my product.
JOHN GETTER

Jeff was hired on a consultant basis and got busy. 6 weeks down the path, we now own a clear vision and template for New Product Development predicated on market data. This guy is 110% devoted to the science of business and product development.
JAMES WERLER

We have been working with Jeff at The Next Step for about two months and we have made more progress than over the last 5 years. He was able to come in and work with our Team and create systems to eliminate wasted time and effort. He was also good at working with the different personalities involved and uncovers the underlying issues. I would highly recommend him.
DENNIS STOFFELS

Jeff has served as a board member for Manufacturers Alliance since 2012. His insights have always challenged our thinking and helped us to get to the next level. Having someone I can trust that will take over and drive a program so I don’t have to is so relieving. It allows me the ability to stay focused on running the business. If you have a project that needs to get done, give them a call.
KIRBY SNEEN

I served as a board member for a small manufacturing company Jeff was working on. Within 6 months of starting the company had built out a new brand, found new channel partners, moved the facility, gotten to profitability, and started their lean journey all while evaluating and hiring staff to meet the company objectives. Jeff’s well rounded business knowledge makes him a key resource that can solve any business challenge. If you are struggling with a problem and need some support to drive through it. The Next Step Inc. is your team.