Jan Brosnahan and Doug Kuchta

Watlow’s Lean Accounting journey started at the 2005 Lean Accounting Summit in Dearborn, MI. CFO Steve Desloge brought the financial controllers from all the company’s plants as well as the corporate offices to the Summit and they were challenged by what they saw and heard. Shortly afterwards Watlow began the process of introducing Lean Accounting methods throughout the company’s six domestic and three overseas manufacturing locations.

Watlow – leading designer and manufacturer of heaters, controllers and temperature sensors – began Lean Accounting at their controls plant in Winona, MN. Their journey includes the identification of value streams, visual performance measurements, value stream costing and box scores, new pricing and decision-making methods, and sales, operations, & financial planning leading to a thoroughly different (and leaner) approach to value stream management.

Jan Brosnahan, Controller, and Doug Kuchta, Value Stream Manager, will describe the process of introducing Lean Accounting methods within their own plant and value streams, and also how the company has approached the rapid implementation of Lean Accounting across its multiple plants.’