When a company looks to improve its profitability and place in the market, a good place to start is from within by improving efficiency, leadership, and company culture, which is often the difference between advancement and stagnation.
Lean Fox Solutions, based in Huntington Woods, MI, has created a unique niche to help firms of all sizes to transform how they lead, operate and expand through the quantitative analysis of Six Sigma and the waste reduction strategies of Lean.
Todd Sperl, the Founder and CEO, stated that his company provides tools for success and consulting that surpasses basic classes and quick follow-ups. LFS works closely with its clients to understand each need.
“They are the experts; I am the process improvement expert,” Sperl said. “We challenge each other to find the best solutions.”
Sperl started the business in 2008, following a 15-year career in healthcare. He consulted with hospitals and medical facilities and later branched out into manufacturing, technology, and sales. Under the manufacturing umbrella, LFS has worked with aerospace companies, assembly plants, and foundries.
“We come in and help streamline how companies make widgets or how patients move through a facility,” Sperl explained. “While companies hire us to optimize operations and drive financial results,” he continued. “But what truly energizes us is transforming the work environment. We help leaders and front-line teams see their processes through a new lens – one that’s focused on continuous improvement. Regardless of industry, our approach strengthens leadership structures and operational systems. The tools are universal – the impact is always measurable.”
“It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in – our approach improves leadership structures and systems,” Sperl said. “As Tom Heetderks writes in Work Worth Doing, ‘If something can be done better, do it better.’ I believe we’re each thoughtfully placed where we are to bring order to chaos and elevate how work gets done.”
The Structure
Lean and Six Sigma combine efficiency (Lean) and quality/variability control (Six Sigma), supplemented by leadership and behavior/culture work.
Key features include:
Three Phases: Assessment, Development and Delivery
- Assessment phase: They begin by understanding the client’s strategies, objectives, existing programs/tools in Lean or Six Sigma; also, they evaluate culture & leadership to identify what may help or hinder success.
- Development Phase: Based on that assessment, they tailor a program complete with training materials, tools, and resources to fit the client’s needs.
- Delivery Phase: Workshops, coaching, training, hands‐on project work, etc. Also reassessment over time to ensure results are sustained.
Behavioral/Cultural Component
LFS doesn’t just provide Lean tools. They integrate behavioral science, culture diagnostics, and leadership diagnostics. Process improvement changes will not be maintained and will decay unless the people and culture align.
Training & Leadership Development
- They provide training programs for staff, supervisors, and managers on Lean and Six Sigma tools; project management fundamentals; also leadership tools.
- Leadership diagnostic tools help to evaluate the behavior of leaders, their alignment with organizational goals and culture, and the decision-making processes.
Tools & Methods
LFS uses standard Lean & Six Sigma tools (value stream mapping, process flow mapping, waste reduction, problem solving, metrics, etc.), but always in the context of the client organization. using DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) when applicable, plus Lean’s waste reduction (5S: Sort, Set in Place, Shine, Standardize). The continuous improvement/ problem-solving toolkit is core.
Sustainability/Follow-Up
The program is not just about a one-time fix; it focuses on control, sustaining gains, embedding improvements so they stick, and reassessing culture to see if improvements are maintained.
Not every client will implement Six Sigma, Sperl said, because “they are already good with that” and look for ways to make their production leaner by reducing waste.
Teaching and Other Tools
Stepping in and helping a firm is satisfying for Sperl, who discovered a love for teaching he hadn’t envisioned early in his career.
“I never imagined I’d be doing this,” Sperl said. “Teaching wasn’t on my radar early in my career, but I’ve grown to love it. Every client teaches me something new. I’ve traveled all over the state, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see that ‘aha moment’ when someone truly gets it.”
Sperl also trains clients in the ‘belt’ system created by Dr. Mikel J. Harry. Much like martial arts, each belt represents a new level of mastery of the Six Sigma method. White and Yellow Belts learn the core tools that build a culture of improvement. Green and Black Belts take those lessons further, leading real-world projects that make a measurable difference. Master Black Belts mentor others and help shape a company’s strategy. It’s a structured, hands-on way of developing talent and problem-solvers at every level.
LFS offers the LeanFITT app designed to embed process improvement and leadership tools into daily workflows. The app provides access to standardized improvement tools, project tracking dashboards, and educational resources, enabling teams to take measurable action and sustain performance gains. LeanFITT combines 21 previous apps the company created.
“Don Tapping, my business partner, was the driving force behind the LeanFITT app,” Sperl added. “It’s the culmination of 21 previous tools we built—now streamlined into one platform that helps teams take real action and sustain their gains.”
From classrooms to factories to medical facilities, LFS relishes the opportunity to teach.
“You can shift thinking,” Sperl said. “Even with leaders who have been around a long time. It’s exciting to find leaders who are willing to learn. They get excited about change. They put in the work.”
To learn more, visit leanfoxsolutions.com
