Agro-Region completed a basic course on LEAN management

The team of the Agro-Region Group of Companies, as part of the USAID “Economic Support for Ukraine” project, completed a basic course on LEAN analysis aimed at improving service and office processes.

The company highlights the benefits of applying LEAN approaches across all areas of its operations — from HR, office, legal, and commercial departments to agronomic and dispatch services, elevator operations, laboratories, and logistics.

In particular, Vitalii Shevchuk, the manager of the Boryspil and Zavorichi elevators, highlights several key points from the LEAN course that are worth adopting for the further development of the elevator business:

• Process Standardization
• Value Stream Mapping (VSM)
• The 5S System
• Kaizen — Continuous Improvement

In particular, he notes that to minimize losses at elevators, it is necessary to “analyze which stages of processes can be accelerated or automated to avoid downtime; optimize grain transportation routes to reduce the number of movements between locations; control product volumes to avoid stockpiling surpluses; and pay attention to equipment maintenance standards to prevent grain damage or spoilage during storage.”

“For me, the LEAN course has been useful not only professionally but also in everyday life. I realized how important it is to analyze my actions, identify ‘bottlenecks,’ and work on eliminating them. Continuous improvement of personal expertise allows for greater efficiency, better problem-solving, and faster adaptation to changes,” adds Vitalii Shevchuk.

In turn, Oleksandr Hurskyi, the manager of the Myropil Elevator, emphasized that everyone on the team understands the “clock system”: if even one employee fails to perform their duties, like a faulty gear, it slows down the workflow, and the basic LEAN course demonstrated through case studies how crucial this is.

“The importance of the course is that every process we have can be ‘polished’ to the point of automation. This way, the lost time we identify in various processes can be redirected to solving other tasks. We have already analyzed and identified ‘bottlenecks’ where losses occur and how to minimize them in the short term. For example, optimizing vehicle reception and reducing queues at the elevator,” he adds.

At the same time, Technical Director Mykola Nikolaychuk says that the LEAN methodology is also useful for optimizing processes in agricultural engineering, particularly in the selection of spare parts and the organization of agricultural machinery repairs.

“For example, one of the methods that can be applied is the implementation of the Just-In-Time principle for selecting spare parts:

• Utilizing request analysis to identify ‘fast-moving’ spare parts;
• Reducing stocks of slow-moving spare parts;
• Establishing cooperation with suppliers for prompt delivery of spare parts or the possibility of storing such parts in warehouses under responsible storage conditions,” says Mykola Nikolaychuk.

As for equipment repairs, he emphasizes the importance of introducing clear maintenance schedules (TPM — Total Productive Maintenance) and using mobile applications for task management.

“I am very pleased that such a methodology exists; it provides an opportunity to improve processes and become more productive. Thank you for organizing such a webinar,” shares the Technical Director.

For his part, Viktor Suslovets, the Director of the Land Department, adds that all LEAN methodologies require attention.

“Personally, this course was very interesting and new for me. Some aspects of this course I already apply, but they were gained through experience. It’s much better when theoretical knowledge is reinforced with practical experience. Therefore, enhancing practical experience through training is very important for development,” he notes, expressing gratitude for the new knowledge acquired.

In summary, Vitalii Shevchuk emphasizes that training is a tool for personal and professional growth: “In a rapidly changing world, the development of competencies is not just an advantage but a necessity for maintaining competitiveness, both for individual specialists and companies.”