Michael Wader Lean for Malaysian manufacturers
Bring Michael to our plant
For plant owners, MDs and operations directors in Malaysia

Your factory already holds the savings. Michael helps your team find them.

Michael Wader has spent thirty years on factory floors in eight countries, turning hidden waste into money returned to the business: shorter changeovers, leaner inventory, lower overtime and more output from the lines you already own.

Yes, Marcus, please bring me Michael

Start with a short conversation. Michael then walks your floor and shows you where the savings sit.

Michael Wader smiling, seated beside stacks of his book The Upside-Down Leader
Michael Wader with Marcus Teoh and copies of The Upside-Down Leader.
Where the money sits

Eight places a busy plant quietly spends its margin.

Every manufacturer carries them, from the best-run multinational to the family plant in Senai. Michael's work begins by measuring each one in ringgit, so your leadership team sees exactly what is worth fixing first.

  1. i.
    Changeovers

    Hours of idle machine time between product runs, recovered for production.

  2. ii.
    Work in progress

    Cash sitting between stations, released back to the balance sheet.

  3. iii.
    Overtime

    Weekend shifts that become scheduled capacity on weekdays.

  4. iv.
    Waiting

    Operators and machines kept moving through a balanced, steady flow.

  5. v.
    Transport & motion

    Shorter journeys for parts and people across the floor.

  6. vi.
    Rework & quality

    Right first time, with the cost of quality brought down year on year.

  7. vii.
    Floor space

    Room for the next line inside the building you already have.

  8. viii.
    Untapped ideas

    Supervisors and operators trained to spot and solve problems every day.

The ledger

What changed on the floor, and what it was worth.

A selection of outcomes from Michael's Lean implementations, as reported by the companies themselves.

October Railway, Russia25,000 employees trained, 1,000+ improvement projects
Lean production and leadership development across the railway's facilities, led and coached by Michael from 2009.
RM 200 millionsaved in three years
St Petersburg Electric Transport62 Lean Experts certified, 111 projects
Senior directors and managers trained and coached to run their own improvement projects within a single year.
RM 17.4 millionlower operating cost
Medical device manufacturer, USALean Leadership boot camp & Kaizen blitz
Nine months of implementation across the shop floor and front office, with standard costs then falling a steady 7% a year.
US$1 millionlabour and quality savings in 9 months
Tikkurila (TEKS), paints & coatings12 rapid improvement projects, 11 Lean Experts
Higher production capacity and lower expenses across operations, 2007 to 2009.
3× returnon the full investment
Continental Tyre, MalaysiaVulcanising, 91-inch mould
Mould changeover redesigned with the production team.
45% fasterchangeover
Steel mill, USAThree 500-tonne hot presses
Changeover method rebuilt step by step on the press line.
88% fasterchangeover
Global medical device makerAssembly operations
Flow redesigned so buffer stock fell from five days to one.
80% less WIPand 75% less overtime
Valeo, automotive partsInjection moulding, machining, assembly
Team-by-team improvement: overtime halved in moulding, 30% floor space released in motors and armatures.
+25% machine utilisationin the machine shop
Motorcycle manufacturer, ThailandFive-day improvement event
Cycle time reduced and hidden waste removed from the line.
+12% throughputin five days

Ringgit figures converted from the roubles stated in each company's letter of recommendation. Letters available on request.

The Lean Assessment

Michael's copyrighted assessment, from his book Lean Assessments: Measuring Your Thrift, measures where waste, cost and lost output sit in your specific operation. You receive a clear, ranked picture of the opportunity in ringgit.

Implementation on the shop floor

Focused improvement projects with your own teams: changeover reduction, flow, 5S, visual management and standard work. Practical tools, proven in real plants, applied to the priorities the assessment revealed.

Leaders who keep it going

Your managers and supervisors are trained and certified to lead improvement themselves, so the savings continue long after the engagement ends.

Results you can show the board

Every project is tracked against a baseline, giving your finance team savings they can verify and your board a return they can see.

From Malaysian boardrooms and shop floors
“I would recommend companies to impress upon their management the importance of lean management and consult Michael on this.”
Chairman of the Board, Ajinomoto (Malaysia) Berhad, on Michael's Lean Leadership training
“A must for those who like to kick-start Lean Manufacturing. Great practices.”Managing Director, Robert Bosch Sdn Bhd
“A very useful course for any company that wants to stay competitive.”Pang Phee Tiow, General Manager, Lam Soon Edible Oils
“Excellent knowledge in implementing Lean practices, great delivery.”Director, Production Operation, Infineon Technologies
“An eye opener, even for a senior on the production floor.”Production Manager, Datasonic Corporation
“You must try this course. You can increase your profitability.”Manager, Pernec Advanced Network
“Very good information that can be implemented right after I return to my working place.”Manager, Intel Products (M) Sdn Bhd

Teams trained in Malaysia include

Ajinomoto Robert Bosch Continental Tyre Infineon Intel Western Digital Freescale (Motorola) Proton Nestlé Manufacturing Samsung SDI Lam Soon Atotech Kossan OYL Condair Teknicast Cheng Hua Engineering Datasonic Pernec

Michael Wader seated front and centre with a hall of participants, each holding his book The Upside-Down Leader
Launch of The Upside-Down Leader at Taylor's University, Subang Jaya.
About Michael

A mechanic's eye, a leader's patience.

Michael Wader is President and Founder of Leadership Excellence International, LLC (USA), established in 1995. A decorated U.S. Air Force veteran, he learned on the flight line what keeps complex machinery running safely and efficiently, and has brought that discipline to manufacturers across Asia, Europe and the Americas.

Today he is based in Malaysia and works with plants across Southeast Asia, in the language of both the boardroom and the line.

Experience
30+ years implementing Lean in 8 countries; 400+ trainings delivered, 200+ of them in Malaysia
Industries
Automotive, electronics & semiconductors, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, aviation, oil & gas, steel & aluminium, food and consumer products
Books
Lean Tools (1999, in six languages); Lean Assessments: Measuring Your Thrift (2010); The Enablers (2025); The Upside-Down Leader (2025)
Accreditation
HRD Corp accredited trainer
Memberships
Malaysian Association of Professional Speakers, Rotary International, Toastmasters International
The next step

Let us bring Michael to your plant.

We look after Michael's work with Malaysian manufacturers. Tell us a little about your operation and we will call you within one working day to arrange a conversation with Michael, at your office or on your shop floor.

Most companies begin with a site walk and the Lean Assessment. From there, you decide the scope that suits your plant, your people and your budget.

Marcus TeohOn behalf of Michael Wader, Kuala Lumpur

Yes, Marcus, please bring me Michael.

Your details go only to Marcus and Michael, and are used only to arrange this conversation.