Lessons Learned from Sunpower’s (C)Lean Transformation

By Chet Marchwinski

October 11, 2016

Sustainability is a key part of any lean transformation - but Sunpower of San Jose, Cali. took that word a little further than just maintaining the momentum of small wins. The solar-energy device manufacturer wanted to bring its mission of saving the environment into its day-to-day operations. Hear more about their journey in this interview between LEI Communications Director Chet Marchwinski and Sunpower CEO Marty Neese and Director of Operations Ralph Robinett.

Sustainability is a key part of any lean transformation – but Sunpower of San Jose, Cali. took that word a little further than just maintaining the momentum of small wins. The solar-energy device manufacturer wanted to bring its mission of saving the environment into its day-to-day operations. They found their solution in a unique, handcrafted business model that combined elements of both the “Circular Economy” and lean – a model they dubbed “CLean.”

Watch the interview below for more details on CLean from Sunpower CEO Marty Neese and Vice President of Operations Ralph Robinett. You’ll learn:

How the CLean transformation has impacted their management styles
Their advice to others in the midst of their own lean transformations
How the CLean transformation has changed team members’ behavior
And more

Written by:

Chet Marchwinski

About Chet Marchwinski

Chet has been a humble, unwashed scribe of the lean continuous improvement movement since books by Taiichi Ohno and Shigeo Shingo first hit North America in the 1980s. At LEI, he contributes to content creation, marketing, public relations, and social media. Previously, he also wrote case studies on lean management implementations in…