Seating Matters Full Lean Tour - 25 Mins, 30 Insights!

Tom Hughes and Alisha Gibbons conduct a comprehensive whistle-stop tour of Seating Matters in Ireland, showcasing their lean transformation journey.

From the moment visitors enter and see the company’s moonshot goals and values displayed in reception, through fabric cutting stations with perfect visual control, Heijunka load-leveled production scheduling, sophisticated Kanban systems with purchasing controls, ergonomically designed assembly stations, a self-cleaning canteen with premium amenities, to the sequenced flow conveyor system in the sewing room – every detail demonstrates years of continuous improvement.

Tom emphasizes this represents only 25% of what’s visible at Seating Matters, capturing the “calm, productive flow” where nobody rushes or stresses, and smiles are everywhere. It’s a masterclass in how lean principles, total ownership, visual management, and respect for people create an exceptional workplace culture.

Tour Breakdown

1. Values-First Reception Experience

Moonshot goals and company values displayed immediately as visitors enter
Sets the tone for what the organization stands for before you even reach the factory floor

2. Visual Control in Fabric Cutting

Clear visual management of cutting fixtures for upholstery cloth and fabric
Everything has its designated place “so visually manicured”
Eliminates time wasted searching for tools

3. Heijunka Production Scheduling System

Weekly production schedule with current day clearly marked (Thursday highlighted during tour)
Jobs remaining for Friday visible at a glance
Next week’s plan already displayed with chair targets
Load leveling using Heijunka to smooth demand (17, 17, 17 instead of peaks and troughs)
Takes away unevenness in production
First-time visitors can understand demand and daily requirements without explanation

4. Color-Coded Model System

Every chair model has its own color code
Follows through entire production process (welding parts, posted parts, containers all color-coded)
Creates instant visual recognition across departments

5. SOP Use Throughout

Assembly SOPs
Customer packing SOPs
Kanban ordering SOPs
Machine operation SOPs
Inventory SOPs
Mobile SOPs on trolleys and stands

“Everywhere you look” there’s GembaDocs to support the team.

6. Mobility and Flexibility

Equipment on wheels for easy reorganization
Everything can be moved and reconfigured as needed
Supports continuous improvement mindset

7. Perfect Two-Bin Kanban Systems

Total ownership concept
Jenny manages her area with clear GembaDocs instructions
Live demonstration of the Kanban process (click here for the full video here of the Kanban tour)

8. Purchasing Kanban Station with Controls

Pre-pulled Kanbans arrive at central sorter with great visual control
Standard work procedures displayed
Red color-coded special Kanbans requiring management authorization
Prevents unauthorized ordering, maintains standardization
One-off purchasing Kanbans for non-standard items
Collection points for staff to deposit cards
Open orders display for pending purchases visible to everyone

9. The Purchasing Workstation

Stream deck for automation and easy ordering
Part-time Kanbans on order clearly displayed
Not prepared for tours – “this is just how it is” on a late Thursday evening
Shows real operational state, not staged perfection

10. Weekly Ordering Rack System (Alisha's Favorite)

Week-by-week visual timeline of orders
Different bins for each key supplier
Current week pointer that moves forward over time
See what’s arriving next week and the week after
Eliminates need to ask anyone about order status
Prevents stockouts and downtime

11. Hardware Shop-Style Storage

Maximum space utilization on racks
Angled labels facing outward-no bending or craning neck to read
Stand in one spot and see every shelf level clearly
Part description, picture, and Kanban system on each label
Standardized two-bin systems-learn one, know them all
Kanban collection points at end of rack sections

12. In-House Manufacturing Capabilities

All racking and fixtures made on-site
Laser cutting, press braking, powder coating
Custom solutions designed for their exact needs
“Adult Lego” created by the team

13. 360-Degree Location Signage

Triangular location signs instead of flat stickers
Visible from anywhere in the building
No matter your position, you can see the location

14. Ergonomic Assembly Stations

Everything needed within arm’s reach
Job materials right in front of the operator
Visual management of tools with names labeled
Multiple GembaDocs available on mobile trolleys
Trolleys can be wheeled anywhere they’re needed

15. Printed and Physical standards Approach

Generally paper-based rather than digital at point of use
Backup physical standards alongside digital accessible GembaDocs
Physical reference samples at assembly stations (including Alisha’s favorite “pink one”)
Shows what the standard angle, bolt placement, and finish should look like

16. Color Coding Throughout Production

All Atlanta model parts are red (welded parts, posted parts, containers)
Follows entire process from start to finish
Simple but effective visual management

17. The Lean Library

Collection of books that inspired Ryan Tierney
Made available to employees to inspire them about lean
Knowledge sharing built into the culture
You can find many of the books here too.

18. Interior Design as a Lean Principle

Ryan’s philosophy: “There’s a lot of interior design to lean”
Making things aesthetically pleasing encourages high standards
“How you do one thing is how you do everything”
If leadership cares about how the kitchen looks, workers care about product quality
No “crappy thing” in the factory, everything at a high level

19. Self-Cleaning Canteen System

No dedicated cleaners employed
Everyone cleans kitchen and their work products themselves
Rota system with GembaDocs showing cleaning schedules
Kitchen always looks immaculate
Pool table and darts actively used (not ornamental)
Hotel-quality espresso machine for employees
Two dishwashers with clean/dirty markers
Hot/cold indicators on water dispensers
Perfectly centered cups in cupboards with placement guides
“Doors don’t tell lies” – what’s inside matches expectations
GembaDocs mug spotted (person of taste!)
4:30 PM Thursday-spotless without supervision or “policing”

For the full canteen tour check out this post.

20. Cleaning Throughout the Day

No rush at end of shift to clean
Maintained at good level all day long
People don’t rush home-part of the culture

21. Flow Conveyor System

Sewing room redesigned for better product flow
Finished products flow from sewing to upholstery assembly on conveyors
Nobody pushing carts through the factory
“Just like a car factory”

22. Sequenced Production

15 chairs per day sequenced: chair 1, chair 2, chair 3
Different colored components coming to assembly in correct order
Like different colored wing mirrors on a car assembly line
Not random-properly sequenced to order requirements
Active takt time in play
Evenly loaded production
“Absolute fundamentals” of lean manufacturing

23. Material Flow Through Hatches

Fabric cutting on one side of wall
Materials flow through hatch to sewing area
Chair 1, Chair 3, Chair 4 all sequenced to order
Minimizes motion and transportation waste
Everything on roller conveyor lines

24. Beverly's Famous Modified Sewing Machine

Standard machine heavily modified for specific needs
Additional surface so bag cards don’t fall off
All tools within reach
Bins off floor on fast pipe fabrication
Perfectly ergonomic setup
Years of continuous improvements visible

25. Missing Tool Protocol

Daily morning meeting has “missing tool section”
GPS tracking of tool locations by area “I’m missing my scissors from area 50.6”
Tools found and returned to proper locations
Maintains visual management integrity

26. Multi-Skilling and Cross-Training

Operators trained across multiple areas
Two-bin Kanbans throughout sewing room
Belt templates for visual management (similar to chair frame standards)
Physical samples showing exactly how belt seats should be
All questions answered by physical standards
All made and stored at the same machine

27. Aesthetic Attention to Detail

“How pretty does that look” a repeated theme!
Nice to look at and nice to work with
Care in aesthetics transfers to care in product
Color-coded for quick identifications as well as visually pleasing throughout

28. End of Shift Handover

Everyone does hand-off shift clean-down
Ready for next day/morning shift
Customer tours happening next morning – but “This isn’t anything special, this is just how things are done”
Employees leaving but still maintaining standards

29. GembaDocs & Kanaban Everywhere!

“Literally everywhere you look” there is a standard – visual, SOP or physical
Kanban points everywhere where needed (Seating Matters uses their own Kanban system, which was adopted before they onboarded GembaDocs)
All SOPs are integrated into every process and station
Just-in-time access to procedures

30. The Energy and Culture

“Calm, productive flow” developed through their embedded culture
Nobody rushing or stressing
Work just happens naturally
Smiles on everyone’s faces
People want to be there – “that’s the most important thing”
Visitors feel the energy immediately

Takeaways

“That was only 25% of what you’ll see if you come to Seating Matters” Tom Hughes – indicating there’s far more depth to discover beyond this comprehensive 25-minute tour.

Key Takeaways for Manufacturing Leaders:

Visual management eliminates all friction and questions – From angled labels on storage racks to color-coded chair models flowing through production to the weekly ordering rack showing supplier deliveries, Seating Matters designed every system so anyone, including first-time visitors, can understand what’s happening without asking. This isn’t just efficiency; it’s respect for people’s time and cognitive energy, allowing them to focus on value-adding work rather than searching, asking, or guessing.
Aesthetics and standards are inseparable – Ryan Tierney’s insight that “there’s a lot of interior design to lean” reveals a profound truth: when leadership cares about how spaces look (premium coffee machines, centered cups, pretty color-coding, ergonomic stations), it signals that standards matter everywhere. This transfers directly to employee care about product quality – “how you do one thing is how you do everything.” The 4:30 PM Thursday spotless kitchen with no supervision proves culture beats compliance every time.
Total ownership scales lean beyond management – From Jenny managing her Kanban area to everyone cleaning the kitchen on a rota to Beverly modifying her sewing machine over years to operators solving missing tool problems in morning meetings, Seating Matters demonstrates that sustainable lean transformation happens when every person owns their process. The standardization (GembaDocs, physical samples, color codes) provides the framework, but the ownership mindset, supported by tools like the lean library and continuous improvement permission, creates the “calm, productive flow” where work happens naturally and people genuinely want to be there.