Episode #483 - ScaleUp Presentation - with Tom Hughes from Gemba Docs

In this ScaleUp Club exclusive Q&A edition of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent is joined by Tom Hughes, CEO of Gemba Docs, for a practical and eye-opening discussion on Lean Thinking for SMEs. Tom brings decades of experience in operational excellence and process improvement and shares how small businesses can adopt lean principles without over-complicating things.

This session breaks down what lean really looks like in a small business context – and it’s not about cutting costs or mimicking manufacturing giants. It’s about reducing struggle, improving value flow, and making work life better for your team. From leadership behaviours to team rituals, Tom shares real-world tactics that any SME can start using today.

Episode Highlights:

• Why the traditional 8 wastes don't always translate to service businesses – and what to focus on instead
• The biggest enabler of lean success? Leadership behaviour and priorities
• How to kickstart a lean journey: Start with yourself, then pull others in
• The power of small wins and team celebrations to build momentum
• Simple tools that make a difference: team huddles, improvement channels, and documenting processes with Gemba Docs

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For now, continue listening for the full discussion with Tom.

 

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If you would like to be a guest on ScaleUp Radio, please click here:

https://bizsmarts.co.uk/scaleupradio/kevin

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Kevin's Latest Book Is Available!

Drawing on BizSmart’s own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, Kevin Brent explores the key reasons why most organisations do not scale and how the challenges change as they reach different milestones on the ScaleUp Journey. He then details a practical step by step guide to successfully navigate between the milestones in the form of ESUS - a proven system for entrepreneurs to scale up.

More on the Book HERE - https://www.esusgroup.co.uk/

 

Tom can be found here:

linkedin.com/in/tom-hughes-7222562

https://3rddigital.com/

 

Resources:

2 Second Lean Book by Paul Akers - https://paulakers.net/books/2-second-lean