Date: April 2025
Written By: Thomas Ilskov

From Internal Consultant to Keynote Speaker

Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to present at the European TWI & Kata Summit twice — first in Malmö with a case from Odense Municipality, and later in Venice with a case from Danske Bank. At both events, I was working as an internal consultant within the organizations.

This year, things came full circle.

Now, in my role at Business Through People (BTP), supporting organizations as an external partner, I had the honour of delivering a keynote at the global Summit. It wasn’t just a professional milestone — it became a personal learning journey. Preparing the keynote was a trip down memory lane, allowing me to reflect on my past roles and turn those experiences into something valuable for others.

My Keynote: Transforming Training Efficiency in Service Organizations through TWI Job Instruction

My presentation focused on a transformative case study that challenges the common belief that TWI Job Instruction (TWI JI) and Job Methods (TWI JM) is only suited to manufacturing.

The case involved a service team that:

• • • • Accelerated the value delivery point for new hires from 3 weeks to just 3 days
      • Reduced work by standardising manual case handling and supported it with standard text and system support

This was made possible through a structured TWI JI rollout that included:

• • • • Developing Job Methods breakdown sheets for improvement and standardization
      • Development of job breakdown sheets for Training
      • Intensive trainer education
      • Full-scale implementation

The results were striking — reduced training costs, faster onboarding, and improved employee satisfaction. Just as important was the mindset shift: that TWI can work — and thrive — well beyond the shop floor.

The keynote explored key questions:

• • • • How can TWI JI and JM be effectively adapted to service settings?
      • What measurable benefits can it bring?
      • What challenges arise — and how can we overcome them?

Our Team’s Contributions

It was a privilege to be part of the BTP team contributing to this year’s event:

• John Vellema, Ben Hoseus, and I co-hosted a pre-Summit workshop on how TWI and Toyota Kata can be combined to strengthen structured learning and leadership development. The workshop, “Connecting for Good,” offered a hands-on experience where participants were to build bicycles for charity while exploring safer, more efficient work methods. Through this engaging format, we demonstrated how TWI routines (Job Methods, Job Instruction, Job Relations) and Toyota Kata coaching cycles can help leaders build trust, improve processes, and develop people through daily habits and structured practice. The workshop emphasized how practical tools and human connection go hand-in-hand in shaping a strong Lean culture.
  Read more about the workshop in this blog post by Ben Hoseus
• John Vellema presented on Workplace Engagement with Job Relations, introducing our JR Learning & Sharing session — a format designed to help leaders continuously strengthen their leadership muscle through action-based learning and facilitation. In this model, each leader participates in a JR session facilitated by their own manager, while also facilitating the same session for their own team. This facilitator-learner pairing creates a powerful and scalable learning cycle: leaders deepen their own understanding through hands-on practice and reinforce their knowledge by coaching others. This dual role accelerates leadership development and embeds the JR mindset and skills deeply and rapidly across the organization.

Summit & KataCon Highlights

The event featured a rich and varied program, packed with inspiring sessions and standout speakers:

• • • • Keynotes by Kelly Mallery, William Harvey, and Maria Grzanka
      • A deep dive into standards with Oscar Roche & Cheryl Jekiel
      • A moving session by Dr. Lou Flaspohler on trauma-informed leadership
      • Thought-provoking talks on AI, Kata, coaching, and cascading learning from William Harvey, Petal Bartlett, Gerd Aulinger, and many others

The energy throughout the week was contagious. It’s clear that the TWI and Kata community is growing, evolving, and more relevant than ever. A big thank you to all presenters.

Final Reflections

A heartfelt thank you to Lean Frontiers for another outstanding Summit — and for creating a space where curiosity, experience, and human connection truly come together.

We return with:

• • • • New insights
      • New relationships
      • A renewed belief that TWI and Kata can drive lasting impact — from service teams to factories, from onboarding to leadership development.

It was an honor to be part of it all.

See you next year!