a different approach to operations.
Holistic, effective & sustainable.
what I deliver
-
Through deep analysis of your unique business from workflows, teams, & processes to production lines, work environments & SOPs, I will find where waste can be eliminated & what can be streamlined.
Using Lean techniques such as the 5 Why’s & A3 problem solving together we will rework your methods & processes while you learn the theories & tools necessary to succeed for years to come.
-
A happy work environment is key to a successful business - increased worker retention, creative and efficient output, higher productivity & a cohesive team environment. But most employers don’t know exactly what makes a happy work environment or how to create it.
When an employee feels engaged, empowered, & that they have agency over their work, productivity increases, morale soars, and quality of work rises.
Along with teaching Lean Methodology, I will teach your leaders how to create a safe work environment - phsyically, mentally, and emotionally - so that employees can flourish.
-
The most important thing in business is that your customers receive the product they want when they want it.
Together we will take a deep dive into defining your customers, creating goals that align with what best serves them while making sure that your business’s energy is being put into value added work.
How I deliver
-
Lean Methodology
The process begins by performing an analysis of waste in your processes, including everything from waiting times to overproduction. We’ll create value stream maps, ask the ‘5 Why’s’ & use A3 Problem Solving to highlight where we can achieve the best gains.
Next, we’ll work together on standardizing your procedures while integrating your entire team into a culture of creativity & innovation.
I will work with you & your whole team to make sure you have the right company wide & departmental goals in place to create a clear & flexible path towards the future while I teach you effective ways to reach them, with both strategic planning & tactical approaches.
-
Integrated Leadership
It all starts at the top. Every leader wants a cohesive & safe environment where their employees can fully contribute.
I will show you how to lead through service & integration, providing structure, support & efficient processes to increase worker happiness along with company health.
-
Change Management
Maybe the most important part of the process (so often overlooked!) is learning how to implement change across a team or organization. I will guide you through the process, working with you & your team to allow for ownership of the process at all levels, ensuring that every employee embraces changes as they occur.
About me
Hi there, Soraya McMahon here, operations expert and executive coach. East Coast kid, then a Colorado transplant, and now I find myself enjoying the green shores of Ireland. I am a natural leader and curious autodidact who has always been drawn to exploring the why behind complex systems, which is what drew me to study Physics at Tulane University and later into the fascinating world of operations.
I am deeply committed and driven to create perfectly working systems - and the ones that interest me the most are when they involve teams of people. I love working with individuals to discover their strengths, helping them develop and grow, and building teams that burst with creativity and productivity.
Working as a private math and science tutor for over 20 years while coaching mountain biking teams gave me insight into how different people learn, how teams work and organize themselves, and the best ways to achieve individual and group goals. I have mastered the art of finding personalized ways of explaining abstract and challenging ideas to individuals and this has become an invaluable tool for optimizing operations structures.
My path to operations is a bit unique - after a brief stint as a research scientist at NASA I put myself through school as a tutor. I then worked in in sales and quickly moved up to management where I soon realized that I was (almost compulsively) drawn to solving any operational issues that arose in the small to mid-sized business I worked for. I started seeing places where I knew we could do better - for the business, for the employees, and for the customers.
Most of the last 20 years you could find me in various Operational roles - from offshore pipe-laying boat logistics, ski area season pass operations, manufacturing floor design, implementation and operation, and even operations management of America’s first backcountry ski area. And in every single place I worked I was relentlessly dedicated to continuous improvement and constant efficiency gains before I had ever even heard of the Toyota Way.
I soon realized that in order to affect change, the real challenge is to bring along the entire team and harness their ideas and creativity. This is when I really started to dive head-first into project management, lean manufacturing, and all things supply chain related.
As a consultant I have had the opportunity to work in such varied industries such as pharmaceuticals, music production, and automotive manufacturing production. Every one of these opportunities has allowed me to hone my skills in team building and iterative creation.
For 12 years I pursued a professional career as a cyclist - racing all over America and then the world, achieving several National Championships along the way and learning valuable skills about time management, prioritization, and working with a team under stressful circumstances. In addition to all things cycling I enjoy playing music, knitting, and traveling.
experience
It all begins with experience.
I
20 years of executive operations leadership in diverse industries - manufacturing, remanufacturing, retail, event planning, pharmaceutical development, offshore operations
BS, MS & Graduate degree in Physics
PMP® Certified
2 year mentorship in the Toyota way
10 years of hands-on experience in authentic efficiency gains, lean manufacturing & continuous improvement methods
