ABSTRACT
I have worn many “faces” as the Lean controller in this story. First and foremost, I am a business partner with the CEO, CFO, COO, HR, and plant managers. Equally important, I am a catalyst for change, and a champion of change. Then, too, I am an advocate for cost management-not cost accounting. Thus, I am a process manager, and not a transaction manager. I am a strategist, focused on the future, on innovation, and on performance. I am a steward of information-not just data. I am also a steward of effective, planned budgets utilizing target cost. I am a cash manager, but not a banker. Cash should be raised on the floor of the plant. I am a risk manager, including decisions on off-shoring. I am also a talent manager. Yes, I am a very unusual person for a controller. Specifically, I am a Lean controller.
