New Program Helps Companies Avoid the Pitfalls That Impede the Successful Start-up of Offshore Operations.

There is much to be learned about doing business in a foreign country. Many companies make the serious mistake of thinking that everything works just like it does in the United States. The knowledge required for a successful offshore start-up can only come from breadth of experience. The costs involved are far more extensive than they appear to be upon initial investigation, and the potential pitfalls can seriously delay, or even derail, the entire project.

Canton, Ohio (PRWEB) July 2, 2004 --- A combination of market and profit opportunities is leading companies to investigate and establish offshore operations. Certain parts of the world offer the attraction of inexpensive labor; while others offer opportunities for growth.

Establishing Offshore Operations is a comprehensive new program that is designed to guide companies through the process of setting up an operation in an offshore location; while avoiding the pitfalls. It is designed to help you establish the best possible operation in the shortest time frame at the lowest cost. Combine this knowledge with the comprehensive cost collection, planning, and budgeting tools that are available in the program and you have a complete template. Work through the maze of issues and costs you are likely to encounter; many of which are not apparent, and can cause unforeseen problems. The program creators do not claim to know everything about every country, but they know what the critical issues are, and how these can cause interruptions, delays and significantly higher costs than you expected.

Brian Furlong, Executive V.P. Program Development, says Establishing an offshore facility, or outsourcing to an offshore location, is a major undertaking, and should not be treated lightly. You should do everything possible to anticipate all of the activities that will need to take place, and all of the issues and costs you are likely to encounter. Our experience shows that most offshore moves end up over-budget, and take significantly longer than estimated. In addition, unexpected cultural, legal, training, quality, logistics, and many more, issues cause on-going operational problems."

In Establishing Offshore Operations, authors and consultants Keith Gilpatrick and Brian Furlong show you what to do, what you should not do, and how to execute the project from start to finish. The authors have spent much of their careers working outside the United States. Combined, they have worked in more than fifty different countries; on six continents. Their experience includes establishing new facilities from 'green fields' situations, outsourcing to partner companies, acquisitions and divestitures overseas and the establishment of Lean operations in several countries. They understand the cultural aspects, as well as the strategic and operational ones, and have developed templates that help to ensure that project planning and execution is as smooth as possible.

In creating this program", says author Keith Gilpatrick-President of Lean Enterprise Inc-we wanted to provide the necessary tools to have a successful start-up. There is no magic formula for setting up operations outside of the United States. Should you encounter someone with such a claim, you should be very cautious. Only knowledge and practical experience will help to overcome the inevitable roadblocks that will be encountered. We have incorporated that knowledge and experience, and many essential tools, into this program."

Establishing Offshore Operations is available at http://www.leanvalue.com. The cost is $149.95 for a single license or $1995.00 for a site license. Principals, Keith Gilpatrick and Brian Furlong are also the authors of Lean Mastery- a comprehensive and innovative Lean training solution that is in use at major corporations, and available at over 250 Universities in the United States. They have also just released The Elusive Lean Enterprise"-- a hard-hitting new book illustrating powerful lessons from the front lines, and why companies struggle to get the full benefits from Lean Enterprise concepts. The authors can be contacted at info@leanvalue.com

About Lean Enterprise Inc.
Lean Enterprise Inc. is a consulting company that provides strategic and tactical solutions for organizations that wish to radically improve profitability and business performance. They have developed a number of innovative low-cost solutions to assist with Lean transformation and the establishment of outsourced or offshore operations.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Keith Gilpatrick or Brian Furlong
Lean Enterprise Inc.
330-833-1457
http://www.leanvalue.com