Lean veteran Hitoshi Takeda visits SAQ
The SAQ Swiss Association for Quality is currently celebrating its 60th anniversary. The Eastern Switzerland section had the honor of organizing an anniversary event and was able to secure Hitoshi Takeda, known as the «Lean Guru,» as a prominent speaker.
Japan meets Switzerland: Hitoshi Takeda was clearly the center of attention at the anniversary event of the SAQ, which the Eastern Switzerland section held on December 5, 2025, at SQUARE, the new building at the University of St. Gallen (HSG). The light-flooded building, which opened in 2022, was also designed by a Japanese architect: star architect Sou Fujimoto. One could not have wished for a better setting for this event. And it is no coincidence that the SAQ Eastern Switzerland was the host: founded in 1976, it was the first regional section of the SAQ.
«People. Quality. Future»: That was the motto of the afternoon. Julian Mundl, President of SAQ Eastern Switzerland and CEO of Noventa Consulting, drew parallels between the topics of effectiveness, efficiency, and innovation. Without this triad, he said, it would be impossible to overcome the challenges of today. Markus Bänziger, Director of the St. Gallen-Appenzell Chamber of Commerce and Industry, emphasized the position of industry in Eastern Switzerland: «Quality is a survival strategy. It is the key to being globally competitive as a Swiss industrial location.» With this in mind, Bänziger congratulated the SAQ on its 60th anniversary.
Courage to make mistakes and a culture of change
This was followed by the presentation by keynote speaker Hitoshi Takeda. He pointed out that mistakes and disruptions are not disasters, but necessary triggers for improvement, and that downtime offers opportunities to fundamentally optimize processes. He emphasized the importance of taking risks and setting high goals. «You don't lose anything through failure. Failure is just a stepping stone» on the way to goals that should be set as high as possible, according to Takeda. He also referred to the duty of top management to be visible, to set an example, and to show appreciation. Hitoshi Takeda's key messages also included consistent change, a focus on «1 percent better,» and the great importance of speed: it is better to act quickly and be willing to learn than to hesitate in pursuit of perfection.
In the context of AI, Takeda recommends quickly integrating digital technologies into corporate culture and using AI agents to support routine tasks, but warns against intellectual laziness and the loss of analog skills. He advocates digital detox, handwritten notes, and more humanity in the age of AI. And: «As long as you only look at your smartphone, your dreams will remain distant,» Hitoshi Takeda told the audience at the end.
Insights into corporate practice
In the second part, several short presentations explored the topics of strategy, change, and speed in different industries. Colonel Niklaus Jäger outlined the geopolitical situation, emphasizing power politics, uncertainty, and the need for «uncertainty competence.» Marcel Mettler (Elesta AG) described the path from silo to value stream organization and the importance of transparent communication and exemplary leadership for successful strategy implementation.
Jörg Ammann (Heiniger AG) reported on how his company was able to secure its technological leadership by radically shortening development cycles and clarifying the distribution of tasks in the innovation process, with a focus on customer proximity and speed in global competition. Goar Hutter (HOCH Health Ostschweiz) used the example of stroke to show how crucial rapid medical care is and appealed to people to call the emergency doctor quickly if they experience typical symptoms, because «time is brain.»
Creating sustainable organizations
Rolf Keller (Glatz AG) explained how focusing production on individual customer needs and a flow production concept made it possible to establish just-in-time processes and significantly reduce throughput times, which required intensive persuasion within the team. Philipp Amstutz (Schott Pharma) demonstrated how consistent shop floor management enables rapid responses in the event of a crisis and increases the long-term performance of the business.
In the concluding discussion with all speakers, it became clear that an open error culture, employee involvement, clear goals, and effective leadership are key to ensuring efficiency, effectiveness, and quality at the same time. Hitoshi Takeda concluded by once again emphasizing the importance of rapid learning and highlighting that it is not comprehensive strategies, but speed, courage, and a willingness to learn that make the difference for the future viability of organizations.
Further information on the SAQ's 60th anniversary: https://saq.ch/de/saq_community/60-jahre-saq
This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/lean-altmeister-hitoshi-takeda-zu-gast-bei-der-saq/
