A manufacturer does not produce better just because it installed an expensive piece of software. What usually happens is this: the digital tool sits on top of an already messy process and simply speeds the mess up. Treating lean production and digitalization not as two separate projects but as two axes of the same job is why the combination pays off. First you make waste visible, then you measure and lock in what remains with digital tools.
This article explains how a manufacturing SME can start both together: what the Model Factory approach is good for, which data is worth measuring, and what is currently on the table on the KOSGEB side. Because figures and terms change from one period to the next, we also note that you should confirm incentive details from the official source.
Why lean and digital belong together
Lean production counts everything that adds no value — waiting, excess stock, unnecessary transport, rework — as waste, and focuses on reducing it. The catch is that most waste stays invisible until it is measured. It is hard to guess by eye how long a machine actually sits idle, which station an order waits at, or which shift the scrap rate climbs in.
Digitalization’s role here is not decoration; it is visibility. Data collected from the machine turns what the lean team estimates by intuition into a number. The order matters too:
- Process first, software second. Automating a complex, waste-filled flow makes the chaos permanent. Simplify the flow, then lock it in digitally.
- Measure first, claim second. Whether an improvement is real can only be judged if you measured the starting baseline.
- Start small. A single line or a single station delivers results faster than trying to transform the whole plant at once.
This logic also explains why digital transition and green transition feed on the same data: a lean step that reduces energy use and scrap also lowers the carbon footprint.
What a Model Factory is, and what it does
A Model Factory is a hands-on learning centre set up in various provinces across Türkiye, coordinated by the Ministry of Industry and Technology. What sets it apart from a classic seminar is that it offers a miniature of a real production environment: participants learn lean tools not on slides but by trying them on a working line.
In a typical programme the current state is first simulated — bottlenecks, waiting times and defects are measured. Then lean interventions are applied and the same line is measured again. The gap between the two is, for most managers, the most concrete way to say “lean works.” After this experience the team knows where to look when it returns to its own plant.
The value of a Model Factory lies not in the training alone but in the on-the-floor application that follows. The method seen at the centre stays on the shelf unless it is carried to your own line. This is exactly where digitalization and outside consulting come in.
Where to start: a plain roadmap
The steps below offer a practical sequence for starting with a single pilot line and then scaling.
| Step | What you do | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Map the value stream | Put the flow from order to shipment — waiting and processing times — on paper | Current-state map |
| 2. Measure the baseline | Tie a few metrics such as cycle time, downtime and scrap to concrete numbers | Measurable reference |
| 3. Pick a pilot | Choose a single bottleneck station or line | Limited, manageable scope |
| 4. Lean intervention | Apply changes that reduce waste (layout, stock, standardisation) | Simplified flow |
| 5. Lock it in digitally | Collect data from the machine automatically, watch it on a dashboard | Lasting visibility |
| 6. Scale out | Carry what you learned to other lines | Improvement at scale |
The data collection in step five is where most manufacturers get stuck. It is possible to get signals even from old machines; with machine-to-machine communication (M2M) and IoT sensors, downtime, counter and energy data can be streamed somewhere. We covered the detail of this side in our collecting data from machines article.
Which data is worth measuring
Trying to measure everything ends up in the same place as measuring nothing. A handful of metrics is enough to begin:
- OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness): A composite of availability, performance and quality. It summarises in one number how much of a machine’s potential you are using.
- Cycle time: The real time a part spends at a station. The fastest way to find the bottleneck.
- Downtime causes: The split between planned and unplanned stops. Shows what really costs you time.
- Scrap and rework rate: The size of quality-driven waste.
- Energy consumption: Works on both the cost and the carbon-footprint side.
Gathering these metrics on a data dashboard moves the shift meeting from guessing to measuring. The goal is not to fill a screen; it is to look at the same three-to-five numbers every morning and discuss what changed since the day before.
What’s on the table with KOSGEB and Model Factories
You do not have to finance this investment on your own. KOSGEB opens calls that encourage digitalization in the manufacturing industry; within the programme, training and consulting services from model factories or lean transformation consultants notified by the Ministry of Industry and Technology can be supported. In other words, it is possible to position both the lean side and the digital side under the same project umbrella.
A caution is needed here: the budget, upper limits and application calendar of support programmes are updated periodically. Do not take any figure in this article by heart. Before applying, confirm the current call text via kosgeb.gov.tr or through a support consultant. A project built on a wrong assumption gets eliminated at the eligibility stage.
The practical approach is this: first clarify the work you will do in technical terms (which line, which metric, which software), then fit that work into the scope of a suitable call. Let the incentive not define the project; let the project find the incentive.
Running it turnkey
Lean workshop, data collection, dashboard setup and incentive application — buying these separately from different suppliers means information loss at every interface. İkiz Eksen’s approach is to build this chain from a single hand: turnkey projects that connect measurement, software and compliance to one another.
The experience behind us comes from Qera: more than 550 customers, over 15 sectors, more than 100 ERP projects and a team of around 35 specialists. The data infrastructure is built on Microsoft Azure and we serve across Türkiye. A short conversation that clarifies where to start is often the most productive first step — get in touch with us or take a look at our solutions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I start digitalizing without taking Model Factory training?
Yes. A Model Factory is a practical way to grasp lean thinking quickly, but it is not a mandatory gate. You can also make progress with your own team or an outside consultant to map the value stream and start with a pilot line. What matters is the order: process first, software second.
Is lean production only for large factories?
No. Lean tools are independent of scale; waste exists in businesses of every size. For a small manufacturer, cutting the cycle time of a single station pays back faster than a large investment. Starting small is an advantage here.
Can I collect data from my old machines?
In most cases, yes. Even from machines without a modern control unit, downtime, counter and energy data can be captured with external sensors and machine-communication methods. Scope and cost vary with the machine park; a discovery study clarifies it.
Where do I find the amount of KOSGEB support?
From the current call text. Because programme budgets, upper limits and application terms change periodically, confirm amounts via kosgeb.gov.tr or an authorised consultant. This article is for information and does not replace the current call conditions.
Isn’t running lean and digital transformation at the same time complex?
It is if you try to do everything at once. That is why we start with a pilot: one line, a few metrics, limited scope. The learning from the first round lets you transform the second line faster and with less risk. Our methodology is built exactly on this step-by-step progression.