Argon & Co partners with Kaizen Institute to deliver best-in-class optimisation

Argon & Co, a leading global management consultancy, is thrilled to announce its strategic partnership with Kaizen Institute, the renowned consulting company in operational excellence.

This collaboration marks a significant step forward in providing unparalleled retail store optimisation expertise to the Australian and New Zealand markets, addressing a critical capability gap in sustainable productivity within the region’s retail sector. 

Amidst rising cost pressures and operational complexities, many retailers are grappling with underperforming stores driven by fragmented processes, rising labour inefficiencies, and a disconnect between central planning and in-store execution. High in-store cost-to-serve, inconsistent processes, and limited capacity to scale continuous improvement initiatives are compounding these challenges.

Argon & Co’s partnership with Kaizen Institute is specifically designed to tackle these issues – empowering local businesses to thrive by leveraging world-class methodologies and insights to unlock significant profitability and cash flow improvements. 

Paul Eastwood, managing partner at Argon & Co, highlights the unique potential of this partnership: “By integrating Kaizen Institute’s globally successful optimisation tools with Argon & Co’s strategic oversight, we are poised to deliver transformative results for our retail clients. This partnership is not just about improving operations; it’s about fostering a culture of continuous improvement that propels sustainable growth.”

Kaizen Institute, known for its robust track record with major global retailers, including a significant productivity uplift with one of the largest Australian retailers. Bringing to the table proven tools, IP, and credibility that perfectly align with Argon & Co’s DNA in supply chain transformation. The joint delivery model provides Australian and New Zealand retailers access to Kaizen Institute Consultants, ensuring swift, effective implementation of tailored solutions. 

Diogo Felisberto, Director at Kaizen Institute says: “Retailers today face mounting pressure to do more with less – yet many lack a structured and effective approach to drive sustainable P&L improvements at scale. Through our partnership with Argon & Co, we’re bringing proven Kaizen methodologies to the local market in a way that’s both strategic and actionable. Together, we’re enabling retail teams to reduce inefficiencies, improve store execution, and embed a culture of continuous improvement from the ground up.” 

James Lee, partner at Argon & Co and leader of the lean retail service offering, comments: “Having worked closely with Diogo and the Kaizen team to bring this partnership to life in ANZ, I’ve seen first-hand their global expertise and pragmatic, people-first approach. This collaboration strengthens our ability to deliver measurable outcomes for retailers – from cost-to-serve reductions to enhanced customer experience – by bridging the gap between high-level strategy and store-level execution.” 

The collaboration promises to deliver a structured, phased approach combining rapid diagnostics with embedded performance improvements. Retailers can anticipate process standardisation, labour productivity enhancements, and increased customer satisfaction, grounded in a scalable Kaizen-based methodology integrated with Argon & Co’s operational excellence toolkit. 

For retailers aiming to stay ahead in a competitive landscape, this partnership offers a compelling opportunity to redefine their approach to operational excellence, ensuring they do more with less and do it better.

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