Ron Bercaw

Breakthrough Horizons LTD

Ron is the President of Breakthrough Horizons, LTD, a management consulting company specializing in World Class Improvement through the application of the Toyota Business System, more commonly known as “lean.” With over 33 years of experience in operations, his hands-on lean management experience was gained through multiple enterprise transformations in different industries, including custom packaging, power reliability electronics assembly, and test and measurement products.

Educated at Purdue University, he learned the details and disciplined applications of lean principles, habits, and tools from both the Shingijutsu Sensei and their first-generation disciples. Working in both shop floor and above the shop floor areas, Ron has vigorously strived to remove waste from businesses through the involvement and ideas of the people doing the work. 

Since leaving the industry, Ron has consulting experience in the healthcare sector (US and Canada Health Systems including primary care, acute care, and community applications of both clinical and back shop operations), the commercial sector (administration, manufacturing, distribution, supply chain, and engineering), and the public sector (US Army, US Navy, US Air Force including Depot Repair Operations, the Pentagon, and Surgeon General Assignments). 

Ron is also a recognized author with the release of his Shingo award winning book entitled “Taking Improvement from the Assembly Line to Healthcare” detailing the application of the Toyota Production system to the healthcare industry. His second Shingo award winning book, “Lean Leadership for Healthcare” details the tools, principles and behaviors needed to lead lean quality improvement. And his third book, The Lean Electronic Health Record” provides insights on deploying and then optimizing an Electronic Health Record.