Logo – Aksena

We develop people developing businesses

Our focus is to build understanding and convey knowledge about strategic and operational improvement work.

We have been doing so since 2002.

For whom do we exist?

We focus on medium-sized and large businesses that operate in markets with high performance requirements for products, services and processes.

What do we offer?

We offer courses with a focus on managers’ needs for tangible structures for operational control and continuous improvement. We also assist with guidance in improvement projects and consultancy relating to the implementation of improvement programs (operational excellence programs).

Customer results

Aksena’s body of knowledge, BoK (see below), was completed in December 2016 after 13 years of development. From 2016 to 2020, five businesses implemented Aksena’s BoK. The work was carried out by their own managers and employees. Two businesses are in the service industry, the others in pharma and manufacturing. Turnover for the five businesses was between MEUR 12 and MEUR 700. All businesses achieved all-time highs in terms of turnover and profit.

It is a characteristic of outstanding companies that they have better structures for organizational development/improvement than comparable companies (ref. Jim Collins’ research).

Aksena’s Body of Knowledge (BoK)

Since 2002, Aksena has developed knowledge of tangible structures for operational control and continuous improvement. The term continuous improvement includes both operational and strategic improvements. The theories and best practices that form the basis for our courses and our advisory is referred to as our Body of Knowledge (BoK).

The bullet points below define the overall guidelines for our BOK and the related courses. The content shall;

  • focus on tangible mechanisms for operational control and improvement
  • be relevant for all industries
  • be relevant to all processes and all KPIs (HSE, Sustainability, QA, OTD, Productivity, Flow and Resource efficiency)
  • primarily be based on relevant parts from industry defacto standards (such as Lean, Six Sigma, BPM, BSC and Agile)
  • simplify and integrate the theories making it easy to understand and apply

There are a few dominant organizations that certify according to the Lean Six Sigma Body of Knowledge. These certifications require deep knowledge in statistics.

Based on our own experience, collaboration with many improvement experts and feedback from customers as early as 2003-2007, we chose to gradually reduce the scope of advanced data analysis and design of experiments (DoE) in our regular Green and Black Belt courses. Instead, we have introduced important complementary theories and best practices from Lean, Agile, Process Management, Balanced Scorecards and Strategy deployment. Basic data analysis is nevertheless still included in our Green and Black Belt courses.

Knowledge of advanced data analysis and DoE is important, but only for a few. We therefore offer this type of knowledge in separate courses. Such courses are normally run in-house and customized.

Ida Sofie Ask Bjaarstad

Sales and business development manager
To LinkedIn-profile
Ida Sofie is responsible for sales and business development. She is also course instructor for environmental management and sustainability

Related experience

  • Course instructor environmental management and sustainability
  • Consultant for implementation of environmental management
  • Advisor for the process leading to environmental certification
  • Committee member environmental management, Standard Norway
  • Long experience with international marketing and sales

Background

  • Head of consultancy within environmental management
  • Environmental manager in construction activities
  • HR work in the county municipality
  • International sales

Education

  • Executive MBA (Ongoing)
  • Marketing at bachelor’s level
  • Certified advisor Eco-Lighthouse

Sectors

  • Environmental management
  • The standard Eco-Lighthouse
  • ISO 14001
  • Lean Six Sigma

Henning Bakken

Partner
To LinkedIn-profile
Henning works as a strategic advisor and training instructor. He is also responsible for the digital product development.

Related experience

  • Significant experience as an instructor within CI.
  • Facilitator for workshops, both for top executive management, middle management and team leaders for operational processes.
  • Established, developed and led central expert groups supporting the business units in their improvement work.

Background

  • Manager for a central Lean expert team in Aker Solutions
  • Development Manager and acting CFO in Vestre Viken Hospital Trust
  • Marketing and Export Manager in Utel Systems
  • Key Account Manager and Department Manager in Telenor

Education

  • BsC BI (N)
  • DNV certified ISO 9001 auditor (N)
  • Certified LOTS-coach
  • Six Sigma Black Belt 2005 and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt 2010 (N)
  • BPMN certified (Germany, 2014)
  • Process Design and Management certified (FCB Partners)

Sectors

  • Lean and Six Sigma
  • Strategy process (Hoshin Kanri)
  • Improvement projects (DMAIC, A3 and 8D)
  • Process mapping
  • Facilitation
  • Maturity analyses
  • IT-supported improvement work

Sven H. Danielsen

Partner, Ph.D
To LinkedIn-profile
Sven leads Aksena, works as a strategic advisor and course instructor. He is also responsible for the further development of the core competence.

Related experience

  • Course instructor for more than 100 courses with duration of 6 to 16 days
  • Author of three books
  • Top management consultant for planning and implementation of business excellence programs

Background

  • Co-founder and Managing Director for a technology company (Spin-off from Telenor)
  • R&D in Ascom Technologies (CH)
  • R&D in Ascom Radiocom (CH)
  • R&D in Norwegian Defence Research institute (N)
  • R&D in Telia (S)

Education

  • PhD, Telecommunication, NTNU (N)
  • Master of Science, Electro/telecommunication, NTNU (N), Chalmers (S)
  • Six Sigma Black Belt, Sandholm Associates, (S)
  • Balanced Scorecard (Balanced Scorecard Institute)
  • Scrum Master (v/Geir Amsjø)
  • Process Design and Management certified (FCB Partners)

Sectors

  • Lean
  • Six Sigma
  • Strategy process
  • Balanced Scorecard
  • Business Process Management
  • Agile methods

Sissel Pedersen Lundeby

Partner from Lean Tech
To LinkedIn-profile
Sissel is an Aksena partner and a strategic advisor and training instructor.

Related experience

  • > 20 years of experience within the process industry & environmental technology
  • 85 courses in the subject area
  • Consulting with 20 different customers
  • Hired project manager, Operational Excellence Manager & detailed engineering of process plants
  • Facilitated several process mappings, root cause analyses & workshops
  • Analysis of production data to improve quality, productivity, lead-time & delivery capability
  • Design of Eperiment (DoE) and variation analyses to develop new processes and products, as well as improve existing ones
  • Energy modeling and measurement program for emissions

Background

  • Project manager at Tine (SFI Norman)
  • Process development at Axis-Shield (Abbott)
  • Head of Six Sigma department at Cytec (Allnex)
  • Process design / engineering at Cambi
  • Civil engineer VAR at Hias and Hurum municipality

Education

  • Engineer in Biological processes and techniques from HiNT
  • Civil engineer in Chemical Engineering from NTNU
  • Six Sigma Black Belt certified at Cytec (2004) via Six Sigma Associates (USA)
  • Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certified by IASSC (2017)

Sectors

  • Lean & Six Sigma
  • Process design / Engineering
  • Process mapping
  • Facilitation
  • DOE & Variation analyses
  • Causal analyses
  • Problem solving
  • Analyses in JMP