Jonas Grethes's focus is on value creation, optimising value for the customer and eliminating waste in production – the essence of Lean.
Since September 2020, Jonas has been leading this work for Vossloh in Sweden and has also been involved in developing the new factory. Incorporating Lean into the work contributes to sustainable, value-creating processes.
Every year, Vossloh draws up a plan for the following year, detailing the workshops and events that will be held to develop the company. One of Jonas's responsibilities is to organise and propose events and workshops with his colleagues. It is important that everyone is involved in this process in order to achieve the best possible results.
“Our fitters know the product best, so it’s important that they’re involved in order to achieve our shared goals. For me, that’s what Lean is all about – focusing on the right things and developing together,” says Jonas Grethes.
Grew up in Örebro
Jonas grew up in Örebro, where he currently lives with his partner Moa and their son Wille. This autumn, the family will welcome another new member. The surname Grethes comes from the family farm in Hälsingland, where the family likes to spend time together and relax.
Sport is a major leisure interest of his. For example, Jonas enjoys watching football with friends. He previously played bandy for Örebro SK. These days, he plays for Örebro SK’s development team and is also involved as a coach.
“When I’m playing sport, I relax and recharge my batteries.' I’m a proactive person and I find it hard to relax if I feel that something is only half done.“
He decided to train as a mechanical engineer while working at Atlas Copco.
“I wanted to develop professionally, so I spoke to my manager about how I could progress. We agreed that a degree in mechanical engineering would be a good fit, given his commitment to Atlas Copco.“
In 2016, he graduated from Örebro University and started a new adventure at Scania in Södertälje, Sweden.
He landed his dream job at Scania
“It was the perfect workplace for me to start my new career. Scania has come a long way with its Lean initiatives, and as an international company it is constantly developing, which inspires me.“
Jonas started working as a production technician, responsible for assembling the axle assembly in the gearbox. Young engineers with no experience are entrusted with leading major projects, provided they have the necessary drive. This went well, and Jonas was promoted to project manager.
“It was rewarding to be given responsibility for a new assembly line worth several million as a project manager,' he said. When I started working after my studies, I found that personal drive and initiative were more important than a specific educational background. Delivering results and being clear about the timetable are key.“
Returned home to Örebro
The Grethes family spent just over three years in Södertälje before returning home to Örebro. Jonas then worked at Volvo for a while, machining their gearboxes. The job advert at Vossloh appeared while he was on paternity leave and caught his interest.
“I’d been thinking about joining a smaller company and contributing my previous experience,' he said. I applied for the position of production technician, but after the interviews, I was offered the role of ABC Lean Manager. It felt right when I applied, but suddenly it felt even better.“
Today, Jonas Grethes is Quality Manager.
“The railway industry is all about sustainability“
“The railway industry is an exciting one,“ says Jonas Grethes.
“Working in the railway sector is all about sustainability. It’s an exciting time to join Vossloh, as the company is investing in a new factory that is bound to set a new industry standard for turnout production with a focus on sustainability, safety, and automation.
In practical terms, how do you go about embedding Lean within the organisation?
“We need to talk more about what Lean is and build an understanding of what Lean means for Vossloh. To do that, I want everyone to feel involved in the process. I want to draw on my experience and knowledge and embed them within the company with a view to developing Lean practices at Vossloh.“
