A Lean Journey 
On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.
“A competitive world has two possibilities for you. You can lose. Or, if you want to win, you can change.” — Lester Thurow, Dean, Sloan School of Management, M.I.T.
In
recent years, more companies have adopted Lean as a continuous improvement
method to improve profitability, enhance customer satisfaction and maintain a
competitive edge in the marketplace. Based on a customer-focused view, Lean can
provide a strong foundation for any organization that wants to incorporate
continuous improvement into its operating philosophy.
recent years, more companies have adopted Lean as a continuous improvement
method to improve profitability, enhance customer satisfaction and maintain a
competitive edge in the marketplace. Based on a customer-focused view, Lean can
provide a strong foundation for any organization that wants to incorporate
continuous improvement into its operating philosophy.
Starting
the Lean journey can be difficult. It is critical to have alignment and clearly
state the need for improvement from the beginning. There are ten key steps that
should be taken when starting the journey towards a Lean improvement.
the Lean journey can be difficult. It is critical to have alignment and clearly
state the need for improvement from the beginning. There are ten key steps that
should be taken when starting the journey towards a Lean improvement.
1.
Establish a need to improve and obtain management commitment
Establish a need to improve and obtain management commitment
2.
Define the improvement objective
Define the improvement objective
3.
Identify and acquire necessary resources
Identify and acquire necessary resources
4.
Collect information and determine current state
Collect information and determine current state
5.
Uncover the root cause
Uncover the root cause
6.
Identify and test countermeasures that will meet the improvement objectives
Identify and test countermeasures that will meet the improvement objectives
7.
Develop plans for implementing the countermeasures which ensure buy-in
Develop plans for implementing the countermeasures which ensure buy-in
8.
Implement the improvement
Implement the improvement
9.
Standardize the improvement
Standardize the improvement
10.
Repeat starting a step 1
Repeat starting a step 1
Every
system should have provision for an improvement cycle. Therefore when an
objective has been achieved, work should commence on identifying better ways of
doing it. There is no improvement without measurement. An organization must
establish current performance before embarking on any improvement. If it does
not, it will have no baseline from which to determine if its efforts have
yielded any improvement.
system should have provision for an improvement cycle. Therefore when an
objective has been achieved, work should commence on identifying better ways of
doing it. There is no improvement without measurement. An organization must
establish current performance before embarking on any improvement. If it does
not, it will have no baseline from which to determine if its efforts have
yielded any improvement.
Lean
improvement is about the entire organization and everything it does. Lean
Thinking has to be a prime concern of executive management and its success
depends upon commitment from them. Their commitment must also be highly
visible. It is not enough to demand improvement. If executive management does
not demonstrate its commitment by doing what it says it will do they cannot
expect others to be committed either.
improvement is about the entire organization and everything it does. Lean
Thinking has to be a prime concern of executive management and its success
depends upon commitment from them. Their commitment must also be highly
visible. It is not enough to demand improvement. If executive management does
not demonstrate its commitment by doing what it says it will do they cannot
expect others to be committed either.
Lean
manufacturing practices, which are at the very core of change, are an absolute
necessity in today’s competitive global marketplace. While the pursuit of Lean
is not a destination but a journey it is clear that organizations that stretch
themselves to build a culture around these values will ultimately have a big
advantage those who do not.
manufacturing practices, which are at the very core of change, are an absolute
necessity in today’s competitive global marketplace. While the pursuit of Lean
is not a destination but a journey it is clear that organizations that stretch
themselves to build a culture around these values will ultimately have a big
advantage those who do not.
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