1. Focus
- Ensure that your lean program:
- Delivers Customer Value
- Is aligned to your business strategy
- Delivers bottom line results – verified by your Financial expert!
2. Leadership
- Your lean programme should be sponsored by senior leaders
- They should be actively involved in the programme.
- The programme should be reinforced through regular communications
3. Process Oriented
- The lean approach is to systematically optimise your processes.
- Begin by understanding your key processes and where value is being added.
- The aim is to minimise or eliminate non-value adding process steps
4. Data Driven
- Without data, you are left with opinions.
- Make sure that all decisions taken to optimise processes are based on sound data.
- This assists in taking the emotion out of key decisions and promotes acceptance
5. Performance Tracking and Accountability
- Track performance and make results visible.
- Real time data tracking is best.
- Ensure all processes have key measures and review them regularly
6. Team Based Implementation
- Ensure that effective teams are created to optimise processes.
- Involve process owners.
- Track team performance and reward success
7. Human resources
- Ensure that your program is adequately resourced.
- Bring in expertise if required.
- Establish a proven training program for staff
8. Change Management
- Lean programs question the ‘norm’
- This can be difficult and involve changing established practices.
- In this case, ensure that the team gives adequate attention to HR / Change Management.
9. Benchmarking
- Visit other successful lean implementations.
- Companies are often delighted to present their lean implementation.
- Network with other companies implementing lean.
10. Don’t celebrate too early or give up too soon
- Lean is a journey.
- When you’ve optimised your process – start again!
- The aim is to build a culture of continuous improvement
- Start your Lean journey NOW
Submitted by SQT Lean tutor, Steve Halpin