Introduction to Lean
Benefits of Lean
Why go Lean?
Improvements in:
– Customer service
– Quality and efficiency
– Staff morale
– Internal communication and cooperation
Lean is simple to implement and results are easily sustained.
Principles:
– Reduced waiting times
– Lower costs
– Improved customer experience
2
Lean in a University environment
Typical Questions about Lean:
Why here, why now?
Isn’t “Lean” more appropriate to manufacturing and heavy industry?
Is this just another management fad?
3
The five principles of Lean:
• Specify Value
• Identify the value stream
• Make the process flow
• Let the customer pull
• Continual Improvement
4
The eight wastes
Lean begins with an awareness of waste in our administrative processes, and
in considering how we can reduce or remove it.
The eight wastes we may find are:
• Transport
• Inventory
• Motion
• Waiting
• Over-production
• Over-processing
• Defects
• Skills misuse
40% of University Administration time is spent putting things right that
have gone wrong
5
Implementing Lean
Tools include:
 Data-gathering techniques
 Charts and diagrams
 Value stream mapping
 5S for workplace organisation
 Visual management
6
Knowing what your customer wants
Who is your customer?
Your customer = anyone, internal or external, who is affected by your
processes or services
What does your customer want?
The best way to find out is to ask them.
Encourage feedback – good AND bad. A silent customer isn’t
necessarily a happy customer, and you can only fix the problems if
you know what they are.
7
Measuring and data-gathering
Process Maps can from the basis of measurement.
Additional data:
– Timings
– Errors
– Log Issues
8
Mapping the customer experience
A key part of the Lean methodology is value stream mapping.
Value is anything that is worthwhile from the customer point of view.
The stream is the journey from end to end. The ideal process flows smoothly, to
deliver output to the downstream customer as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Once you have a current state map of your customer journey, identify all the steps
which add value to the customer.
Everything else is either non-value adding or is waste.
10
Using 5S to organise your workplace
5S is a way of eliminating waste in your immediate office environment. It
gives workers more control over their workplace and is a great way to start an
improvement initiative. The 5S system has five key activities:
Sort
Sustain
Straighten
Standardise
Shine
11
Implementing Lean
The following is necessary to implement Lean successfully:
 Making a real time commitment – the more time you can put in,
the quicker the results and greater the rewards will be.
 Allocating the resources and getting everyone involved.
 Being clear about what you want to achieve.
 Communicating with your team, and listening to their suggestions.
14