Reduction of waste and “hard work”
LEAN implementation is about the relentless pursuit of the elimination of waste. The focus is on getting the right products or services to the right place at the right time in the right quantity to achieve perfect workflow. Being flexible and agile allows the owner to adapt to consumer changes and achieve competitive advantages. The indirect result of optimized workflow are shorter lead times, improved first time quality and, indirectly, lower costs.
Realization of the full potential of your team
Ignoring the essential element of respect for people makes engagement and lasting change impossible. Loyalty comes from being engaged. Consider what leadership is doing to foster trust, teamwork and accountability. Personal interest from leadership shows team members that you care. Are you aware of personal “touches” with each employee?
Streamlined workflow/processes for optimal customer/patient service
Value added services are those process steps – if visible to the customer – they would willingly pay for. Unfortunately, even the best of organizations only attain a level of 5-7% of value added. What an opportunity for improvement! The remaining work is wasteful, costly and affecting competitiveness. Examples of non-value added steps include micromanaging, blaming and making errors.
Continuous improvement environment as foundation for employee culture
Are you and your team too busy to make improvements? Let’s face it…work processes are either getting better or worse. Left alone, the processes will atrophy/decline into disorder. Standard operating procedures are not enough to stabilize. Unplanned work and surprises keep people from improving. Small improvements, even bite size ones, exceed the impact of a few big improvements and are more sustainable. Daily practice is the key to creating new habits.
Reduction of Operational dependence upon leadership
Do you have an effective management system that operates with or without your presence? Are there clearly defined escalation procedures to address unusual situations? Are people empowered to make decisions? How much work is being done to improve your team’s capabilities? It is important to identify the behaviors and management systems that are required to support a new way of thinking and working. Then it is imperative to put it into action!