Frequently we see that a business system is way more complicated than it needs to be. “Hard work” has actually been designed into the system, leading to some employees “doing their own thing” in order to get the work done in a timely manner. Extra steps can lead to more time, payroll and mistakes plus less productivity and reduced quality for your customers/patients.

In order not to “dive into” the wrong problem, LEAN workflow is about identifying your current state of product or service delivery, by visually mapping the process workflow. This will identify variations in the system: lead times, first-time quality and error detection. Then improvements are made by working backwards. One unit of improvement at the step closest to your customer/patient will be immediately felt by them and have the greatest impact. This is the first step in building momentum towards an environment of problem solving and continuous improvement.