Lean Office and Service Simplified

Lean business practice is superefficient: It maximizes value, while minimizing waste.

The manufacturing sector recognizes the Lean business model as the most efficient way to maximize value to the customer while minimizing waste. It is “the way of doing business,” not a “stand-alone initiative” – and for it to work, every level of management and leadership must recognize it as such.

To appreciate the scope and breadth that a transformation to Lean entails, regard it as an incremental process of continuous improvement. You will need five to ten years to reap its benefits. 

The four essential steps to applying Lean are: 1) stabilize 2) standardize 3) visualize and 4) continuously improve. These steps should be taken in order. For example, you cannot standardize a process until you have stabilized it. The visualization step communicates the standard across the organization. Apply continuous improvement to these processes throughout, while striving for zero errors. Make your customers’ needs and desires – internal and external – your starting point.

Organize your processes into value streams: the sequence of...