Creating a Culture of Sustainable Improvement - Lean Business Process

Have you ever thought, there must be a better way of doing things? Do you have a business problem that you just don’t know how to solve?

I’d like to share with you some of the key points from my experience transforming businesses to a lean organization. The results from these engagements have resulted in improved profitability while improving customer satisfaction and increasing employee engagement. It is all about creating a culture of sustainable improvement.

The first step is clearly defining the business problem. One of the common mistakes I see is letting emotion get in the way of judgement and going off what you “think” or “feel” is the problem.

Data is Key - when looking at the problem analyzing the data is paramount. More than once I have gone in thinking the problem was one thing and after analyzing the data realized it was something else entirely. Determining the key metrics and getting a baseline measure is a vital part of business process improvement. 

Create a tolerance for asking why - When working with teams the first thing I get everyone comfortable with is asking why. Challenging the way things have always been done and asking why we do it that way is a key tenet to a Lean enterprise. By performing Root Cause Analysis you continue asking why until you uncover the true issue. By focusing on solving the root cause of the problem, you can determine one solution that will address many issues.

One of the reasons that companies are able to improve customer service while reducing costs is because we always take a customer centric view.

Put yourself in your customer’s shoes – Lean allows you to focus on what adds value to your customer and streamline or even eliminate everything else. Who is your customer and what will they pay for? The customer defines what is value added, we strive to eliminate everything else. A key tool that is used to illustrate this is the value stream map. This is a powerful tool that clearly shows how much waste is in your current process.

More heads are better than one - Involving your people is crucial in the success of transforming your business to a lean enterprise. In a previous blog I discussed helping people change during a business transformation. One of the main elements I discussed was involving key people. I have seen first-hand the power of a cross functional business group coming together during brainstorming sessions and opening their eyes to the possibilities. The solution of the group was better than anything any one person could have come up with. 

By conducting business more efficiently and effectively this also improves employee engagement. By eliminating the barriers to doing work it allows them to focus on the customer and adding value. Errors are reduced, rework is diminished and productivity increases.

Prioritize – You can’t do everything at once so prioritization and focus is imperative. Look at what initiatives will bring the most value. By focusing on the vital activities and fully engaging the team, you will set up your organization for success.

Once you have a plan in place, get started, measure and continuously improve. I would love to hear more about your efforts in the area of business transformation and lean business process.