Manage the system, not the result

We started the Keen on Lean newsletter in 2023 with the purpose of sharing our learnings and interest in Lean. Our aim is to focus on foundational Lean elements and people development. In the first part of this exciting quest, we one-by-one shed light on the fundamental Lean behaviours of Go-Look-See, Ask Why and Show Respect.

These three behaviours are universal and can be practiced anytime by anyone at home or at work regardless of the industry you work in, the area of the company you are in, or the job you have.

Now, we will move onto the next chapter of the Lean universe and dive deeper into concrete Lean elements and tools, e.g. the Visual Management system or the Problem Solving system. And all the while keeping in mind the same three behaviours of Lean.

In Novo Nordisk we had an easy to remember term SEE-SOLVE-SHARE to refer to and group various elements of Lean.

SEE – refers to the Visual Management system, in other words, tools that help us see problems early, evaluate process performance, show any deviations from the standard, and create a visual workplace. This can, for example, include 5S and Performance Boards, to name just two. Don’t worry we will describe each in more detail later.

SOLVE – this is in essence the Problem Solving system, helping solve problems to root cause. Here we will discuss in more detail the 4 types of problems.

SHARE – this last part is about sharing learnings systematically so we can standardise and afterwards continuously improve. Here we will discuss among other things a concept called Process Confirmation.

In the next many issues of our newsletter, we will go through these elements in more detail. Today we wanted to talk about one general thing that applies to any Lean element – Management Requirements. In other words, what are the fundamentals that need to be in place to run the business?

Why is it important? Management requirements move the focus from reactive rear view mirror approach to proactive forward-looking approach. The goal is to manage the system, not the result.

How do you do it?

• Define the requirements for all the component parts of the business;
• Define the procedures necessary for the requirements to be maintained, adhered to and continuously improved – i.e. standards;
• Define how we will do – i.e. activities;
• Define how we will measure – KPIs, focus on preventive activity management instead of reactive.

Kevin introduced me to a related concept called a problem definition tree. It allows us to brainstorm what links to what, what drives what and what must be true to have a good system in place. You start by asking yourself what your biggest challenge is. Let’s say it is safety. You then build your problem tree by group brainstorm involving relevant people in the process. Look at the picture below where Kevin illustrates an example of problem definition tree for safety.

One way that safety can be measured is by having a KPI that says 0 incidents, which is a derived target. This is illustrated in the first row – Theme. To achieve a 0 incident rate, the following requirements are defined in the second row - safety tour, ergonomics, engagement, awareness, risk assessment.

To ensure that each of these requirements are in place, you would then have different processes that you need to confirm to check that the requirements are maintained. This is shown in the third row. And for each of your check items you have different evidence you will need to have defined which will tell you whether your requirements are in check or not. This is shown in the last, fourth row.

How about trying to build a problem definition tree for one of your big challenges?

Until next time!

Best,

Kev Shapcott and Ani Movsisyan