Be selective about lean implementation for rapid results

Lean is defined by Mark Doman in Target Magazine as:

“Lean is a system that creates a physical and social environment where problems are quickly identified and then solved by motivated employees who are trained to eliminate waste in their processes so that customers receive the highest quality products and services at the lowest cost in the shortest lead time.”

Implementing lean practices at your company can be quite a complex task. From asking all the right questions to getting everybody on board with productive changes.

The best chances of success in changes that lean implementation bring lie in using tools that can take the company forward one step at a time. Identifying the methods, skills, and tools best suited for the business goes a long way in providing quick returns, and a confidence boost to expand in other areas.

 Another look at lean implementation in businesses is:

“Lean is a holistic approach to business operations. It is a different (in some cases very different) way of thinking, problem-solving, producing products and managing organizations. That is why it is so difficult to implement. It is not just one change, but a continuous series of changes that amounts to a fundamentally different way of running a business.”

In a previous blog post on Cerius Executives, we discuss how to Be Selective about Lean Implementation for Rapid Results, a key point to remember in beginning the process is:

“Selecting the right starting point is critical to long-term success and to achieving optimal initial benefits with minimal investment in time and resources. For example, adding structure to the management system is an essential first step if the company is in a firefighting mode as described in 6 above. It is difficult for employees to focus and learn new methods if they are stressed and working long hours just to meet the daily schedule.”