Lean Business Essentials

It has long been recognised that business processes require continuous improvement just as much as manufacturing processes. Indeed, many organisations are entirely concerned with providing a service, rather than manufacturing or supplying a physical product. Lean thinking can be applied with equal or even greater effect to business processes, provided that the symptoms of waste are recognised, and appropriate techniques used to address them.
The Lean Business Essentials programme is geared towards the needs of business managers and project leaders with responsibility for driving and sustaining improvements in business processes. It provides a thorough grounding in the application of Lean principles, enabling delegates to develop and implement an integrated strategy for Continuous Improvement using proven tools, techniques and methods. Consideration is also given to the integration of Lean and Six Sigma, to designing for service excellence where new processes are being introduced, and to managing change, both at an organisational and team level.
The programme can be tailored to an organisation's specific needs, and effectiveness can be further enhanced by running simultaneous improvement projects in key business areas. This is especially valuable for organisations seeking to create an Improvement Taskforce, who can then facilitate improvements in different work areas.

Course Content

Introduction to the Lean Office
• Defining value from the customer's viewpoint
• Value & Non-Value Adding Activities
• Identifying the 9 classic wastes in an office
• Waste walking business processes

Measuring & Displaying Process Performance
• Measuring business process performance
• Critical Success Factors & Key Performance Indicators

Building a Sustainable CI Culture
• A 3-tier framework for improvement
• Developing an effective improvement process

Getting the Basics Right
• Improving office efficiency using 5S
• Visual Management in business processes

Structured Problem Solving Techniques
• Introduction to problem solving (PDCA, DMAIC)
• Measuring the current state
• Lean process mapping techniques
• Data collection planning, tools & techniques
• Root cause analysis techniques
• Selecting, piloting & implementing solutions

Value Stream Mapping
• Current state mapping
• Assessing the current state
• Future state mapping

Improving Flow in the Office
• The principles of Lean Thinking
• Assessing & improving process flow
• Batch processing, layout & one-piece flow
• Pull systems & Kanban in the office
• Constraint management
• Takt time & work balancing
• Standard operations & multi-skilling
• Managing & segregating complexity

Reducing Business Process Variability
• Integrating Lean & Six Sigma
• Different types of business process variability
• Measuring & understanding process capability
• The concept of Rolled Throughput Yield
• Graphical data analysis techniques
• Process analysis using 'Minitab' software

Mistake Proofing Business Processes
• The need for Mistake Proofing (Poka Yoke)
• Identifying mistake proofing opportunities
• Defect detection vs. defect prevention
• Mistake Proofing systems

Designing for Service Excellence
• Introduction to Business Process Design
• Define & Plan the Project
• Measure & Understand Customer Needs
• Develop & Analyse Concept Designs
• Develop & Test Detailed Design
• Verify & Implement Design

Developing a Lean Implementation Plan
• Implementation strategy & planning
• Pilot implementation
• Measuring & reviewing progress
• Refining & growing the approach

Managing & Leading Change
• Gaining acceptance for change
• Identifying drivers, constraints, sponsors & stakeholders
• Managing commitment, influencing & communicating
• Monitoring & controlling implementation
• Managing & overcoming resistance

Developing Effective Improvement Teams
• Understanding effective teamwork
• Identifying, leading & developing your team
• High performance teams, coaching for performance