Short Term Expectations
Assign a Dedicated Lean Resource:
Designating a dedicated Lean resource well integrated into the 'local'
organization is essential to creating a sustainable Lean culture. If you have difficulty in identifying a Lean resource, TAG provides clients
materials to assist in the search (i.e. sample job descriptions, etc.) and is available to participate in the interview process. Designation of this
individual sooner rather than later, is the best way to maximize the economic benefit of the Lean effort.
Form a Lean Steering Committee:
A Lean Steering Committee should ideally be formed prior to the execution of the
first Value Stream Mapping activity. The steering committee should include but is not limited to:
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At least 1 representative/champion from the 'frontline' of your
organization
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The dedicated Lean resource
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A Quality and/or Risk Management representative
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Additional members could include operations and financial management
personnel.
The committee should be scheduled to meet monthly and participate in all 30, 60,
and 90-day reviews of past Kaizen activities. The committee should also assist team leaders in breaking down barriers to reaching Kaizen goals
across the organization.
Implement Regular Process Performance Tracking:
Ongoing process performance (aka results) tracking for Value Stream Mapping,
Kaizen, and Problem-solving activities is not only vital to sustaining the initial success but also the identification of implementation issues
that need to be revisited. As part of each activity, process performance targets are determined based on the team's trials of the Future State
processes. While TAG assists with developing results tracking processes as much as possible, we have seen greater ownership developed when this
task is coordinated through the site Lean resource and the organization's Lean Steering Committee.
Go to the Gemba Regularly:
Gemba is a Japanese term meaning "actual place" or the location where the
'regular' process work is happening. An essential part of any Lean transformation is the dedication of time by the leadership team to go to
where front line work is being performed. "Going to Gemba" provides leaders the opportunity to:
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Observe the Environment, People and Processes
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Establish relationships and trust between Leadership and Staff
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Show management commitment to Lean initiatives
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Review the process performance measurements
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Motivate staff and drive accountability within the organization
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See what written or verbal reports cannot reveal
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate (Share
Results/Success):
Just as initial communication is important to "jump start" a Lean Transformation,
ongoing communication of results and successes must also be a priority. It is important that information on Lean activities not be limited to
just Value Stream Mapping and Kaizen activity participants. Including results in facility newsletters, associate 'forums' /town hall meetings as well
as creating high visibility Lean displays throughout the facility have all proven to add momentum to Lean initiatives.
Long Term Expectations
Align Business Goals & Objectives with the Site Lean
Strategy:
Soon after you begin your Lean journey, the site must begin to align the
goals & objectives of individual Lean efforts with those of the overall business. While this will ultimately be achieved through implementation
of Policy Deployment in your Lean journey, moves made early in the transformation process to better align objectives will accelerate this
process.
Give Your Lean Effort a Budget:
We strongly encourage our clients to consider the addition of Lean activities in
their next planning/budget cycle. This not only allows the organization to more easily track the impact of its Lean work, but also creates a
model for sustainability by budgeting the time required to continue improvement efforts.
Develop Lean Minded Employees:
A final item for consideration is the identification of talent within your
organization with the potential to become Lean coaches and Kaizen facilitators. As resources are freed through Kaizen activities, a
portion of that benefit must be reinvested in growing your Lean capability. TAG is available to guide you in the qualities and
characteristics, which typically make for good "Lean Thinkers".
