DES Lean Mission Statement:
“Lean is intentionally changing for the better, using a set of proven quality- and customer-focused tools to improve our processes by removing wastes so that we can achieve our mission with the resources we have.”
What is Lean/Continuous Improvement?
Work processes can be defined and measured, so therefore they can be improved. The current (early 21st century) state of the art in work process improvement is referred to as “Lean Management”, and is an evolution forward from Deming’s statistical methods, through Total Quality Management to Lean, which adds more emphasis on human elements, identifying and eliminating waste, and maximizing value to the customer
Lean…
- is a mindset, a proven set of tools, and a structured problem solving approach;
- focuses meetings to ensure all participants understand the group’s purpose and desired outcome;
- emphasizes small improvements that target waste;
- pushes for quick implementation of solutions and measurement to define success;
- helps us create processes to accomplish our daily work most effectively;
- relies on staff for good ideas and solutions;
- is NOT about simply “throwing Information Technology" (IT) at a problem without first improving the process, (although IT may ultimately be a part of the solution);
- is never “done” -- it’s all about continuous improvement!
What does “Waste” mean in this context? Here are seven types of administrative waste or inefficiency:
| Wastes | Examples |
|---|---|
| Inventory | Backlog of work (permits, plan approvals), excess materials/info, obsolete databases/files/folders |
| Defects | Data errors, missing info., errors in documents, confusing instructions or requirements, typos |
| Overproduction | Unneeded reports and copies, excess e-mail messages, doing work not requested |
| Complexity | Unnecessary process steps, too many signature levels, unclear job descriptions |
| Waiting | Time for approval cycles, waiting for information or decisions, waiting for people in meetings |
| Excess Motion | Trips to printer and copier, unnecessary movement to find files or supplies, travel to meetings |
| Moving Items | Report routing, transport of documents, document storage |
Which is to say we want our work to go more like this:
And less like this:
Why Lean, specifically?
- Reduces waste
- Reduces costs
- Decreases processing time
- Increases productivity by freeing up time to do more value-added work
- Improves quality of services
- Meets customer expectations
- Fixes those issues that drive staff crazy
- Makes better use of existing resources