APPLIED LEAN CONSULTING

Our 7 point plan includes:

1. Start with the end in mind. Identify the customer deliverables – or more specifically, what the customer is willing to pay for, and the rate of customer demand.
2. Work backwards from the customer identifying the major process steps, writing them up on post-its and sticking them on a wall. For complex processes, we would recommend working out the large chunks of processes on paper first using the SIPOC tool (Supplier, Input, Process, Output, Customer). This will help identify the key elements and make mapping the process easier. This step will provide you with a good visual picture of all the processes steps in order to satisfy the customer.
3. Take a ‘helicopter view’ at this stage, not digging into too much detail at this stage, but add the information flow, the handoffs to other teams and the dependencies between process steps.
4. Identify the triggers between steps; for example, how does one process know when to start and what are the deliverables from that process.
5. Add metrics where possible, to identify how long it takes to get work done, the delays between process steps and where we need to revert to previous steps to fix problems.
6. Stand back and take an objective look at your end to end process. We like, at this stage, to go and see how it works in reality – in effect adding another dimension to our process map.
7. Work with the team to identify the pinchpoints and improvement opportunities to help the work flow better from beginning to end.

So now that you have a good idea of the current way you’re working and the opportunities you have to improve, you can start to develop your future state map and the implementation plan.

ALC specialise in helping businesses to realise their potential through the elimination of waste in business processes.

Contact us for more details.