Implement Lean Management Practices That Work
Increase transparency, alignment, team engagement, and customer satisfaction with a few simple Lean concepts.
Contributors
- Steven Leuschel, Improvement Coach, Agile Kaizen LLC
- Jason McWilliams, Lean Black Belt
- Ken Eakin, Author, Lean Coach, EDC
- Richard Steel, Management Consultant, Richard Steel Consulting
- Deneb Milano, Senior Manager, Scotiabank
- Bob Emiliani, Professor, Central Connecticut University
- Cassandra Koitsopoulos, Senior Manager, RBC
- Joakim Hillberg, Lean transformation, Revere AB
- Helen Wang, VP, Scotiabank
- Service delivery teams do not measure, or have difficulty demonstrating, the value they provide.
- There is a lack of continuous improvement.
- There is low morale within the IT teams leading to low productivity.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- Create a problem-solving culture. Frequent problem solving is the differentiator between sustaining Lean or falling back to old management methods.
- Commit to employee growth. Empower teams to problem solve and multiply your organizational effectiveness.
Impact and Result
- Apply Lean management principles to IT to create alignment and transparency and drive continuous improvement and customer value.
- Implement huddles and visual management.
- Build team capabilities.
- Focus on customer value.
- Use metrics and data to make better decisions.
- Systematically solve problems and improve performance.
- Develop an operating rhythm to promote adherence to Lean.
Start here – read the Executive Brief
Read our concise Executive Brief to find out how a Lean management system can help you increase transparency, demonstrate value, engage your teams and customers, continuously improve, and create alignment.
1. Understand Lean concepts
Understand what a Lean management system is, review Lean philosophies, and examine simple Lean tools and activities.
2. Determine the scope of your implementation
Understand the implications of the scope of your Lean management program.
3. Design huddle board
Examine the sections and content to include in your huddle board design.
4. Design Leader Standard Work and operating rhythm
Determine the actions required by leaders and the operating rhythm.
Guided Implementations
This guided implementation is a ten call advisory process.
Guided Implementation #1 - Understand Lean concepts
Call #1 - What is Lean management?
Call #2 - Review Lean philosophies and concepts.
Call #3 - Review Lean tools and activities.
Guided Implementation #2 - Determine the scope of your implementation
Call #1 - Discuss challenges and advantages of scaling Lean management.
Guided Implementation #3 - Design huddle board
Call #1 - Discuss how to use the design canvas and visual design considerations.
Call #2 - Determine details for each section.
Call #3 - Identify problems and tasks.
Call #4 - Evolve your board.
Guided Implementation #4 - Design Leader Standard Work and operating rhythm
Call #1 - Discuss typical activities of Leader Standard Work.
Call #2 - Design your Leader Standard Work and operating rhythm.
Book Your Workshop
Onsite workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost onsite delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
Module 1: Understand Lean Concepts
The Purpose
Understand Lean management.
Key Benefits Achieved
Gain a common understanding of Lean management, the Lean management thought model, Lean philosophies, huddles, visual management, team growth, and voice of customer.
Activities
Outputs
Define Lean management in your organization.
- Lean management definition
Create training materials.
- Customized training materials
Module 2: Understand Lean Concepts (Continued) and Determine Scope
The Purpose
- Understand Lean management.
- Determine the scope of your program.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Understand metrics and performance review.
- Understand problem identification and continuous improvement.
- Understand Kanban.
- Understand Leader Standard Work.
- Define the scope of the Lean management program.
Activities
Outputs
Develop example operational metrics
- Understand how to use operational metrics
Simulate problem section.
- Understand problem identification
Simulate Kanban.
- Understand Kanban/daily tasks section
Build scoping tool.
- Defined scope for your program
Module 3: Huddle Board Design and Huddle Facilitation Coaching
The Purpose
Design the sections and content for your huddle board.
Key Benefits Achieved
Initial huddle board design.
Activities
Outputs
Design and build each section in your huddle board.
- Initial huddle board design
Simulate coaching conversations.
- Understanding of how to conduct a huddle
Module 4: Design and Build Leader Standard Work
The Purpose
- Design your Leader Standard Work activities.
- Develop a schedule for executing Leader Standard Work.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Standard activities identified and documented.
- Sample schedule developed.
Activities
Outputs
Identify standard activities for leaders.
- Leader Standard Work activities documented
Develop a schedule for executing Leader Standard Work.
- Initial schedule for Leader Standard Work activities
After each Info-Tech experience, we ask our members to quantify the real time savings, monetary impact, and project improvements our research helped them achieve. See our top member experiences for this Blueprint, and what our clients have to say.
