Quick Glance Case Study: Lean Culture

“The Lean review will not only increase efficiency, but also support job satisfaction, communication and enhance team working”

After completing a ChangeWise Lean Practitioner training course, one candidate submitted the following work-place project to gain their qualification to LCS Level 1c.

The Business Challenge

It had become apparent that one of our key service teams were not integrated effectively within the business. They did not have the same culture, management, employee engagement, branding, communications, working hours, performance management or development as other departments within the organisation. This regularly resulted in the business providing the service team with incorrect data and information. Lack of accurate forecasts, planning and adequate job information also prevented the service team from doing their job effectively.

A Lean review was required to ensure the service team were effectively integrated into the organisation.

Photo by Ryoji Iwata on Unsplash

Key people involved from client site

A strategy group including members of the Leadership Team and Service Management Team were involved in the various elements of solution delivery.

Lean Methodology Employed

DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analise, Improve, Control)

Various Lean methodologies were employed including, Value Steam Mapping, Waste Analysis, Value Analysis, Root Cause Analysis, Cause & Effect, Value and Non-Value Add Analysis, 5 Whys, Impact Matrix, 7 Step Model

Lean Activities

To understand the current state, the following Lean activities were completed:

• Workshop held with the relevant stakeholders, including SME’s to better understand the customer’s expectation from the service delivered.
• Silent Brainstorm to understand issues and opportunities
• Value Stream Mapping
• Waste Analysis (7 wastes)
• Value Analysis
• 7 step model completed to re structure the service team
• Process map for current Planned Work Queue
• 7 step Structure Chart
• Brainstorm so identify opportunities within the process

Benefits & Outcomes

• Trial pilots initiated for the service team to help them understand how we measure customer satisfaction.
• Weekly operational calls initiated to identify what is working and what we can improve. Call outputs officially recorded, along with a process for follow-up
• Monthly continuous improvement workshops to ensure efficiency is a key priority for all employees.
• Inclusion in strategy workshops to ensure the service team are part of any future solutions/decisions.
• Creation of a dashboard detailing the delivery of work, identification of non-compliant work, aborted jobs against the total number of jobs delivered
• Commercial Model reviewed to provide visibility of cost. This will be completed against each job to ensure all deliverables are aligned with company measures.
• Restructured, integrated Service Team.

Photo by Ashkan Forouzani on Unsplash

In Summary

The Lean review has fully integrated the service delivery team into the wider business, ensuring all are aligned with company objectives and are part of future decisions and planning. It also means all teams have access to the same, accurate data and information they need to perform their job effectively. This will not only increase efficiency, but support job satisfaction, communication and enhance team working.

Interested in looking at how Lean can help to integrate your teams and enable a common approach to service delivery? Contact us at info@changewise.co.uk and let’s talk about how we can help.

ChangeWise believes employee engagement is the foundation for successful Change. Training and coaching your people to use simple continuous improvement techniques will enable your organisation to continuously adapt and stay ahead in a constantly changing and challenging environment.

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