If you and your organization are thinking about what you might do to become leaner and more efficient, then start by thinking the same way you might when building a house. A strong house begins with a solid foundation. The same is true for LEAN.
A common mistake made by organizations moving toward LEAN is their inability to address the foundation, before attempting to implement LEAN changes, tools, and systems. People, the organization, and the culture make up an organization’s foundation. Failing to focus here first is a mistake because people can become by-products of systems or tools and they no longer “think” about what they are doing.
When this occurs, they will quickly tire of the new methods and initiative fatigue will occur – this creates a situation where people are “doing time.” This, of course, creates a barrier to sustainability. To create lasting positive changes with LEAN, start with your people. Motivate them from the beginning to become a part of the foundation of your strong LEAN house and they will develop ownership of the progress.
Your people are the nucleus of your organization. They are equally the nucleus of any sustainable changes you wish to see. No one knows more about the inherent inefficiencies within your processes than the people immersed in them each day. Here are three ways to get and keep your people involved in the LEAN transformation process:
1. Ask, that’s right – ask them. When is the last time you pulled your team together – not just the superintendents or foremen – but the whole team, and asked them what could be improved with your processes? Your people will gladly tell you if they are certain of two things:
• It is safe to express personal ideas to the company.
• Ideas will not be summarily dismissed but will be actively explored and implemented when appropriate.
2. Create a LEAN Implementation Team (LIT). Gather individuals – usually five to seven people from various departments – and challenge them with the tasks of developing continuous improvement strategies to create greater efficiencies.
3. Educate your team. Don’t expect results from your team if you don’t first invest in educating all of them regarding goals, techniques, strategies, tools, and methods. Do not expect them to figure it all out for themselves. They will need your guidance and motivation in order to succeed.
Once you have the team prepared for the journey, you are ready to begin the transformation from a working company to a LEAN organization. It doesn't matter if you are a construction firm, a healthcare facility, a manufacturing plant, or a service office; the rules of LEAN are the same. At the end of the day there are only two ways to create cash flow for any business: increased revenue opportunities and decreased operational costs.
The real question is simple: when will you start building a solid foundation for the most important house on the market – yours?
Look forward to these LEAN newsletter topics in the coming months:
• Planning for Value
• Work Flow and TAKT Time Management
• Continuous Improvement Strategies
• KAIZEN: The Art of Leading Change
• Becoming a LEAN Leader
Join us at the March 24th dinner meeting where Henry Beeland will present on the advantages of LEAN construction.