Lean thinking is a 'Paradigm shift'...

Lean has been the buzz word since last 29 years . However as a Lean Practitioner , one can observe that there is no shortage of 'Waste' in the world. But there is a marked shortage of 'Value'. Lean mindsets and practices in combination , are proven to provide the best-known way to convert waste into value. So we may be at it for a while, but Lean will win in the end as modern managers gradually tire of easier expedients that don’t work or are replaced by managers with Lean mindsets.

 Lean is difficult because it's different than what so most of us have been taught. How often do you hear the statement "think outside the box"? At Toyota, one 'learns to see waste' in the form of movement, seconds, minutes, space, dollars, hours and cost (to name a few). Once you "learn to see" and view the world through a Lean lens, the sky really is the limit. Then by default you see waste and abnormality everywhere you go, particularly in places like grocery/department stores, doctor's offices, the airport, traffic-light systems, restaurants, home services (when companies give you the window of time technicians will arrive).

In their influential 1996 book Lean Thinking, Womack and Jones used the term “Lean Thinking” to describe what they had learned in their research about the people who were creating Lean organizations. They defined “Lean Thinking” as consisting of the following five principles that guided people’s actions (pp. 10 and 16-26):

1. Specify Value
2. Identify the Value Stream
3. Flow
4. Pull
5. Perfection

Then, according the Lean Lexicon (5th edition, pp. 60-62), Womack and Jones “simplified the five steps” in 2007 to :

• Purpose
• Process
• People

A month later, an article in Fast Company magazine, “10 Signs You Respect Me as an Employee,” authors Michael Ballé and Daniel Jones define “lean thinking” in a new way that is different from the 11 September definition:

“Toyota grounded its management on learning and, over the years, developed a continuous on-the-job learning method based on two pillars: continuous improvement–continuously challenging oneself and learning by continuous small steps–and respect–making our best efforts to understand the obstacles each person encounters, supporting their development and making the best possible use of their abilities. We refer to this as ‘Lean thinking.' ”

 As an example - consider the case of Standard work. Keep in mind that the goal of standard work is not for people to work faster per se; it’s about helping them work smarter and safer. Delivering better quality and value to the customer, while reducing lead times will be the natural outcome of this process. Above all the purpose of standard work is to grow your people; establishing standard work and then improving on it is a major part of creating a learning environment where every employee is contributing their ideas and learning new ways every day. As part of that, if someone suggests an easier and better way to do the job, listen to them. Perhaps that should become the new standard work. Constantly improving the standard work by the people who do the work is what allows it to stck. It is not only self enforcing but creates the learning environment and sense of teamwork that are necessary to be a lean enterprise. Having every employee participate in removing waste so you can deliver more value to your customers will set you apart. You will kill the competition.

Lean is about trying something new, so don't be afraid to fail! The emphasis is on learning by doing. Most of us are good at brainstorming, but not so good at "try-storming". We must have the guts to try new ways of doing our jobs. As long we do PDCA, we have nothing to fear. Lean thinking requires both humility and confidence, and it's actually a framework to help us develop these qualities in ourselves and our team members.

Lean thinking may be understood & applied by the help of Ground Rules, stated below :

1. Value is defined by Customers.
2. Start from the 'Need'.
3. Aiming for Continuous Endless journey ; Long term approach
4. Waste and Variance are our 2 enemies..
5. Team is more important then 'Me'
6. True North is well planned and well communicated.
7. Sensei and Change Agents Lead - facilitate the transformation.

8.Deployment both Horizontally and Vertically

9. Short term Low hanging fruits help build team confidence.

10. Leaders live the philosophy that they are preaching.

11. Gemba purposefully & daily. Gemba is the place to be.

12.Quality , Safety , Delivery - need to improve in Value Streams.

13.Grasping the Current state is the starting point.

14. Inventory is a Liability ; Capacity is an asset.

15. Identify obstacles to FLOW (Inventory Flow, Cash Flow, Information Flow, People Flow)

16. Problems are opportunity to improve. Problems should be visible.

17. Come - We will figure it out together by applying Learning by Doing. (P.D.C.A Experimentation)

18. There is a better way of doing every process.

19. Standards are basis for improvements.

20. Throughput is measured & forms the basis for all decision making.

 “Knowledge is something you buy with the money.

Wisdom is something you acquire by doing it.” Taiichi Ohno

Dedicated to my Sensei - Mr Keith Macintosh of Phelps Dodge Energy Inc. P.D.I.C & General Cables , USA .....

Zeeshan Syed

Lean Sigma Student , Practitioner & Coach.