The LEAN Code

The five LEAN principles is the code to understand LEAN and thus the laws of nature within excellent process management.

The principles inspires to new ideas, about how we organize work processes.

1. Specify what creates value for the user

2. Identify the value stream, and remove the non-value adding activities

3. Create flow around the value-adding activities

4. Establishment of flow systems

5. Seek for perfection towards continuous improvement

Every time a consultant in collaboration with relevant professional groups, records a value stream, the experience of the participants enter a few steps back and the first will be very aware of the complexity of the workflow is. Then there is always someone who points out ‘This we could do simpler’.

Often the participants seem a bit astonished at how complex the overall process flow is when the individual is only used to look at its own efforts.

It is the beginning to think LEAN, and the first step in thinking about the improvements that are the basics of implementation of change management.

THE THREE TYPES OF ACTIVITIES:

In every concrete processes, it is about identifying:

1. What activities those create value for the user/customer?

2. What activities do not create value for the user/client, but is necessary for the process flow, ex. records?

3. What activities do not create value for the user/customer and can therefore be removed?

Value added can in simplified terms occur in two ways. Either you can increase the quality and/or service to a specific service with existing resources. Or you can maintain the current quality service and optimize the use of resources – and thus free up resources for other purposes. Resources will often be, human resources, skills and time and also financial resources.

LEAN is another way of looking at processes, a way of thinking that helps to optimize the administrative and service-related processes that characterize many Danish companies and organizations.

LEAN has long since proved its worth in production environments, wastage detected and removed, process flow improved and failures prevented, for the benefit of continuous improvement and customer value maximizing.

LEAN can cause stress if responsibility and work is not clarified, insecurity when respective activities and responsibilities change character. This more important is the knowledge of process understanding, anchoring and transparency and not least involvement and guidance of employees throughout the project.

Communication – Communication – Communication is crucial in order to achieve success through any project for execution and implementation of value-added improvements.