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Andy Hobson
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Forum Member
Total Posts: 2
Joined: 08 Jul 07
Member #4
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Hi,
Is there anyone out there active in the application of lean to admin. I have been working in financial services and government making lean work with amazing results.
If anybody is interested, I am happy to set off a discussion
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John Hardwick
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Forum Member
Total Posts: 10
Joined: 09 Jul 07
Location: Reading
Member #7
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Hi Andy, yes, I have been using Lean (and 6-sigma) tools in admin activities for the last 3 years. Where there are 'transactional' activities (i.e. paperwork to be processed or details to be entered on a system) I have found the tools very effective. We have seen improvements simply from mapping the process and making everyone aware of how it should work. One of our biggest successes was looking at the process capability (defects per million opportunities) of an invoicing process. By looking at the data we identified a lot errors which was having a material effect on income. Re-design of the forms and re-training of staff saved us an estimated £200k per annum.! Has anyone tried Value Stream Mapping on these processes? We have done some faltering attempts but find that 'swim lane' diagrammes are more useful.
This post was last edited by John Hardwick, 09 Jul 2007, 13:28
John Hardwick
FIOM
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Andy Hobson
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Forum Member
Total Posts: 2
Joined: 08 Jul 07
Member #4
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Quote: John Hardwick, Monday, 9 Jul 2007 13:27Hi Andy, yes, I have been using Lean (and 6-sigma) tools in admin activities for the last 3 years. Where there are 'transactional' activities (i.e. paperwork to be processed or details to be entered on a system) I have found the tools very effective. We have seen improvements simply from mapping the process and making everyone aware of how it should work. One of our biggest successes was looking at the process capability (defects per million opportunities) of an invoicing process. By looking at the data we identified a lot errors which was having a material effect on income. Re-design of the forms and re-training of staff saved us an estimated £200k per annum.! Has anyone tried Value Stream Mapping on these processes? We have done some faltering attempts but find that 'swim lane' diagrammes are more useful. Great news John. I am an experienced user of all the lean tools in administrative functions. Like yourself the biggest wins come from preparing agreed simple process maps and getting people to use them. Adopting a standardised process is the first step to identifying problems. When a problem is found, I then use structured problem solving techniques, e.g. DMAIC from the 6 sigma world. However, I find that you have to get some pretty basic stuff around availability and capability going before or at the same time as standardised processes. Some element of matching resource to demand usually throws up significant benefits and an understanding of who is capable of doing what opens the eyes of many managers about some of the risks they run. Value stream mapping has it's place, particularly in large departmentalised organisations but I have found them hard to get off the ground. I am afraid I disagree with those who argue that you should always start with a value stream map because. This can be a recipe for inaction - the old paralysis of analysis argument.
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Stevie Mclaughlin
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Forum Member
Total Posts: 3
Joined: 23 Jul 07
Member #11
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Hi,
with regards to this topic. Where would be the best place to start making our processes 'Lean'. Basically my company has no knowledge internally of this concept. I am the only person who has studied it in any detail. Would I start in my own area and map processes with my team first? Then hopefully use this success as a foundation to spread throughout the organisation?
thanks in advance
Stevie
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Parrot
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Forum Member
Total Posts: 1
Joined: 26 Apr 08
Member #51
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Hi, I am interested in Lean to admin. I newly joined an organisation (as the only BIT personnel) that is currently looking at making the administrative environment as lean as possible. I am sure your experience will go a long way. Thanks. Parrot. Quote: Andy Hobson, Sunday, 8 Jul 2007 21:32Hi, Is there anyone out there active in the application of lean to admin. I have been working in financial services and government making lean work with amazing results. If anybody is interested, I am happy to set off a discussion
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Ian Henderson
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Forum Member
Total Posts: 3
Joined: 04 Aug 08
Member #70
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Quote: Andy Hobson, Monday, 9 Jul 2007 14:04Quote: John Hardwick, Monday, 9 Jul 2007 13:27Hi Andy, yes, I have been using Lean (and 6-sigma) tools in admin activities for the last 3 years. Where there are 'transactional' activities (i.e. paperwork to be processed or details to be entered on a system) I have found the tools very effective. We have seen improvements simply from mapping the process and making everyone aware of how it should work. One of our biggest successes was looking at the process capability (defects per million opportunities) of an invoicing process. By looking at the data we identified a lot errors which was having a material effect on income. Re-design of the forms and re-training of staff saved us an estimated £200k per annum.! Has anyone tried Value Stream Mapping on these processes? We have done some faltering attempts but find that 'swim lane' diagrammes are more useful. Great news John. I am an experienced user of all the lean tools in administrative functions. Like yourself the biggest wins come from preparing agreed simple process maps and getting people to use them. Adopting a standardised process is the first step to identifying problems. When a problem is found, I then use structured problem solving techniques, e.g. DMAIC from the 6 sigma world. However, I find that you have to get some pretty basic stuff around availability and capability going before or at the same time as standardised processes. Some element of matching resource to demand usually throws up significant benefits and an understanding of who is capable of doing what opens the eyes of many managers about some of the risks they run. Value stream mapping has it's place, particularly in large departmentalised organisations but I have found them hard to get off the ground. I am afraid I disagree with those who argue that you should always start with a value stream map because. This can be a recipe for inaction - the old paralysis of analysis argument. I am with Andy on this one. Mapping processes and spotting the inefficiences and wastes caused by activities carried out in series by too many people, or highlighting the number of "if this, then . . . " options is an essential first step in process improvement. However, moving to VSM can cause lots of debate about exactly how much value is added at each stage, Excites the bean counters, but doesn't move matters forward. Like everything else, VSM has its place, but it also places where it adds little.
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Lean in administrative functions
08 Jul 2007, 21:32