Sign Up for this FREE webinar
“Make Lean Happen”
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During this 45-minute webinar, you learn:
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How change process is the fabric of Lean program
The strategy, operations and technology cycles of organization and how to adjust
the Lean transformation process according to changing cycles
Human aspects of Lean transformation and what motivates people to embrace Lean
Why you need to accelerate Lean transformation
Definition of Lean transformation, metrics and how they relate to financial measures
The importance of Lean maturity audits and the right questions to ask to enable
smooth transformation
How to build a successful Lean transformation plan that addresses both softer and
harder elements of Lean change
How to articulate the business case for change through compelling presentation,
flawless communication plan that delivers the change message
What Lean transformation implementation issues to anticipate
How to calibrate the speed of Lean implementation when the existing culture and
change are mismatched
Clearing roadblocks due to resistance
Roles in leading Lean change program – choosing the right sponsor
How to track success of Lean change
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Dear Reader,
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Organizational structure changes. Technology changes. Markets change. Markets change.
Tastes change. New competitors arrive. Pyramids get flattened. Work gets outsourced.
Globalization intensifies.
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Notice the word ‘’. It is inevitable and
you need to be prepared for it. Organizations that are aware of the above changes
strive to either survive or grow amidst growing difficulties due to internal and
external factors. For these organizations selecting the right change is relatively
apparent because they cannot afford the huge costs of pursuing and implementing
the wrong change.
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Lean or Lean Six Sigma is replacing all other change initiatives in many organizations
whose leaders believe that moving to Lean organization is the right thing to do.
Let’s look at the ‘Lean jobs’ trends.
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The trend is increasing, indicating that more and more organizations have started
bringing Lean trained or experienced people on board to support the change program.
This is evident from the fact that jobs in Lean, including Black Belt positions
grew and achieved breakout since 2006 (that is growth of greater than 5000% in just
6 years).
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The question is ‘Why have Lean as a change initiative?” It is because Lean has power
to deliver results and it is evident from the success of companies that have implemented
Lean. Companies like Toyota, GE, HP and others have been carefully studying the
external and internal drivers before embarking upon the Lean program. They looked
at the competitive pressures as well as customer expectations to build the right
product or service or to design business and manufacturing processes.
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Organizational change has become a way of life as a result of some key forces such
as cost pressures, new competition, and information technology. Organizations are
pressured to introduce cost reduction initiatives, manage complex information flows,
grasp new ideas quickly, and reduce or eliminate the magnitude of any activity that
doesn’t add value to the business. For such organizations Lean is the right tool
to obviate issues related to increased costs, reduced productivity, increased burden
on machines and people, and workload imbalance. Implementing change requires effort,
a huge effort. More than 50 percent of all the effort during Lean program implementation
is spent on dealing with the human dimension of change.
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But what about implications for your organization of such a transformation from
the current-state to a Lean state. How would the people react to such a change?
What infrastructure changes would be required? Will it change the way you perform
your day-to-day work? Lean transformation is no different than any other organizational
change program. Lean transformation is a ‘change’ process. Only
the fittest organizations with the right approach will survive. They understand
how culture impacts change. They know that Lean culture is different from the current
culture and that introducing radical change usually does not gain traction. These
organizations are aware that Enterprise Lean transformation requires modifying the
culture (not radically changing it) to be more in-line with the existing behaviours,
beliefs and assumptions of its current culture.
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So, what is required for an organization to change its culture in favour of Lean?
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- a clear and compelling case regarding the need for change;
- leadership commitment; employee engagement;
- solutions that are offered with a clear understanding of root causes and preventive
measures;
- ability to weather internal or external ‘distractions’;
- ability and capability to minimize the effect of cycles of strategy, marketing,
organization and technology changes;
- linking the Lean activity to the strategy and a better understanding of the customer;
linking the Lean metrics with financial measures;
- a solid communication plan; and
- training program that covers all of the above, including softer and harder elements
necessary for successful Lean transformation
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Whether you are new to Lean or part of the existing Lean initiative, whether you
are in favour of it or not, the ‘Make Lean Happen’ course will change your perception
and approach toward implementing a Lean program and build confidence in you to accept
it as necessary initiative. It is designed to trigger enthusiasm during the different
stages of Lean implementation. The course will demonstrate how to use Lean tools
in practical situations and how doing so can modify the behaviour of people and
transform the organization gradually to the desired state.
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Finally, the Lean journey is never over. Change is constant. Just as you want to
work continuously to achieve your most ambitious and desired life goals, your organization
leaders will always strive to continuously reduce costs, increase productivity,
and reduce waste to achieve the organization’s goals.
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