Comments on: Why Lean? Start from Need! http://www.leanblog.org/2009/01/why-lean-start-from-need/ Mark Graban's leanblog.org - Lean Healthcare, Lean Thinking, Lean Manufacturing, Toyota Production System Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:26:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Andrew http://www.leanblog.org/2009/01/why-lean-start-from-need/#comment-4478 Andrew Sun, 01 Feb 2009 14:58:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2009/01/why-lean-start-from-need/#comment-4478 This is where an important and frequently overlooked tool - hoshin kanri, or policy management - comes in. We begin planning by defining the problem, at the enterprise level, not by pursuing random initiatives (e.g., everybody do "lean"). What are the most critical business needs? Even if there is not a "burning platform" there is always room for improvement, always identifiable needs, if we are not satisfied with the current condition.<br/><br/>Art Smalley has a lot of good stuff to say about this in various writings over the years, recognizing the difference in intent of "going lean" vs. solving business problems, which is the actual objective and what makes the Toyota Way generalizable to any organization or purpose. This is where an important and frequently overlooked tool – hoshin kanri, or policy management – comes in. We begin planning by defining the problem, at the enterprise level, not by pursuing random initiatives (e.g., everybody do “lean”). What are the most critical business needs? Even if there is not a “burning platform” there is always room for improvement, always identifiable needs, if we are not satisfied with the current condition.

Art Smalley has a lot of good stuff to say about this in various writings over the years, recognizing the difference in intent of “going lean” vs. solving business problems, which is the actual objective and what makes the Toyota Way generalizable to any organization or purpose.

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]]> By: Mark Graban http://www.leanblog.org/2009/01/why-lean-start-from-need/#comment-4470 Mark Graban Fri, 30 Jan 2009 20:38:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2009/01/why-lean-start-from-need/#comment-4470 Right, JM. That is a horrible situation to be put in as an adviser/coach/consultant... "go fix this" where there isn't agreement that there is a problem.<br/><br/>If there's no burning platform/crisis and the culture is one of "meh, it's good enough as it is" then Lean won't do much good, or at least it's going to be very difficult and maybe not very rewarding. Right, JM. That is a horrible situation to be put in as an adviser/coach/consultant… “go fix this” where there isn’t agreement that there is a problem.

If there’s no burning platform/crisis and the culture is one of “meh, it’s good enough as it is” then Lean won’t do much good, or at least it’s going to be very difficult and maybe not very rewarding.

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]]> By: JM http://www.leanblog.org/2009/01/why-lean-start-from-need/#comment-4468 JM Fri, 30 Jan 2009 18:29:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2009/01/why-lean-start-from-need/#comment-4468 I agree that it's difficult to galvanize the troops when the problem is ill-defined.<br/><br/>But what if you want to improve something even though there's not a perceived problem? For example, it takes 4 hours to unload, check in, sort, and putaway freight in the warehouse ("dock-to-stock"). The process works fine and everyone's happy but as a manager, you've studied similar environments and you know that the time can be reduced to 2 hours.<br/><br/>Benefits include quicker availability of stock for your customers and lower operating cost.<br/><br/>The world is fine with status quo but the IE in you sees opportunity to do it better AND it will benefit the customer. I agree that it’s difficult to galvanize the troops when the problem is ill-defined.

But what if you want to improve something even though there’s not a perceived problem? For example, it takes 4 hours to unload, check in, sort, and putaway freight in the warehouse (“dock-to-stock”). The process works fine and everyone’s happy but as a manager, you’ve studied similar environments and you know that the time can be reduced to 2 hours.

Benefits include quicker availability of stock for your customers and lower operating cost.

The world is fine with status quo but the IE in you sees opportunity to do it better AND it will benefit the customer.

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]]> By: Mark Graban http://www.leanblog.org/2009/01/why-lean-start-from-need/#comment-4463 Mark Graban Fri, 30 Jan 2009 04:27:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2009/01/why-lean-start-from-need/#comment-4463 Erik - "Pollyannaish" how?<br/><br/>What about my reasons for doing Lean are naive and overly optimistic? They're all very business driven.<br/><br/>If your costs are out of line, then fix your costs. What about my post implied otherwise?? Erik – “Pollyannaish” how?

What about my reasons for doing Lean are naive and overly optimistic? They’re all very business driven.

If your costs are out of line, then fix your costs. What about my post implied otherwise??

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]]> By: Larry ( IEOR Tools) http://www.leanblog.org/2009/01/why-lean-start-from-need/#comment-4462 Larry ( IEOR Tools) Fri, 30 Jan 2009 02:48:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2009/01/why-lean-start-from-need/#comment-4462 Great post. This can apply to technology too. Just recently I was consulting with a company. One of the supervisors of the plant wanted to implement a new job shop scheduling system. I urged the Plant Manager not to implement a system just for the sake of having new technology. I instead pointed out that what the team needs to do is focus on the root cause. Simplicity is usually the better route. The moral as you have so pointedly stated is do not focus on the method as so much as the means to get to an end. Great post. This can apply to technology too. Just recently I was consulting with a company. One of the supervisors of the plant wanted to implement a new job shop scheduling system. I urged the Plant Manager not to implement a system just for the sake of having new technology. I instead pointed out that what the team needs to do is focus on the root cause. Simplicity is usually the better route. The moral as you have so pointedly stated is do not focus on the method as so much as the means to get to an end.

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]]> By: Erik http://www.leanblog.org/2009/01/why-lean-start-from-need/#comment-4461 Erik Fri, 30 Jan 2009 02:37:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2009/01/why-lean-start-from-need/#comment-4461 What do you do if your costs are way out of line with what your customer expects? If you don't find ways to optimize you get to close down a plant of 200 people? I don't know your examples seem kinda Polyenaish. Sometimes there are more then just some nice reasons to start lean. What do you do if your costs are way out of line with what your customer expects? If you don’t find ways to optimize you get to close down a plant of 200 people? I don’t know your examples seem kinda Polyenaish. Sometimes there are more then just some nice reasons to start lean.

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]]> By: Brian Buck http://www.leanblog.org/2009/01/why-lean-start-from-need/#comment-4458 Brian Buck Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:48:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2009/01/why-lean-start-from-need/#comment-4458 Awww man, you beat me to the punch for a post I am planning to do soon! I will still post my thoughs because I think this is a great topic that needs to be raised.<br/><br/>My organization is tightening our internal consulting practices to require a statement of the problem and why it is a problem. A lot of the times CURRENT STATE doesn't explicitly call out the problem and only show a baseline for improvement without ever verifying if it is the symptom or root cause.<br/><br/>I see teams wanting to implement more advanced Lean concepts without understanding to problem they are solving. Getting "Lean Cred" is waste if the root cause is still festering without being addressed. Awww man, you beat me to the punch for a post I am planning to do soon! I will still post my thoughs because I think this is a great topic that needs to be raised.

My organization is tightening our internal consulting practices to require a statement of the problem and why it is a problem. A lot of the times CURRENT STATE doesn’t explicitly call out the problem and only show a baseline for improvement without ever verifying if it is the symptom or root cause.

I see teams wanting to implement more advanced Lean concepts without understanding to problem they are solving. Getting “Lean Cred” is waste if the root cause is still festering without being addressed.

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]]> By: Dean Bliss http://www.leanblog.org/2009/01/why-lean-start-from-need/#comment-4456 Dean Bliss Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:23:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2009/01/why-lean-start-from-need/#comment-4456 Great post, Mark. As my health system embarks on improvement projects, we work with the various groups to provide guidance on where to apply our resources. This post is a nice guide for those who are getting started, or those who are being asked to "do something Lean". Thanks. Great post, Mark. As my health system embarks on improvement projects, we work with the various groups to provide guidance on where to apply our resources. This post is a nice guide for those who are getting started, or those who are being asked to “do something Lean”. Thanks.

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]]> By: Anonymous http://www.leanblog.org/2009/01/why-lean-start-from-need/#comment-4455 Anonymous Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:40:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2009/01/why-lean-start-from-need/#comment-4455 Mark,<br/><br/>I appreciate your insight on this subject. I have been involved with several lean efforts and the differences are amazing form one to the next. Those that start their Lean efforts out of necessity have been much more successful than the others. "Going Lean" for Lean sake does not seem to capture hearts and minds of the people actually doing the work and without that, any improvement effort will surely fail. I wonder if a company, which is already very successful, can truly create a scenario that captures the passion of their employees, propelling the company to new heights.<br/><br/>Again, great work on your blog. I attended a breakout meeting you did at Utah State last year at the Operational Excellence Seminar and was impressed with your thoughts on Lean Healthcare. I'll be getting your book soon. Keep up the good work. Mark,

I appreciate your insight on this subject. I have been involved with several lean efforts and the differences are amazing form one to the next. Those that start their Lean efforts out of necessity have been much more successful than the others. “Going Lean” for Lean sake does not seem to capture hearts and minds of the people actually doing the work and without that, any improvement effort will surely fail. I wonder if a company, which is already very successful, can truly create a scenario that captures the passion of their employees, propelling the company to new heights.

Again, great work on your blog. I attended a breakout meeting you did at Utah State last year at the Operational Excellence Seminar and was impressed with your thoughts on Lean Healthcare. I’ll be getting your book soon. Keep up the good work.

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