Comments on: UK Government Wants Lean and Six Sigma or Just Cost Cutting? http://www.leanblog.org/2010/07/uk-government-want-lean-and-six-sigma-or-just-cost-cutting/ Mark Graban's leanblog.org - Lean Healthcare, Lean Thinking, Lean Manufacturing, Toyota Production System Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:01:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Paul Hager http://www.leanblog.org/2010/07/uk-government-want-lean-and-six-sigma-or-just-cost-cutting/#comment-11448 Paul Hager Mon, 12 Jul 2010 14:06:40 +0000 http://www.leanblog.org/?p=6974#comment-11448 Mark, Erik Hager always told me not to use the term efficiency in any discussion about Lean. His term was effectiveness, as in the effective use of resources - people, product, leadership etc. Erik is fond of saying that people just don't know, what they don't know. That's the problem Lean has right now, people have been misinformed, not deliberately, in applying Lean to simply cut costs. In manufacturing this is a necessity because of competition and low wages in foreign countries. When I try to communicate Lean ideas, managers and CEO's want to know how much money it's going to save them, what is the ROI. I don't know if healthcare is in the same boat as manufacturing but it probably will be in the future. Trying to sell quality and engagement is not as sexy as saving costs. Mark, Erik Hager always told me not to use the term efficiency in any discussion about Lean. His term was effectiveness, as in the effective use of resources – people, product, leadership etc. Erik is fond of saying that people just don’t know, what they don’t know. That’s the problem Lean has right now, people have been misinformed, not deliberately, in applying Lean to simply cut costs. In manufacturing this is a necessity because of competition and low wages in foreign countries. When I try to communicate Lean ideas, managers and CEO’s want to know how much money it’s going to save them, what is the ROI. I don’t know if healthcare is in the same boat as manufacturing but it probably will be in the future. Trying to sell quality and engagement is not as sexy as saving costs.

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]]> By: Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog » Management Improvement Carnival #103 http://www.leanblog.org/2010/07/uk-government-want-lean-and-six-sigma-or-just-cost-cutting/#comment-11413 Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog » Management Improvement Carnival #103 Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:33:17 +0000 http://www.leanblog.org/?p=6974#comment-11413 [...] UK Government Wants Lean and Six Sigma or Just Cost Cutting – Mark Graban takes on simultaneously the misunderstanding of lean by the press and the misapplication of lean by the UK Government. [...] [...] UK Government Wants Lean and Six Sigma or Just Cost Cutting – Mark Graban takes on simultaneously the misunderstanding of lean by the press and the misapplication of lean by the UK Government. [...]

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]]> By: Alison http://www.leanblog.org/2010/07/uk-government-want-lean-and-six-sigma-or-just-cost-cutting/#comment-11412 Alison Sat, 10 Jul 2010 16:20:00 +0000 http://www.leanblog.org/?p=6974#comment-11412 Mark, I'm one of the civil servants in the UK on the receiving end of the cost-cutting - and coincidentally just starting out on a Lean journey. From over here it looks like both the government and the press have (deliberately?) misunderstood Lean philiosophy and each is outbidding the other on how many cutbacks Lean can deliver. Unfortunately, I've seen it with my own eyes, I've tried to sell the engagement and the quality, and all I've got is 'Yes, but how much money will it save? When can we reduce jobs?' Like your other blog post on the heath union, our union is also, unsurprisingly, against Lean as they only see the cuts and none of the benefits. They're actually crying out for lean (like me!) but all they're getting is LAME. I'm greatly saddened by civil servants' cost cutting ideas on the Spending Challenge http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/spend_challenge_ideas_1.htm. There's a better way than centralising stationery orders and using our own pens - but nobody's explained it properly. Mark, I’m one of the civil servants in the UK on the receiving end of the cost-cutting – and coincidentally just starting out on a Lean journey. From over here it looks like both the government and the press have (deliberately?) misunderstood Lean philiosophy and each is outbidding the other on how many cutbacks Lean can deliver.

Unfortunately, I’ve seen it with my own eyes, I’ve tried to sell the engagement and the quality, and all I’ve got is ‘Yes, but how much money will it save? When can we reduce jobs?’

Like your other blog post on the heath union, our union is also, unsurprisingly, against Lean as they only see the cuts and none of the benefits. They’re actually crying out for lean (like me!) but all they’re getting is LAME. I’m greatly saddened by civil servants’ cost cutting ideas on the Spending Challenge http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/spend_challenge_ideas_1.htm. There’s a better way than centralising stationery orders and using our own pens – but nobody’s explained it properly.

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]]> By: Amiel http://www.leanblog.org/2010/07/uk-government-want-lean-and-six-sigma-or-just-cost-cutting/#comment-11377 Amiel Wed, 07 Jul 2010 14:09:37 +0000 http://www.leanblog.org/?p=6974#comment-11377 Mark, to me these examples partly reveal a larger trend in journalism: cost-cutting, decrease in quality, etc--trends that Jay Rosen and James Fallows, among others, have written persuasively about on their respective blogs. Mark, to me these examples partly reveal a larger trend in journalism: cost-cutting, decrease in quality, etc–trends that Jay Rosen and James Fallows, among others, have written persuasively about on their respective blogs.

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]]> By: Chris http://www.leanblog.org/2010/07/uk-government-want-lean-and-six-sigma-or-just-cost-cutting/#comment-11362 Chris Tue, 06 Jul 2010 13:37:51 +0000 http://www.leanblog.org/?p=6974#comment-11362 Mark, great post, but somehow it got doubled up... from the second "<i>The article begins with a description of the coalition government’s desire for Six Sigma methods:</i>" on could be removed. I keep wondering when Congress is going to legislate some Black Belt cost cutters onto all the gov't budget busters. Mark, great post, but somehow it got doubled up… from the second “The article begins with a description of the coalition government’s desire for Six Sigma methods:” on could be removed. I keep wondering when Congress is going to legislate some Black Belt cost cutters onto all the gov’t budget busters.

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