Lean Office

Our workshop helps participants define and understand the different types of work in an Office and assists in distinguishing between internal and external customers. One of the important aspects of Lean is the focus on 'system-level' improvements (versus 'point improvements'). Within this system level of thinking, Office work and shop floor work often converge. Work in either the office or on the shop floor can have significant impact to the customer. This knowledge, combined with the understanding of how to remove waste properly, is critical for any successful Lean implementation.

Common Lean improvement tools and techniques will be identified and the class will discuss how best to apply these techniques from a Lean system perspective. The common mistake companies make by focusing on 'point' improvements versus 'system' improvement will be studied - 'point' improvements creating 'exciting chaos' and 'system' improvement creating dramatic bottom line improvements as well as cultural transformations.

Different types of Waste will be defined from a Lean point of view. Class will brainstorm, identify and classify the different types of waste that they see within their own work environments. The root causes of Waste will be examined and successful methods used to eliminate it will be discussed. A group simulation will demonstrate the power of one-piece flow (vs. batch production).