Lean Office 5 Day Kaizen Workshop

The Lean Office workshop is an on-site, highly engaging, results-driven application of the practices and principles derived from the Toyota Production System (i.e., Lean).  Teams of 5-7 employees (at a maximum of 5 teams per workshop site) must be available for the entire five day kaizen event.  The Lean tools of value stream mapping, kaizen, takt time, pitch, standard work, continuous flow, leveling, runners, plus numerous others will be thoroughly explained and applied to team projects throughout the workshop.  Examples of these tools from successful Lean administrative applications will be provided allowing teams with additional insight into how Lean can be applied to their project. All workshops will be facilitated by a Lean Office Sensei.  A Sensei is Japanese for “teacher” or “one who has gone before”.

The four phases to the Lean Office workshop are:

Phase I: Phase II: Phase III: Phase IV:

Plan Stabilize Standardize Simplify

Day 1 Days 2 and 3 Day 4 Day 5

Highlights of the training:

• Administration projects will co-exist and support Six Sigma initiatives
• Options are available for top level Lean training and benchmark visits
• The latest Lean Office training materials will be used
• Results of Lean projects will be published (if mutually agreed upon)
• Training materials can be reused internally once the training is complete
• Additional sessions of Leading Change in a Lean Environment can be included
• Measurements and strategic alignment will drive the change

After nearly 20 years of implementing Lean in manufacturing environment, there are many lessons that can be learned as it relates to administrative Lean projects.  Some of which are:

• Ensure adequate time up front is allocated for planning and strategic alignment
• Spend time up front with employee’s to solicit their buy-in and gain trust
• Behavior must change first, prior to attitudes and a new culture to emerge.  Lean is an excellent tool to get people involved in common sense improvements.
• Communication tools must used throughout the Lean-Sigma project
• Very rarely will one Lean tool be used exclusively; therefore, this workshop includes the practical application of each Lean tool as it relates to the project as well as how each interrelates with one another.
  
  

Phase I – Plan Day 1

Purpose: In this phase of the workshop you will learn how to eliminate the “seven deadly wastes” in the office environment and focus on the five steps necessary for an organized workplace.  You will see how to remove the obstacles to eliminating non value-added activities and focus on value-added activities by learning a step-by-step process for establishing a Lean office in your organization. You will explore the requirements from management to ensure team success at the initial stages.  A detailed Lean office roadmap will help you identify and implement appropriate Lean tools for your organization.  Customer demand – either internal or external – is thoroughly explored, as well as team reporting and communicating.  A current state value stream map will be created.

Deliverables:  The following objectives will be met:

1. Management will gain consensus
2. An facility assessment will be conducted be a Lean Sensei
3. A Binding Purpose will be established
4. Drivers and measurements will be initially established
5. Target area will be identified
6. Communication tools will be identified
7. Stages of team development will be reviewed
8. Change will be addressed in context of Lean – Six Sigma improvements
9. Detailed analysis via process map, value stream map, and/or a cycle time observation report will create a current situation
10. Data collection will begin
11. Measurements (baselines) will be established
12. Milestones will be established, along with a timeline
13. A Waste Audit will be conducted
14. A first pass of a future state will be created

Time Frame:   8 hours

Materials and Tools: Lean Office Demystified workbook, Drivers and Measurement Exercise, Management Commitment Survey, Predictable Output Survey, Waste Audit, and Readiness Guide for Phase II.

Phase II – Stabilize Days 2 and 3

Purpose:  This phase will focus on the full application of the Lean tools as related to the administrative project.  Many examples of other Lean Office practices will be shared. Teams will design new processes to improve work flow using the various Lean tools.  

Deliverables:  The following objectives will be met:

1. Takt time will be determined
2. Work flow conditions will be analyzed
3. Kaizens – types and frequency will be determined
4. 5S will be initialized
5. Data will be analyzed
6. Second pass of future state will be created, posted, and implemented
7. Best practice will be identified (if applicable)

Time Frame:   16 hours

Materials and Tools:  The Lean Office Pocket Guide XL, 5S User’s Guide, 5S, Takt Time, Document Tagging, Effective Meeting Evaluation Form, Lean Office…it can be done! DVD, and Readiness Guide for Phase III

Phase III – Standardize Day 4

Purpose:   This workshop focuses on expanding the Lean tools to ensure what you have put in place will continue to show improvement.  Coaching, process review rotations, and documentation control will help you grow and sustain a Lean office system and create a partnership between management and office workers. 

Deliverables:  The following objectives will be met:

1. Continuous flow will be utilized where appropriate
2. Best practice will be documented via Standard Work
3. Kanban system for supplies will be implemented, if applicable
4. 5S will continue
5. Cross-training will be created and standardized, where appropriate
6. Supermarkets and FIFO lanes will be implemented,  if applicable
7. Visual controls will be implemented, if applicable
8. Third pass of future state will be created, posted, and implemented

Time Frame:   8 hours

Materials and Tools:  Standard Work Combination Table, Standard Work Chart, and Readiness Guide for Phase IV

Phase IV – Simplify Day 5

Purpose:  This workshop will focus on setting up mistake proofing processes and controls and creating the internal audit system to sustain the various project improvements.

Deliverables:  The following objectives will be met:

1. Runners or water spiders will be used, if applicable
2. 5S will continue
3. Mistake proofing will be used
4. Standards will be made visible
5. Training to standards will occur
6. Audit system determined, if applicable
7. Scheduling versus leveling will be explored and current system updated
8. Team recognition and final action items reviewed
9. New team goals established
10. Lessons learned posted and distributed
11. Case study documented
12. Training materials created for next project

Time Frame:   8 hours

Lean Office 1 Day Workshops

 Bringing the powerful concepts of Lean production to administrative areas

Now, more than ever, organizations are faced with doing more with fewer resources.  In order to do this well and continue to globally compete all processes, both on the manufacturing floor and in the front office that support those operations, must be improved through the elimination of waste or non value-added work.  Therefore, many organizations are aggressively implementing Lean techniques in their administrative areas.  These organizations are achieving significant results in improving customer service and increasing overall employee productivity.

 Lean Office Overview (8 hours)

In this workshop you will learn how to eliminate the “seven deadly wastes” in the office environment and focus on the five steps necessary for an organized workplace.  You will see how to remove the obstacles to eliminating non-value added activities and focus on value-added activities by learning a step-by-step process for establishing a Lean office in your organization.  A Lean office simulation demonstrating paper flow pre and post Lean will be conducted in the afternoon session.

Lean Office I - The Organizational Snapshot (8 hours)

This workshop will build a foundation for your Lean office.  You will explore the requirements from management to ensure team success at the initial stages.  A detailed Lean value stream map will help you identify and implement appropriate Lean tools for your organization.  Customer Demand – either internal or external – is thoroughly explored, as well as team reporting and communicating.

Lean Office I is designed as the first part of a three-part series in which workshops are completed in the order specified.  It is recommended that you have a basic understanding of Lean tools and concepts, or have completed the Lean Office Overview workshop before you attend.

Lean Office II – Work Flow Pathways (8 hours)

This workshop applies many Lean technical tools to simple, everyday administrative tasks.  You will learn how tools the tools of data collection, paper file system, standard work, pitch, FIFO, In-process supermarkets, work area re-designs, plus others to streamline administrative processes.  These tools allow work to emerge effortlessly flow in and out of the processes or departments. 

Lean Office II is the second workshop in a three-part series in which the workshops are recommended to be completed in the order specified.

Lean Office III - Sustaining to World Class (4 hours)

This workshop focuses on expanding the Lean tools to ensure what you have put in place will continue to show improvement results.  Coaching, process review rotations, audit teams, visual documentation control will help you grow and sustain a Lean office system and create a partnership between management and office workers.  Setting up metrics, paper file system, visual controls and cross-training are a few of the new administrative tools that can be applied for employees to continually improve their productivity effortlessly.  Once that occurs, then a new culture will have emerged!

Lean Office III is the third workshop in a three-part series in which the workshops are completed in the order specified.

5 S for the Office

In this workshop you will learn how to implement that very same 5S System in any office, of any size.  The seven keys to success will be explained as well as the various worksheets and forms that should be used in the implementation.  You will leave the workshop with an action plan to immediately start implementing a 5S system in your office!

It is recommended that you have a basic understanding of Lean tools and concepts, or have completed the Lean Office Overview workshop before you attend.