How to Start your Lean Journey
David Harry
68 Posts
There are may ways to start a Lean Journey.  What are the best tips you can share?
5 Replies
David Harry
68 Posts
One neat video about successfully starting a Lean journey is by Lean enthusiast Paul Akers from 2017.  Some good tips here.
https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.leanvlog.com%2Flean-journey%2F
Phil Akers high level overview is great! 

I actually use my iPhone and my iPad for video production, though, I enjoy using the Adobe Suite.

Phil speaks on the importance of providing your team with before and after examples, which is an absolute necessity in order to provide a picture of where you started and how your improvements have reduced waste.
One tip that I can provide is use the language often.

At home, I talk about improving processes, down to how we clean dishes. 

I talk to my family about reducing various forms of waste, and improving efficiency in our home.

5S in the home is super easy, and many people are already using 5S at home, without realizing it.

 
David Harry
68 Posts

Kevin Hinkle:
One tip that I can provide is use the language often.

At home, I talk about improving processes, down to how we clean dishes. 

I talk to my family about reducing various forms of waste, and improving efficiency in our home.

5S in the home is super easy, and many people are already using 5S at home, without realizing it.

 

Kevin,
Agree that most experts believe that 5S is a great starting point for a lean Journey.  That said, there is much more to Lean than 5S and the overarching lean principle of Respect for People has got to come into play. If that is missing, then starting with 5S can have disastrous results that may derail your efforts to implement any other tool or principle related to lean.
Start with why as well as what is in it for them.  For instance, too often Lean is portrayed as financially driven.  While there are obvious financial benefits from the application of Lean from the view point of the organizational leaders, that typically does not resonate with those directly adding value to the products or services customers use.  For them it is about fewer steps, less rework, making it easier to produce, easier to deliver, etc.  The physicals always drive the financials anyway.  Lean has gotten a bad rap in many organizations because it was misused to justify a reduction in force, typically with little or know consideration of what the impact will be on either customer or employee satisfaction.