How Do You Create A Lean Office?

With so many different programs out there to reduce waste, improve communication, and to create a stronger company how can you find a program that really works for your organization? You need to focus your efforts on truly looking into the programs to see what works for you, not just for the company. One program that has been inspired by manufacturing companies is lean manufacturing. What is lean and how can you implement it into your office? Lean manufacturing is a program that focuses on the total elimination of waste. This is why it can be a program that you can use to build a lean office as "waste" can be found just about anywhere.

Many companies that use lean are turning to the 5 "s" method. This is because the 5 S Method tends to focus on organization, communication, and efficiency. However there are many other tools that you can easily use to create a lean office and to be proud of the lean environment that you have been able to build. For you to understand how the tools work with lean, you want to evaluate the way that lean will "flow". Basically we are referring to the way in which a product goes from being a raw good and transitions into a complete product. Looking at the various steps will help you in being able to identify areas where wastes and other issues are occurring so you can make the right changes and improve the company.

What may surprise you is that you might not be dealing with waste in the way that you originally thought (say in the way that your employees are doing their jobs) and you find that it actually starts with something like product development. Problems could also arise in other spots like using improper and ineffective marketing campaigns.

The goal with lean is not to just eliminate waste but to start thinking lean. What this means is that you have to consider the company as a whole and consider the lead times and other aspects that can cause you to deal with waste. How long does it take a customer to place an order and how long do they have to wait for their order to be delivered? This is something that lean will address. Learning to keep your customers happy is something that lean can easily help with and will be able to fix as long as you are committed to lean and you focus your efforts on helping your employees to focus on lean. The right training program in the beginning will aid in your ability to convince your employees as to how they can understand lean and to use it in the office.

With a lean office the goal is to create a company that is organized and effective. Take notice of your staff and how many times they need to get up and walk around the office to find something that they need. Using the 5 S Method you will be able to organize the office so your staff isn't wasting their time on things like this.You will also be able to address other issues as well like order process time. Since your staff members will have all the tools they need right away, it will be much easier for them to complete their job duties on time so they aren't struggling to understand what needs to be done or to try and just rush their jobs to get done before a deadline.

A lean office is a productive office. Take the time to research various lean concepts and find a program that will be effective for your organization.