The 5-day Lean EventMark Robinson, The University of St Andrews

Numbers

The University Motto

– AIEN ARISTEUEIN ‘Ever to be the Best’ Tradition

– Scotland's first university and the third oldest in the English speaking world

– 600 years old (almost) Teaching and Research

– One of Europe's leading and most distinctive centres for teaching and research

– Doing well in lots of rankings

Our approach to Lean

‘Can do’ Focus on working with Service Units

– Core processes to enable Teaching, Learning and Research

– Customer Service, Quality, Efficiency Embed Lean

– ‘Lean’ is how we do things around here– It’s everyone’s job to improve everything

Lean Team works itself out of a job

How we do it

8 Step Process

Request

An area of potential work is identified– By frontline staff, managers, students, ….– Raise issue with Lean Team– 1 to 2 hours– Discuss feasibility

The process concerned will not be broken Evolved to where it is now

Scope

Goals, project team and resources agreed– 3 to 4 staff

• Process owner/s• Key stakeholder/s

– Half a day– Outcomes:

• Goals • Deadline• Resourcing• Who

Plan

Project Team reviews goals & agrees approach– Half a day– Outcomes:

• Goals finalised • Data gathering and stakeholder consultation identified• How long• When• Where

Train

All project team members, incl. those ‘on call’– Half day (before Redesign)– Cover:

• History of Lean• 2 Fundamentals, 5 Principles, 8 Wastes• Some key Lean tools• Successes• What will happen during Redesign

Redesign Part 1

Map how things are done at the moment– Paper, pens and post-its

Review data about the current process– Volumes, timings

Generate and analyse ideas about how things could be done– Pens and post-its– No conferring– Cluster– Analysis

Redesign Part 2

Design a new process– Paper, pens and post-its– Ideal process– Interim process

Create an action plan to ensure the new process is put in place– Excel

Project team presents the new process – Co-workers– Management

Redesign Part 3

Working with the right people, the right information and with the authority to act

Asking lots of questions - 5 Whys? Two heads better than one Having fun!

Implement

New process put in place– All or part may happen during Redesign– Ideally, the new world begins immediately– Actually, takes time: days, weeks or months– Perseverance

Review Lean maintains a management role

– Momentum stalls– Reverse gear

Progress is monitored– Regular meetings with Project Team

• 2 to 3 hours• 2 weeks, then monthly until new processes proven

– Maintain enthusiasm– Maintain momentum– Deal with issues immediately

Feedback

With Project Team Project ‘signed off’ How was it for you?

– How can Lean improve? Anything else we can do for you?

8 Step Process

1. Request2. Scope3. Plan4. Train5. Redesign6. Implement7. Review8. Feedback

Challenges Perceptions of Lean

– Staff and management buy-in– Convincing academics– Link between Lean and staff and cost savings

Ownership/Direction– Ownership of cross-functional processes– Strategic alignment

Easy to get the benefits of some Lean tools, but it takes unshakeable management commitment and hard work over an extended time to start to become truly Lean

Successes Part 1

23 x 5, 9 x 4 and 15 x 3 day events Better service to Students

– Status Letters– Library Services– Society Formation– Self Certification of Absence

Simpler administration for staff– Gift processing– Finance processes e.g. Cash Handling Policy, AP, Sales Invoicing– Casual staff contracts– Estates job tracking

Successes Part 2

Focus on improving Service Unit processes– Efficiency– Effectiveness

Embed Lean– Bringing staff closer together– Breaking down silos

More time to do the important stuff

‘He that will not apply new remedies must expect new evils’

- Francis Bacon