Beyond Lean

It is interesting that even though so few companies are truly 'Lean', many are now starting to talk about 'Beyond Lean'. Perhaps it is to do with the fact that so many have tried it and failed and therefore think that the only way forward is to go 'beyond lean', or is it because people have become Lean and have realised that by itself it is not everything is it promised and feel that to get the real benefit they must go beyond what they have?

I believe the real reason people want to go 'beyond lean' is because, like so many things, it has had its time in some areas and needs a refresh - it is no less effective than it was before, people are not being more successful with it and it is still not widely implemented properly, but it has been around for 10 years and I suppose it needs to be rebadged - perhaps as 'High Performance Lean' or something less connected to the original term?

Any suggestions?

TPS Isn't Enough!

Attending the Manufuture Conference in Finland this week, there was a lot of discussion about whether or not TPS was robust enough for both a European Culture or for the types of organisations that will be the most successful in the future.

During a discussion with Professor Westkamper from Stuttgart and several others, I crystalised my thoughts and realised that for organisations that need to focus on customised products, which are growing, have highly variable demand patterns or which are rapidly (and continually) changing, that TPS is not the best vehicle for change.

I am currently working on a new model for change that builds on the best things about TPS and brings in new thinking to meet the needs of public and private organisations in the future.

Taking it on the chin.....

Being wrong is not a sin......

It took me a long time to realise that was the case. Before I accepted that I did not have to be right on every point, I used to close my eyes and my mind to new possibilities and ideas presented by others when they conflicted with my own ideas - it also caused lots of stress when working with other people.

Accepting that other people can have better ideas is a fundamental concept in achieving the best result from your improvement programme.

Sustain is a Pain

Having run numerous businesses, I always remember the pressure to get some improvement implemented and then get on with the real issue of 'running the company'. This is particularly true of organisations which are a part of a group where there is additional pressure when it is time to make some form of improvement, yet maintain the numbers today and tomorrow as well!

This pressure to return to the norm is one of the biggest single reason why change programmes (and particularly Lean) fail to embed themselves in the organisation.

Over the next few blog entries I will provide some details of the nine key areas which when not addressed will lead to your improvement programme failing. If you can't wait, email me!

Read my article about Lean successes and failures here.