Abstract
This paper describes and evaluates work carried out in the social housing context in the United Kingdom using a systems thinking approach called ‘lean systems’ (LS). The work, sponsored by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, was designed to test whether LS could improve the efficiency of delivery of housing management and maintenance services. A pilot programme was developed in which three housing organizations used the approach in different service areas. The results indicate that LS can yield efficiency gains and improvements in service performance, customer satisfaction and staff morale—although securing and sustaining these results requires considerable organizational commitment. The LS approach is outlined, work in the pilots described and the results presented. A theoretical analysis seeks to locate LS in the spectrum of systems methodologies and to delimit its particular area of competence.
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Acknowledgements
We thank staff and tenants at all three pilot organizations and, in particular, the in-house systems team members and sponsors. Thanks also to the Vanguard consultants involved and to members of the Evaluation Panel. Specific thanks go to Dawn Eastmead and John Bryant at the ODPM and Janis Bright for their considerable assistance in producing the ODPM report on which much of this paper is based. Ian Wright and Janis Bright (again) worked on the NHC update report which again is drawn on heavily in this paper. We gratefully recognize the assistance of the ODPM in commissioning and supporting the research described.
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Jackson, M., Johnston, N. & Seddon, J. Evaluating systems thinking in housing. J Oper Res Soc 59, 186–197 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jors.2602521
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jors.2602521