Exploring the Opportunity

Abstract

Arboria’s management team have decided on lean as the best approach to address their business needs. Next, they must assess the current situation and identify the potential for improvement. It’s crucial for them to get firsthand experience of operating problems: personal involvement not only provides a deeper understanding of the situation, but is often emotive too, provoking a powerful commitment to the challenges the company faces. It will help them build the energy and commitment to see change through, and set a precedent for their involvement in the rest of the transformation programme.

In assessing improvement potential, organisations need to consider all three aspects of lean: operating system, management infrastructure and mindsets and behaviours.

The customer perspective of value must be used to identify waste.

To develop a real sense of urgency, managers must experience problems first hand.