Enormous process leadtime reduction ... Lean at its best.

End-to-End process runs 9 x faster.

APPROACH

Highest priority to deal with on the agenda: assemble a project team with appropriate representations from all actors in the process.

Another critical success factor; create circumstances that enabled us to run the project, implying our project team had to be perceived as objective, fair, correct, independent and sufficiently competent to tackle this process that had been causing issues and frustrations for years. Not so hard to imagine this was important, as we realised early on that over the past years, the collaboration between these 7 teams had become very sour, and mistrust amongst them was ingrained.

Long story short, the project team was assembled, and we ensured there was a monthly communication along the duration of this project aimed at transparency and thereby gradually gaining the credibility of our independence in our approach.

The entire process got mapped out in workshops with all teams represented, thus visualising what was happening. Because so many things went wrong, the number of exceptions, rework, escalation and corrections was dazzling. Noteworthy, no one could be held accountable, as there was no one responsible for the process. I.o.w., the notion of process management was non-existent.

Continuing the project, we held workshops where in a structural and systematic way all wastes were identified, listed, and the issues were prioritised. Again, not rocket science; we looked at frequency of occurrence, and their respective impact(s).

Based on this outcome, several workshops later we identified the solutions we wanted to see implemented. Good, but far from sufficient. Each and every solution still needed to be defined. To define implies: requirements gathering to ensure Fitness For Use of each deliverable. Next to this we alse made sure to have a good view on all other initiatives going on. This way we could identify, and assess, interdependencies with other initiatives and changes that were happening at ICT, and within the other departments. A very interactive process to hone and tweak each deliverable, ensuring all deliverables, comprehensively, would indeed work – in reality.

Based on this overview of deliverables, we made an ‘implementation PBS’, which in turn became the base for our planning, and our project white board. With this knowledge, the Future State process map (=To Be process) was drawn up. Once formally approved by those mandated to do so, we reached an important milestone. We could now communicate it and so give all involved stakeholders something ‘tangible’ to look forward to.

As in all our projects, throughout its entire duration, numerous (practical) trainings and coachings took place to transfer Lean competences to the staff.

The obtained knowledge and hands-on experiences enables them to apply this in other projects, and to make continuous improvement a reality.

Fast forward to the implementation phase. Across all teams, changes took place. Who performs which task, how, when, with which means, etc.

We strive for First Time Right (because it is almost always the fastest, easiest, most rewarding, motivating…and least costly). We wanted to avoid an ubiquitous error in this type of projects: to go live with a new process, while not everything is sufficiently tested, or reliable in operations, or where people are insufficiently (or not) trained.

In our implementation planning we planned the appropriate time, and profiles’ availability, to test, correct, and test again until all respective requirements were met. Each and every end-user that would be impacted by this new process got the appropriate training.

Along side of the above project work, we installed end-to-end process management. A small group of people received the appropriate mandates to take on this role, and with them (and for them) we defined the process management white board. This became the source of information, on the entire process. It contained, a.o. a set of KPI’s which they would rely on during their weekly process management white board sessions.

RESULT

The process’s throughput time got reduced from 27 to 3 days. To be correct, for certain exceptional cases, it took 5 days. Collaboration amongst the teams could hardly have been more different from before: no more blaming, no more finger pointing, no more fleeing of responsibilities. This in itself would already have been great. 

Our monthly project-communication structure was taken over in other projects.

Hardly any more unforeseen delays happened in the onboarding process, and first time right no longer was a principle – it became reality. The latter we accomplished by integrating a lot of Poka Yoke (fool proofing) throughout the process.

At the time of implementation, almost no corrective interventions were required. Why: because we did our due diligence (we= all active contributors). Because we ensured everything was thoroughly tested against clear requirements it had to meet. And lastly, because our practical end-user-training ensured everyone was ready for the Go Live.

In conclusion: despite the chances of success being estimated very low by several senior managers, we managed to prove – above and beyond all doubt and against all odds –the seemingly impossible was possible indeed.

Main contributing factors: a structural approach, descent analyses, taking on the process end-to-end, appropriate involvement of all stakeholders, integrity, exchanging knowledge and best practices, balancing thoroughness and pragmatism, and intrinsic motivation. It’s a non-exhaustive list, but you will be able to notice it doesn’t contain magic or rocket science. Maybe you want to review a process in your own environment too?