Cut to the chase with Lean Thinking

 By Stephen Grech
 
 
Despite government departments continuously striving to be more innovative and efficient in their operations, they do not have a consistent approach to process improvement and making better use of public funds to deliver more frontline services to communities.
 
Increasingly, local, state and federal government agencies across Australia are now embracing the multi-faceted benefits of adopting a ‘Lean Thinking’ approach to process improvement and process waste minimisation.
 
The correct application of Lean Thinking methods, tools and techniques will empower organisations to achieve a number of objectives, including efficiencies, effectiveness, optimisation or service delivery and contribution to savings targets proactively rather than reactively.
 
Lean Thinking is a philosophy, a way of thinking, a mindset through which everyone in an organisation learns to see process waste and knows how to fix business process problems, or at least knows who to speak to about addressing a problem.
 
Lean Thinking uses a range of tools, techniques and methods to improve process flow by eliminating or reducing duplication of effort; cutting waste and non-value-adding activity; simplifying processes; minimising delays; preventing re-work; error-proofing processes; and preventing errors from becoming defects.
 
Implementing Lean Thinking techniques is not capital intensive and often leads to quick wins that can be easily implemented at little or no cost.
 
Lean Thinking principles, tools and techniques, including workplace organisation methodology 5S and value stream mapping, are highly engaging methods to harvest savings, achieve significant productivity improvement and containment of costs, and improve workplace safety.

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