IDENTIFYING SOURCES OF WASTE FOR BUSINESS PROCESS OPTIMIZATION

ISSUES BUSINESSES ARE FACING

U.S. industries have enjoyed over 60 months of economic growth and prosperity in recent history. During times like those, companies tend to focus on delivering more volume and capturing a greater market share. It is also in prosperous times that process inefficiencies are often overlooked in lieu of capturing that growth. That is, until there is disruption.

Any type of unintentional disruption uncovers or leads to process waste. This is caused by having to change processes “on-the-fly” or simply not being able to process or operate the business at all. In these unprecedented times, process inefficiencies and waste are rapidly draining businesses of vital cash. 

SOLUTIONS

Stop the bleeding by quickly identifying and immediately addressing sources of waste:

• Assemble the team – the best subject matter experts are within the walls of your organization. Pull together cross functional talent who are most familiar with processes and willing to facilitate change.
• Identify low-hanging fruit – create an environment for problem solving. Conduct workshops gathering the team to actively identify process waste. Many LEAN Six Sigma tools such as the Failure Modes And Effect Analysis (FMEA) are useful in facilitating workshops, gathering ideas, and developing implementation strategies. Use the Waste Wheel to quickly identify these sources of waste:

• Inventory – is there expiring inventory that can be sold at a reduced price or donated?
• Stagnation – is there idle equipment or employees that can be redeployed?
• Over-Processing – have “on-the-fly” process changes added unnecessary steps that can be eliminated?
• Overproduction – is the right mix of products or services still being delivered?
• Defects – has a reduction in operations increased process failures that require better documented standardized procedures and cross training?   
• Motion – has social distancing or working remotely caused excessive employee movements that require better physical and/or electronic workspaces?
• Transportation – has working remotely added excessive movements of information (emails) that require better collaboration tools?
• Untapped Potential – are employees and their collective problem-solving skills being utilized?

• Develop a plan and timeline – put together a project plan including timelines and resource needs. Prioritize ideas and implementation strategies into highest impact activities with least amount effort first.  This ensures you are capturing quick, low-hanging opportunities timelier.
• Execute the plan – empower a project manager to ensure the timely execution of the implementation strategies. Capture opportunities as quickly as possible to realize efficiencies and reduce costs.

We partner with you to deliver quick bottom-line improvements through our proprietary methodology called Business Process Optimization, influenced by Lean Six Sigma.

• Business plan analysis and development
• Sales, Planning and Scheduling, Supply Chain, Inventory, Shipping, Procurement, and Finance Administration
• Asset redeployment
• Cost realignment
• Business Process enhancement
• Performance improvement, KPIs and Optimal Performance Management Systems
• Technology enablement and rationalization
• Change Management: People, Process, Technology