Process Improvement using "Lean"

Lean is a philosophy of improvement, a tool for change.

 Lean is about…

• Adding value to everything we do and removing unnecessary burdens
• Continuously looking for ways to improve
• Always remembering who is the beneficiary of the work
• Employee-led improvements (bottom up not top down)

Lean is about respect for people

Staff are the University’s greatest asset. They know what works well, what doesn’t and have the ability to suggest and make improvements. A Lean improvement project draws together this expertise with a view to making our work more efficient, more effective and less taxing.

5 Principles of Lean

1. Value - define "value" from the perpective of the beneficiary of any process within the University. Beneficiaries of our work could be current and prospective students, academics, alumni, employers who hire graduates, funding bodies, and research partners.
2. Value Stream - Think about the process, removing unnecessary steps, constraints or bottlenecks. By mapping out any process, you can see what adds value and where there is waste -- time, energy, or resources.
3. Create Flow - ensure that the process flows smoothly and without any interruption. The aim is to remove repetition and back-tracking.
4. Pull - in any process, only do what's needed, when it is needed, in the right quantity and at the right quality.
5. Pursue Perfection - every process should be continously improved and refined.