Improving Business Performance With Lean, Second Edition

CHAPTER 15

Exercises

Improving processes with Lean is a skill and, like any other skill, Lean requires practice and experience to understand its principles deeply, to apply its concepts appropriately, and to successfully navigate the barriers one will encounter. It is not unlike an apprenticeship where knowledge is acquired with initial training and then skills are honed and mastered through considerable practice. The Lean learning curve takes longer than one might ideally hope because the gestation of projects is typical long: Projects are often tackled while individuals on the team are still performing regular job duties and the data required to understand the process and pinpoint causes of waste may need to be collected. Where data already ...