Lean For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Chapter 6

Seeing Value through the Eyes of the Customer

In This Chapter

Understanding the concept of value

Identifying what customers value

Differentiating customers and consumers

You may think the concept of value is pretty straightforward, but the reality is that everyone has their own perception of what constitutes value. What people value and how they value it changes with circumstance and time. But, as mutable as the criteria for defining value may be, Lean provides a framework for understanding what customers and consumers value, and then helping us understand how to provide that value in the most effective way. As you define what your customers value, you also define the very nature of your activities and actions: what you should be doing, how you should be doing it, and even if you should be doing it.

Consider this: When the coffee-shop barista writes your name on the cup for your double latte, is he “adding value” to your drink? When you check out at the grocery, is the full-service checkout “adding value” to your purchasing experience? When you fill out the form at the doctor’s office for your annual checkup, are you “adding value” to your health? Maybe — and maybe not. ...