"Steelcase: Learning How to Implement Customer-Focused Enterprise-Wide Lean"
Target
2006, Third Issue, pp. 35-42 (available online at www.ame.org)
This case study shows how highly-respected Steelcase extended its Lean activities to office areas.
Four senior executives who report to the CEO comprise the "Lean Action Committee" (LAC). Their consistent involvement and commitment signals that this is not a program of the month.
High-potential people are chosen to act as the Office Lean Consulting team. These people are pulled completely out of their normal organizational roles for a year.
There is a VP-level process sponsor for each administrative area targeted for a lean project. A value-stream manager upstream or down stream of the project area helps the project to completion. A VP from the Finance area provides support. Major progress checks help keep things on track.
Some suggestions and lessons learned are:
- Start small and pilot changes before implementing them in day-to-day production
- When consolidating a process, don't build too many steps into one person
- Keep communications as open as possible
- Value Stream Mapping and Lean training should be completed before attempting implementation
- Address reluctance to change directly
- Be patient, because the language of the office is different from the language of the manufacturing floor
- There should be clear ownership of the process and clear metrics
- Build experience and understanding with hands-on activities
- Build in milestones along the way
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