The lean IT association defines Lean IT as:
Lean IT is
the extension of lean manufacturing and
lean services principles to the development and management
of information technology products and services.
Its goal is to continually improve the value delivered bij IT organisations to their customers and the professionalism of people working in IT.
Lean IT focuses on improving people working within IT, IT processes and information technology in order to deliver more value to its customers.
Lean traces its roots back to peoples desire te create products.
Lean consists of:
- Continious evolving concepts
- Deeper thinking on business performance.
Many of the iconic elements of Lean come from the
Toyota Production System (TPS)
Lean history starts
At a time when most production was a matter of craftsmanship (End of the 19th century)
Frederick Taylor investiged workplace efficiencies. His ideas included:
- Dividing work and specifying tasks to be performed for workers
- Training workers so the could perform these tasks
- Installing supervisors to ensure that tasks were performed as specified.
A supporter of Frederick Taylor, Henry Ford introduced:
- Interchangeable parts with standerd work and moving conveyance to create what he called flow production.
This type of production thrived on the division of labor and specification of tasks.
The Toyota Production System was based on two basic principes
- Just in time production
- Jidoka
The Toyota Way was published in
2001
Today the judoka and just in time principles remain, however the Toyota way philosophy has included the higher principles:
- Respect for people
- Continual Improvement
J. Edwards Deming showed
That organisations could increase quality and reduce costs by reducing waste, rework, staff attrition and litigation while increasing customer loyalty.
The key was:
To practice continual improvement and think of manufacturing as a system, not as a series of parts to be optimised.
J. Edwards Deming is credited with the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) He always referred to it as the Shewhart cycle. The PDCA has a:
Built-in improvement cycle: an iteratieve fourstep management method used in business for the control and continuous improvement of processes and products.
What do the letters in PDCA stand for:
- Plan: Design or revise business process components to improve results.
- Do: Implement the plan and measure its performance
- Check: Assess the measurements and report the results to decision makers.
- Act: Decide on changes needed to improve the process
The Deming/Sheward cycle creates a feedback loop for management to ensure that improvements are identified and implemented.
What is Six Sigma:
Six Sigma is a disciplined, data-driven approached for eliminating variability, defects and waste that undermines customer value and loyalty.
Six Sigma improvement projects helpt to:
- Increase performance
- Decrease process variation
Leading to defect reduction and vast improvements in profits, employee morale and the quality of a product.
One of the methodologies, inspired by the PDCA cycle is
DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve and Control)
This is an element of Six Sigma, but also used in Lean IT.
What are the differences between Lean and Six Sigma.
- Six Sigma is the disciplined, data-driven approach for eliminating variation.
- Lean IT primarily focuses on establishing flow of value, particularly in conjunction with the behaviour and attitude of the people involved.
Lean thrives in environments with
Scarcity of resources such as time, money, talent or materials.
A scarcity of resources is
- a reason for the development of Lean
- and a reason to apply Lean Principles
- and use Lean tools.
Lean is, in essence, a way of thinking and behaving. It revolves around the following key concepts:
- Improving customer value
- Continual improvement in small steps
- Decreasing peaks and thoughts in production.
- Reducting waste
- Involving everybody
- Developing people
- Focusing on long term goals
There are a variety of reasons for organisations to be Lean. They revolve around three major categories:
- Customer Satisfaction
- Strategic Value
- Financial Value
Poor quality can also be the driver for adoption of Lean. Poor quality has its effects both within and outside the organisation. Aspects such as reputation damage and loss of customer thrust may cause the organisation to incur large costs or penalties. Also, waste of talent or an unexpected number of defects causes stres within the organisation. Again costs will increase due to inspections, rework or demotivation.
In Lean organisations managers:
- Facilitate the workers at the shop floor level.
- They lead as a coach and teacher
- Allow their teams take on the responsibility to figure out how processes are best optimised to deliver results for the customer.
Lean organisations focus first on:
Maximising the efficiency of flow. Ensuring that work is moved through the process so as to deliver value to the customer as quickly possible.
Lean organisations welcome:
problems and learn from mistakes. They make it a collaborative exercise and share what they have learned across the organisation.
Frameworks and standards, particularly in the area for IT service Management, aim to:
Ensure quality.
