Lean Administration
We apply Lean Administration in the sectors where production tasks are of an administrative nature. Examples are banks and public administration organisations.
We will identify the problems by analysing the underlying reasons for the relevant administrative problem and prepare a solution, ensuring any identical problem does not emerge owing to any identical reason.
We will determine the problems of administrative organisations by asking e.g. the following questions:
• What amount of time is spent by the company on activities creating added value in case processing?
• What is the efficiency utilisation rate of staff time?
• How many cases are dealt with incorrectly or need to be dealt with again before completion?
• What is the processing time from the time when the need for case processing occurs and until the case processing is completed?
Reviewing all administrative processes
Lean Administration covers the entire spectrum of case processing, including administrative processes associated directly with case processing planning and execution. One reason for wasted case processing time may be that the information, databases or other background material needed by the employees are unavailable, poorly organised or in need of updating.
We are applying Lean Administration at both the strategic and operational levels.
The strategic level
The strategic phase of Lean Administration highlights the following issues:
• What competencies, which add product and thus customer value, are commanded by the company?
• Does the company possess any specific production competencies which customers consider unique?
The proper strategy for the proper task
The strategic model, which is to be crafted with a view to ensuring proper handling of the organisation’s case processing, must support and be coordinated with product and marketing strategies. Frequently, various types of case processing support the product and marketing strategies and each type should be dealt with independently to enable the proper strategy to be selected for each task.
Examples of various types of tasks:
• A well-documented standard product for a selected and specific target group
• A well-documented standard product with standard variants
• Customer-designed standard products
• Customised products
Objective
For each case type we will set up the targets to be realised during the strategy plan. When we set up targets, we will ignore any limitations currently known, solely determining our approach on the basis of the future product and marketing strategy, and the company's expectations.
Examples of targets for a company employing Lean Administration:
• Processing time for standard products: 3 days
• Processing time for customer-designed products: 5 days
• Processing time for individual products: 10 days
• Productivity increase: 20%
• No. of cases reopened owing to quality issues: > 3%
Making the right investment
If your company is to make optimum investments in the years to come, you will need clear answers to investment issues with regard to case processing and the associated ancillary systems.
The strategy developments usually provide for a sound foundation of and discussion about the equipment and competencies that should be developed in-house, and the tasks you should sub-contract.
The operational level
Lean Administration is a new approach to case processing. It is a new way of actively involving the employees in the development of their workplace. The employees will pause when facing a problem, e.g. lack of capacity, inappropriate handling earlier on in the process or insufficient support systems, etc. and collaborate with the relevant people to determine the reason for and outline the problem.
Obviously, employee involvement will put the traditional manager under pressure. When employees solve problems on their own, the traditional manager role is largely undermined. Hence, managers must take on new roles as coaches who support the employees in their problem solving activities.