Lean office practices can be an excellent way to improve productivity and employee satisfaction, while efficiently reducing waste in the office. A common misconception of this practice is that you’re removing valuable resources for your workers, but this is not the case. It’s true purpose is to improve the efficiency of your office by only eliminating unnecessary waste in your normal business flow.
With lean office practices, employees are more open to each other and aware of how to identify waste. To implement lean office practices, follow these must do tips.
Remove Boundaries
One of the more effective ways of having a lean office is by removing boundaries. Also known as a collaborative work environment, employees don’t have restrictions or physical confinements. There are no boundaries, no walls between desks, and no obstructions. Communicate is done freely and openly, with the ability to interact with other as the need comes up.
Outlining Basic Steps
Another one of the must do’s in lean office practices is having a simple outline for basic tasks. The different areas of tasks should be in set processes, human resources, time frames, labor arrangements, improvements of phases, and asset outlining. With outlining basic steps, the tasks are simple and straightforward, allowing for ease of completing projects and reducing issues that may come up at a later date. In order to use this to your favor, there should be a specific sequence of steps for every project or assignment given out.
Visual Management
With lean office methodology, the PDCA method should be used. This method stands for Plan, Do, Check, and Adjust. This is going to close any gaps you have, and further efficiently in the office. The visual management method allows for management of the company to visually watch the workplace, having command over different operating procedures. The effect is having organization and improved processes by filling in empty space within these different procedures.
Value Stream Mapping
Value Stream Mapping (VSM) observes incoming data and keeps watch over the flow of information, tools and materials as they occur. This is to improve the performance. You may have heard of Non Value Add proceedings, or NVA. The VSM method allows you to visualize the NVA activities going on in the office, with the end result of following lean office practices to your benefit.
7 Steps
Finally, there are the 7 steps which is a valuable tool in lean office procedures. It allows you to reuse, remove and reduce different processes that are no longer necessary. Having a lean office means to reduce waste, but you must first identify it. That is what the 7 steps process is going to do. It uses a systematic approach to identifying the waste, to allow your office to move toward a paperless system.
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