The Complete Lean Enterprise: Value Stream Mapping for Administrative and Office Processes

by Beau Keyte, Drew A. Locher

Most lean initiatives conducted by manufacturers are focused mostly on shop-floor activities — mapping the value stream of raw material to the shop-floor customer. Much of the untapped potential for productivity improvements lies, however, in non-production areas — where the value stream is administrative (i.e., "order to cash"). These "office" value streams directly support the daily production needs of an enterprise. Beau Keyte and Drew Locher's new book, The Complete Lean Enterprise: Value Stream Mapping for Administrative and Office Processes , offers a step-by-step approach to applying lean initiatives to the administrative and office environment. It's a must read for leaders looking to improve their production support activities within their order-to-cash value stream. The Complete Lean Enterprise is a valuable tool in applying value stream mapping (VSM) to non-production areas, identifying office wastes, establishing performance metrics, speeding up administrative workflow, and improving office efficiency.

Genres: Business, Management, Nonfiction

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great Lean book with practical tips for mapping value streams in any kind of workplace. There is a fictional case-study company throughout the book to help the reader practically apply the mapping concepts. I believe this book would be an inspiration to non-Lean companies as well.

[Chet Marchwinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Complete Lean Enterprise: Value Stream Mapping for Office and Services, second edition, authors Drew Locher and Beau Keyte have improved upon the first edition’s step-by-step process of how to map the current state of nonmanufacturing value streams, design an improved future state, and then implement the leaner future state. (Full disclosure: Drew and Beau are faculty members at the Lean Enterprise Institute, where I work. The book is published by CRC Press, not LEI.)

The second edition adds what they’ve learned working with clients in the ten years since they wrote the first edition, which won a Shingo Research Award. The new information includes:
• How to align value-stream improvements to strategic needs.
• How the mapping team should “socialize” current and future-state maps to gain agreement and support from others for the proposed improvements.
• How to developing tiered visual management systems to sustain improvements.

They’ve also added more examples from services, such as healthcare, and dropped Japanese terms. The only such term I came across was “kaizen,” which seems almost English now.
Perhaps most importantly, Beau and Drew are among the most experienced practitioners in applying lean principles to office and service processes. The workbook is generously illustrated and also offers “mapping tips” at key points. This updated edition is a must-read for managers and continuous improvement professionals who want a reliable, proven method for applying lean thinking and practice in office or service environments.

[Dolf van der Haven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice, concise book on how to apply Lean methodologies to the service industry. Includes waste reduction, value stream mapping, continual improvement and management of the value stream. Great addition to more process oriented frameworks such as ITIL and ISO 9000/20000/27001.
Easy to read, yet somewhat dry.

[Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great examples.