Gina Temple: What Are the Five Lean Principles

 

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Gina Temple: Five Principles of Lean Methodology

Lean is a methodology in project management that aims to reduce waste – unnecessary parts of a process that does not add value, explains Gina Temple. A process must go through Lean many times to ensure no waste is left behind. If done correctly, Lean can increase productivity while reducing cost, which is advantageous to the organization in the long run.

What are the five Lean Principles?

Lean aims to eliminate waste while maximizing value, notes Gina Temple. In their book "The Machine That Changed the World," Womack and Jones share the five principles of Lean manufacturing. These principles can help improve workplace efficiency.

Define Value

The amount a customer is willing to pay for a product or service is called value. Understanding the customer's needs is essential to define the value. Organizations can conduct interviews, surveys, and more to determine what their customers find valuable, the best way to deliver products or services, and what an affordable price point is, explains Gina Temple.

Map the Value Stream

Organizations can evaluate their activities to determine whether they add value and create a map of the company's workflow from start to finish, adds Gina Temple. Company activities that do not add any value are considered waste. The waste can either be necessary or unnecessary. Minimizing necessary waste and eliminating unnecessary waste will help companies meet customer needs while also reducing costs.

Create Flow 

The third principle of Lean is to put in place a seamless flow while avoiding bottlenecks, notes Gina Temple. A few strategies can be utilized to ensure a smooth flow, such as balancing the workload, establishing cross-functional departments, training employees to be multi-skilled, breaking down steps, and more.

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Establish Pull

A pull-based system can help reduce inventory while ensuring the availability of essential materials for a smooth workflow, says Gina Temple. The ultimate goal of a pull-based system is to create products exactly when they are needed, deliver them "just in time," and in the required quantity. It also helps businesses ensure that the products they produce will satisfy customers' needs while also reducing waste.

Pursue Perfection

This is the most important step that helps the organization incorporate Lean thinking and continuous process improvement as a crucial part of its culture. It enables the business to get better day by day and strive for perfection. 

Managers need to prepare their team for change before adopting Lean principles. Gina Temple says it can be done by setting clear goals and communicating them properly to the rest of the team. A clearly defined goal can motivate the team and eliminate roadblocks while striving for perfection.  

The Lean process is all about producing good value by removing waste and promoting a culture of shared leadership where team members seek continuous improvement, explains Gina Temple. Once every team member understands this, they will be more likely to embrace the change. 

Gina Temple has served in the healthcare community for over 30 years with experiences ranging from for-profit to not-for-profit organizations, unionized to non-unionized facilities, and acute care settings to outpatient centers. Read more of her insights on healthcare and leadership by subscribing to this a page.



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