Lean Solutions
Lean Centric IT and Information Systems
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"Your information system is one of the core
elements that bind the entire company — capturing and leveraging
information to enable and optimize all value streams.”
— from Easier, Simpler, Faster
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The dramatic but often overlooked improvements to be realized by lean centric information systems (IS) were chronicled by Jean Cunningham and her co-author, Duane Jones, in the 2008 Shingo Prize recipient book, Easier, Simpler, Faster. The authors provide their practical explanation of what they did together at Lantech to align information systems and the IT department with their evolving lean company.
Lean Centric IS
A lean centric information systems is one that has been developed—or, usually, re-developed—to optimize appropriate and timely data distribution throughout the enterprise.
This necessarily starts with a company-wide analysis and examination of existing data being collected coupled with an interview process in every department to educate, determine needs, and solicit suggestions. Adding value to the firm’s products and customer relationships is the overarching focus of this investigation.
For your company, lean centric information systems should be planned after lean manufacturing is implemented and when applying lean principles to business processes is starting. A lean information system will be more responsive to demand and positively impact materials, scheduling, and inventory.
ERP
Your ERP system can be specifically aligned with an overall lean information system including external kanban. Even your customers will benefit because lean IS can provide an up to the minute customer demand rate for manufacturing, engineering, and customer service and other product related information.
Lean Centric IS
A lean centric information systems is one that has been developed—or, usually, re-developed—to optimize appropriate and timely data distribution throughout the enterprise.
This necessarily starts with a company-wide analysis and examination of existing data being collected coupled with an interview process in every department to educate, determine needs, and solicit suggestions. Adding value to the firm’s products and customer relationships is the overarching focus of this investigation.
For your company, lean centric information systems should be planned after lean manufacturing is implemented and when applying lean principles to business processes is starting. A lean information system will be more responsive to demand and positively impact materials, scheduling, and inventory.
ERP
Your ERP system can be specifically aligned with an overall lean information system including external kanban. Even your customers will benefit because lean IS can provide an up to the minute customer demand rate for manufacturing, engineering, and customer service and other product related information.
Lean for IT
A lean IT department is one where lean principles have been applied to internal processes to better meet customer needs. At a minimum this improves flow for user application enhancements and first pass yield, reduces support through standardization, lowers administrative overhead, and usually much more.
As a sample, JCC's efforts have resulted in vast departmental process improvements in:
A lean IT department is one where lean principles have been applied to internal processes to better meet customer needs. At a minimum this improves flow for user application enhancements and first pass yield, reduces support through standardization, lowers administrative overhead, and usually much more.
As a sample, JCC's efforts have resulted in vast departmental process improvements in:
- HW/SW storage
- Deployment
- Staffing processes
- Project selection and management
- Reporting
LEAN IT VIDEO FROM SME Sharing practical experience through the words of Kimberly-Clark employees and Jean Cunningham, this DVD program presents working examples of how lean principles and methodologies are being utilized at Kimberly-Clark to improve processes within day-to-day information technology systems (ITS) operations.
Click HERE for more information.
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