Why do you need this service?
Lean Office applies flow, standardised work and continuous improvement to office and administrative processes. These often contain long information queues, repeated approvals, data corrections, unclear accountability and reports that do not support decisions.
Waste is harder to see in intangible processes than on the shop floor. A document may sit in an inbox, a case circulate between departments and a customer remain unaware of its status. We therefore begin Lean Office implementation by examining the entire information flow and defining value from the process recipient’s perspective.
When is Lean Office needed?
- case completion times are long and unpredictable,
- the process requires multiple handovers, signatures and manual data entry,
- tasks disappear in email, spreadsheets and messaging tools,
- employees do not know the priorities or the owner of the entire process,
- departments meet local KPIs while the customer still waits,
- the company wants to prepare a process for digitalisation or automation.
Which processes can we improve?
- quotations, sales and order handling,
- purchasing, finance, controlling and settlements,
- HR, recruitment, onboarding and personnel administration,
- planning, quality, data maintenance and complaints handling,
- back office, shared service centres and service processes.
Lean Office extends our Lean Management services and can be preceded by a process management audit.
What is our role?
From process maps to shorter service times
LeanTrix guides the team through analysing actual workflow, selecting the constraint and implementing a new standard. We continue beyond a mapping workshop: testing solutions in a pilot process, measuring results and developing process owners.
In a Lean Office project, we combine VSM, SIPOC, standardised work, visual management, problem-solving, Improvement Kata and, where justified, automation. We simplify the process before digitalising it.
What does the organisation receive?
- an information-flow map identifying waiting points,
- baseline measurements of lead time, processing time, quality and handovers,
- a target-state design and list of quick wins,
- a process standard, roles and unambiguous task-completion criteria,
- a management board and KPI set,
- a pilot, sustainment and rollout plan.
A handful of facts
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types of waste also visible in office work
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PDCA phases from diagnosis to sustained change
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pilot process with an owner and KPIs
Implementation support
We provide support based on the Kata process, which allows us to adapt our activities to the specifics of your organization, taking into account the jointly set goals. The Kata process consists of four key elements that enable effective implementation of assumptions.
We operate according to PDCA
P
PLAN
Process customer, flow and constraint
In PLAN, we define the process customer, their expectations and the business problem. We establish process boundaries from the initiating event to a measurable outcome.
- select the process with the greatest impact on the customer or results,
- identify its owner, sponsor and cross-functional team,
- define KPIs: lead time, processing time, first time right, handovers and backlog,
- collect data on volume, exceptions, seasonality and workload,
- identify the constraint and hypotheses about losses,
- select the pilot process and success criteria.
D
DO
Observing work and designing flow
In DO, we map the actual path of a case, document or piece of information. We speak to the people doing the work and compare procedures with daily practice.
- measure queues, waiting, rework, handovers and unnecessary approvals,
- distinguish value, necessary activities and waste,
- simplify decisions, forms, roles and priority rules,
- design work standards and visual management,
- test one-case flow, WIP limits and pull principles,
- run the pilot and develop the process owner.
C
CHECK
Customer outcomes and stability of the new standard
In CHECK, we compare results with the baseline and check whether improvement comes from the new working method rather than a temporary reduction in workload.
- analyse lead time, timeliness, backlog and right-first-time quality,
- examine exceptions and reasons for cases returning,
- audit compliance with standards and data currency,
- collect feedback from the process customer and employees,
- practise Coaching Kata with the process owner,
- define adjustments before scaling.
A
ACT
Sustaining the standard and rollout
In ACT, we incorporate the new working method into daily management, establishing review routines and rules for responding to deviations.
- update procedures, roles and tools,
- standardise the KPI board and short briefings,
- train further teams and process owners,
- build a backlog of further improvements and automation,
- extend the solution to other departments,
- launch subsequent PDCA cycles.
Lean Office thus becomes a system for improving everyday work rather than a one-off tidying exercise.
Want to learn more? Contact us!
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