What Lean tools are available to CIOs?
Lean is an umbrella term meaning to eliminate waste, and companies use a number of Lean tools to reach this goal. One of the most popular is Kaizen. This is a Japanese term meaning continuous improvement. Many companies use “Kaizen blitzes” for fast improvements and quick wins. A Kaizen blitz is basically a shorter version of a full-blown Kaizen tool and can demonstrate results in an average of two weeks. Kaizen is a method for constantly achieving small, incremental changes in processes in order to improve quality and efficiency. The method is broken into three steps — preparation, execution and learning — all with the goal of identifying potential problems, throwing away those that don’t add value and institutionalizing the improved processes. Other Lean tools include value stream mapping, Kanban, cellular flow, quality at source, teams and 5S. Read a Kaizen case study.
