1. Continuous Improvement:
Inspiring Better Public Services
University of St Andrews: Lessons Learned

2. The University of St Andrews
• Oldest in Scotland
• 3rd oldest in the English-
speaking world
• Top 10 in the UK, usually top 5
• In 1773, fewer than 100 pupils,
Samuel Johnson: "pining in
decay and struggling for life”
• Over a third of the town's
population is either a staff
member or student
• Greek motto ‘AIEN
ARISTEUEIN’
• Lots of change in 601 years

3. Why Lean?
• No burning bridge
• It sounded like a good idea
• ‘Fits’ the University
• We see Lean as being about:
 Culture
 People
 Process
☐ Jobs
☐ Money

4. Lean Team Goals
• To help the University:
–To become the best that it can be
–Focus on teaching and research
–Develop a culture of Continuous
Improvement and Respect for People
4

5. Some Lessons Learned

6. Process
• Bite-sized chunk
• Go where you are
wanted
• RIE process – clarity
• Knowledge transfer
• Lean is not just RIEs

7. Simplicity
• Low tech
• Simple tools/techniques
– SIPOC
– BOSCARD
– 5 Whys
– Runners Repeaters
Strangers
– Ease Benefits Matrix
– Task Matrix
– Nominal Group technique

8. Action
• Action – now!
• Right thing, right time,
right place, etc.
• The team
– To be doing
– Generating solutions
– Taking ownership
What you need is:

9. Lean Team Role
• Take charge
• Work within and outside the organisational structure
and hierarchy
• Apply Lean to themselves - Static Lean v Dynamic Lean
• To understand
– Not everyone is keen on Lean
– Benchmarking has limitations
– Compromise, democracy is optional
– Barriers do not exist
– Perseverance is a must
– Lean works! But it isn't easy

10. Go as far as you can see;
When you get there, you
will be able to see
farther.
Thomas Carlyle

11. Mark Robinson
Head of Change
University of St Andrews
mark.robinson@st-andrews.ac.uk
www.st-andrews.ac.uk/lean