1. www.connstep.org
800.266.6672
1090 Elm Street | Rocky Hill, CT 06067
How Lean builds Value in your company
ContinuousImprovement:Lean
Lean is the gateway to growth. Lean tools help
you define your customer values, so you can
plan your processes around what truly drives
sales and increases ROI: your customers’ needs.
The whole idea behind Lean thinking is to free
up capacity so you can use it to grow your
business.
Lean helps businesses:
- Reduce Waste
- Abolish redundant procedures
- Increase customer satisfaction
- Streamline workflows
- Improve work spaces
- Increase profits
- Eliminate unneeded resources
- Increase productivity
- Fund other business initiatives
- Improve cash flow
- And so much more…
How do you know when you’re ready to start
putting some Lean tools in place? How do you
start?
The first step is to literally stop and take a
closer look at your surroundings. When you
gaze out on your production floor, do you find
yourself muttering, “There must be a better
way…”? Sometimes you can feel uncomfortable
with things the way they are, and know they’re
not quite how you want them yet, you still may be
unsure what to do about it. If you just don’t feel
you have the perspective or experience to find the
answers, you’re ready for a Lean consultation.
Is Business Strong, but Cash Tight?
Are you starting to feel like your company has
so many great opportunities on its horizon but
you need some better cash flow to capitalize on
them? If so, you’re experiencing “Pull”. But all that
demand, enticing as it is, still presents a problem:
How are you going to produce what your customer
is looking for fast enough to satisfy this swell in
demand?
Maybe you need to buy more equipment to
produce a new product. Or maybe you need
to add more staff to position your company to
leverage a growth opportunity.

2. www.connstep.org
800.266.6672
1090 Elm Street | Rocky Hill, CT 06067
ContinuousImprovement:Lean
Is cash flow so bad you can’t make the next order
for raw materials? Are you losing good employees
who feel unappreciated because they’re not
involved in planning for growth? Are customers
leaving because your quality issues haven’t
been resolved? If your business is experiencing
high demand but you can’t meet your cash flow
obligations, it’s definitely time to put some Lean
tools to work.
To provide the right product or service within your
customers’ required timeframe, your processes
have to be flexible enough to meet fluctuating
demand.
Value Stream Mapping as a Guide
A Lean tool called Value Stream Mapping will
help you take a 360-degree, holistic look at all of
your processes, from the time an order is placed
until your product is delivered.
How does everything flow through your
administrative areas and production lines? We
actually “walk the process” and put any and all
previous assumptions aside, to identify what’s
actually going on moment by moment.
What does your floor look like? Is there a machine
not running? Is work in process all over the
place? Is equipment leaking oil? With so many
elements to consider, it’s important to prioritize
opportunities. Value Stream Mapping is a very
powerful Lean tool that gives you an overview of
the issues you have. It determines which of your
metrics are tied to the processes that are hurting
you the most, so you can focus on what matters
most right away.
Value Stream Mapping gives you an objective
look at how each of your processes delivers value
(or doesn’t!). It gives you a roadmap so that you
can make improvements to create the “better
way” that eluded you before.
Instead of looking out on the floor and having
that vague feeling of “things just aren’t right”,
you’ll look out and know you’re working towards
delivering quality products or services, at the right
time, in the right quantities, at the right price to
meet customer demands.
Depending out what your map shows you, there
are tools to resolve each issue. But before you
even open that tool box even a little you need to
sit back, develop a vision and create a training
and communication plan. Everyone needs to know
where you are all going, and how they will learn
the new skills or techniques to get there. Generally
companies start with the chaos first, as it is the
most visible and, if customers tour your plant,
the most embarrassing outward sign of how your
company operates.
Get Organized with 5S
5S makes sense to do first as it calms the chaos
and creates a solid foundation for other Lean
improvements. 5S drives out a lot of the waste
found in Set-ups but there is more to it than just
wasted motion.

3. www.connstep.org
800.266.6672
1090 Elm Street | Rocky Hill, CT 06067
The 5S Program is a Lean method for
workplace organization that follows these
steps:
1. Sort out what’s not needed, and bring in
what is needed, throughout your workspace.
2. Set in Order all of the things you use to
create work product. Put things where they
make the most sense. Categorize each of
your tools, and keep a quantity on hand
that makes sense.
3. Shine. This is more than just getting out the
polishing cloth. We help you define what
“clean” looks like, and then make sure all
of your tools are properly labeled and
cleaned. When you are cleaning you also
need to inspect your tools and equipment
for any repair needs, etc. You are looking
for anything that is not normal in the work
place.
4. Standardize all the rules to keep 5S going
forward when will you sort again, what is
the schedule for cleaning, what does clean
look like, etc.
5. Sustain this entire process. Also known as
Self Discipline, which we all know is the
hardest part. You will need to create some
infrastructure around auditing,
communication and how continued processes
will be attained.
You’ll reduce labor variances by quickly finding
what you need, and you’ll also add capacity by
eliminating motion waste of employees wandering.
Safety concerns, like broken hoses or fraying
electrical cords, will be more visible and easily
addressed.
One of the by-products of 5S is that it increases
discipline within your workforce. Employees start
to say “I have to meet this standard” because
now they’re more clear on what the standards
really are. Making the process more visual also
helps customers perceive quality as they visit your
facility.
Starting your Lean transformation with Value
Stream Mapping and some 5S Program
organization will give you a good platform from
which to launch further Lean initiatives and process
improvements.
Lean tools help you define what your customer
values, so you can plan your processes around
what truly drives sales: your customers’ needs. The
whole idea behind Lean thinking is to free up more
capacity so you can use it to grow your business.
Are you ready to start putting some Lean tools in
place? Talk to one of our consultants today!
About CONNSTEP
CONNSTEP Inc. is a consulting firm
that helps Connecticut businesses to
grow strategically; improve operations,
profitability, and efficiencies; and drive
competitive advantage in the market.
Click to talk to a CONNSTEP expert!
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