Slides from Ian Connett of Collective's presentation at Evolve Law event in New York on April 27, 2017.

1. On The Microfarm:
What Law Departments Can Learn From
Sustainable Farming
Ian Connett, Esq.
@TheMillennialGC

4. Became interested in the trend of sustainable
“microfarming” (or “urban farming”) after seeing
them in NYC.
Learned that microfarming is sweeping the nation!
A “microfarm” is a small farm (less than 5 acres)
that provides locally grown, high quality food
products.
The Goal? happier healthier communities and
farmers.

7. Why is @TheMillennialGC doing a Darwin Talk on
Microfarming?
Because microfarms are mastering the art of:
“doing more with less.”
Who has ever been asked to do more with less???

9. How are microfarms “doing more with less”?
The answer: “Lean Principles” or “Lean Thinking.”
Microfarms are applying Lean Principles to achieve
higher crop yields and compete against larger,
industrial farms.
Lean Principles originated during post WWII Japan,
culminating with the rise of Toyota and other
Japanese automakers in the 1980s and 1990s.
Toyota achieved the highest levels of auto
manufacturing efficiency and profitably by 2000.

12. “Lean Principles” Founders
Taiichi Ohno, Creator of the
Toyoto Production System.
Shigeo Shingo, World Leading
Expert on Manufacturing
Processes.
“Costs do not exist to be calculated; costs exist to be reduced.” -Taiichi Ohno
“It’s the last turn of the bolt that tightens it. The rest is just movement.” -Shigeo Shingo

13. =

14. Lean Principles are a process to ruthlessly eliminate
waste (or “muda”) from any production system.
The goal: achieve “kaizen” or a state of perfection of
and continuous improvements.
4 Lean Principles:
1. Define Customer Value
2. Map Value Stream
3. Make Value “Flow”
4. Achieve Perfection or “Kaizen”

15. 1: Define Customer Value

16. =
What does my client really,
really value?
• Tomatos or Carrots?
• Faster K Turnarounds?
• Process Improvement?
• Click Accept T&CS?
• Surveys?
• Customer Service?
• Closing deals?
• Compliance risk?

17. =

18. 2. Map Your Value Stream

24. 3. Achieve Flow
(ruthlessly eliminate “muda”)

25. Meet the Founders of “Lean Principles”
Taiichi Ohno, creator of the
Toyoto Production System
Shigeo Shingo, World Leading
Expert on Manufacturing
Processes
“Costs do not exist to be calculated; costs exist to be reduced.” -Taiichi Ohno
“It’s the last turn of the bolt that tightens it. The rest is just movement.” -Shigeo
Shingo

26. SHINGO’S BOLT
Only the last turn tightens it.
The rest is just “motion.”
Motion = Muda.
Where is your wasted legal “motion”?
1. Manuel vs. Automated Drafting?
2. Lack of Quick Contract Data?
3. Unclear Legal SOPs?
4. Unclear approval processes?
5. Multiple or awkward UIs?
6. Any others?

29. 4. Achieve Perfection or
“Kaizen”

31. Perfection or “Kaizen” is the continual state of reviewing
your legal department processes. Your work is never done!
• Developing improvement routines (“kata”). Using audits
to find problems before the client?
• Focusing on Most-Needed Improvements. Identifying
and prioritizing pain points? Technology Landscaping?
Prototyping?
• Employee engagement efforts? What does your legal
staff know about your “muda” that you are missing?
• Documenting Standards and Upgrading Constantly?
Contract checklists or playbooks? Regularly conducting
policy reviews? Are policies visibly accessible and in
plain language?

33. Why is @TheMillennialGC doing a Darwin Talk on
Microfarmering?
Because microfarmers are today’s Toyota…masters of
Lean Principles.
How can we use #LegalTech to “do more with less”
within our Legal Departments?