Lean Frog » Website Assessment

Lean Business Solutions.

Lean Master
ASQ Certified Quality Engineer
Certified Six Sigma Black Belt
byronheadrick@theleanleap.com

Self – Assessment

Rate your business on a 1-5 scale, 5 being the best.

By selecting the option under each category that best represents your company, you can see how your business measures up to World Class standards. Also, I will be able to show you some distinct ways that I can help your business in “low scoring” categories.

VISION - Which is most like your company?

5. Strategic Plan developed through systematic process involving cross functional teams and inputs from a Business Level Value Stream Map. Focus is long-term and driven externally by what customers’ value. Full understanding of which goals/metrics are key requirements of customers and which are differentiator metrics capable of driving success. These goals/metrics are broken down into Key Performance Indicators tied at all levels of the organization, across all departments. Strategy is clearly communicated at all levels (Possible use of A3 formatted reports). Resources are clearly assigned for specific actions to drive the Key Performance Indicators as noted on the Business Level Value Stream Map.

4. Somewhere between 3 and 5.

3. Limited Strategic Plan development loosely tied to annual budget plan. Strategic Plans developed by top management with little input from others within organization. Focus internal. Focus on short-term. Reactionary management. Strategic Plan provides little guidance in prioritizing improvement opportunities. Guidelines for resource availability are either not provided or are not clear. Communication of Plans occurs poorly beyond top management. Few within organization know how their actions tie to the strategic plan other than in broad unspecific ways.

2. Somewhere between 1 and 3.

1. No Strategic Plan, only some form of annual budget or less. Only top managers have limited understanding of where the business is going. Focus internal. Focus on short-term. Reactionary management. Guidelines for resource availability are not provided. No communication of business direction to employees. Few within the organization understand what the customer values.

MANAGEMENT - Which is most like your company?

5. All members of the management team at all levels (from senior/staff level to front line production supervisor) of the organization are engaged in Lean deployment. All Management has standardized daily work and actively participates on a regular basis, in deployment events and/or projects, deployment plan reviews and auditing activities that help sustain the gains made through out the Lean Journey. Focus is Customer-driven encouraging continuous improvements. Quality systems goals are to prevent errors and defects. Management led by data.

4. Somewhere between 3 and 5.

3. A few members of the management team are engaged in Lean deployment. Some standardized daily work exists for managers. Participation in Lean deployment and/or projects has some system, but still occurs at random intervals based on critical needs that arise. Limited standardized deployment plan reviews and/or auditing activities occur. Focus has begun to go beyond issues/crisis management. Quality systems goals still are to detect errors and defects, but some limited preventive action is in process. Still product/service provision driven. Management has some hard metrics to use in leading.

2. Somewhere between 1 and 3.

1. None or only one member of the management team is engaged in Lean deployment. Little or no standardized daily work exists for managers. Participation in Lean deployment and/or projects is at random intervals based on critical needs that arise or available time. Little or no standardized deployment plan reviews and/or auditing activities. Focus on addressing issues/crisis management. Quality systems goals are to detect errors and defects. Product/Service provision driven. Often, management led by opinions and perceptions instead of real data.

CULTURE - Which is most like your company?

5. All employees are involved in all aspects of planning, deployment and monitoring of Lean. All employees know the eight wastes, are actively involved in identifying wastes in their processes/areas and are empowered to work to reduce and eliminate the waste. All Employees are the owners of Visual Controls and responsible for problem solving. All Employees have been trained in continuous improvement methods and have been affected by or participated in continuous improvement events. All employees have continuous improvement goals that they are responsible for making within their work areas. Most employees work within self-directed teams to drive these improvements within their areas. There is a formal suggestion process in place to solicit ideas for improvements from all employees and to recognize their participation. Many improvements are made throughout the organization daily and involve little or no expense to implement.

4. Somewhere between 3 and 5.

3. Only a limited number of employees are involved in all aspects of planning, deployment and monitoring of Lean (most of which are in management or supervision roles). Employees are unaware of the eight wastes. Any Visual Controls are owned by management or supervision. Employees believe that the management team and/or supervision are responsible for addressing all problems and making all improvements activities. Very few employee teams functioning. No formal suggestion process in place to solicit ideas for improvements from all employees and to recognize their participation. Most improvements are expensive and require large lengths of time to implement.

2. Somewhere between 1 and 3.

1. Lean is not being deployed systematically. There is no employee Involvement. Employees believe that the management team and/or supervision are responsible for addressing all problems and making all improvement activities. No or limited employee teams functioning. No formal or informal suggestion process in place to solicit ideas for improvements from all employees and to recognize their participation. Few improvements are being made if any.

TECHNICAL TOOLS - Which is most like your company?

5. All employees have been trained in the use of the most common Lean Tools (i.e. 5S, Setup Reduction, Continuous Flow, Pull Systems, Error Proofing, and Standardized Work). Deployment of the tools is driven by the overall organization's business level value stream map/strategy. Deployment is planned, organized. Tools are sustained and woven into the organization's culture through such things as Gemba Walks, Multiple Times Daily Standardize Work Checks, Leadership Standardized Work, etc. The tools are pulled as needed into the organization's processes.

4. Somewhere between 3 and 5.

3. Employees have been trained in the basics of the most common Lean tools (i.e. 5S, Setup Reduction, Continuous Flow, Pull Systems, Error Proofing, and Standardized Work). Deployment of the tools is localized to specific areas of the organization with great disparity in deployment level from one area to the next. Not all areas are deploying tools. Deployment maybe driven by crisis. Sometimes it is not clear from a business perspective why tools are being deployed. The tools are pushed into the organization. Issues arise with sustainability once improvement events deploying tools are completed.

2. Somewhere between 1 and 3.

1. Employees have had no formal lean training.

PERFORMANCE - Which is most like your company?

5. Excellent improvement trends over the last two years and/or sustained high performance levels are reported for all the customer focused goals/metrics considered to be differentiators. Most areas' Key Performance Indicators also reflect positive trends over last two years and/or sustained high performance. The business is succeeding. Customers are pleased. Employees are pleased. The organization's stakeholders are pleased.

4. Somewhere between 3 and 5.

3. Several customer focused goals/metrics considered to be differentiators have positive trends and some of those that do not have positive trends have corrective action plans in place being periodically reviewed by all levels of management. Note some negative trending goals/metrics may not have any action taken to address. Some areas' Key Performance Indicators reflect positive trends, while some that do not, have corrective action plans in place. A limited amount of issues may exist with customers, employees, and/or the organizations stakeholders.

2. Somewhere between 1 and 3.

1. Top level customer focused goals/metrics may not have been formally setup. If so, the goals have no or little positive trends. No action is being taken to drive goals directly. Area level goals may exist but are not clearly tied to customer. Several issues exist with customers, employees, and/or the organizations stakeholders.

DEPLOYMENT STATUS - Which is most like your company?

5. Most Value Stream Map implementation plans are on schedule, with at least monthly reviews. All product lines and business processes have gone through multiple cycles of improvement. Maps and implementation plans are posted in or near the physical value stream. Deployment is occurring regularly.

4. Somewhere between 3 and 5.

3. All strategically important product lines and business processes have gone through at least one cycle of improvement.

2. Somewhere between 1 and 3.

1. No strategy exists to drive process improvement.

This assessment tool provides a quick appraisal of your organization against the best practices found in “lean” businesses around the word.

This quick online tool reviews six categories:

- Vision
- Management
- Culture
- Technical Tools
- Performance
- Deployment

While, this online assessment is a quick, simple tool, I also offer
On-Site Assessments geared around the same 6 categories. These On-Site Assessments provide a very detailed picture of your business and usually take one to two days per location based on organization size and complexity. Through the On-Site Assessment, you can gain a clear determination of your business’s readiness for lean implementation, the
current maturity level of lean deployment and how to accelerate into
becoming a lean organization.

Remember: What is measured…Improves.

Start measuring yourself today!

-Byron