We start with a short description of what lean is not. We have heard teams say we do not have configuration management (CM) because we are lean. The problem was they were building a portion of a system that would go to manufacturing. We cannot just dump an activity because we “lean” and want to strip everything away from the work if CM is not necessary for the product and project, sure. If the organization’s CM processes are too heavy, adapt and take what you need. Lean is not an excuse for stupid decisions.
Lean manufacturing principles can be highly effective when applied to project management. The core idea of Lean is to maximize value by eliminating waste and improving efficiency.
Here’s how Lean principles can be integrated into project management:
Value Stream Mapping
Value stream mapping, a manufacturing technique, also applies to project management. We've successfully used this method to map product development processes across departments, including project management. Understanding the entire process, from the initial stages to the final launch, is not just crucial, it's empowering. It gives you the knowledge you need to optimize efficiency and effectiveness.
In project management, identifying work products and mapping all work activities to determine value-added versus non-value-added tasks is crucial in optimizing efficiency and effectiveness. This process involves a detailed examination of each task within a project to assess its direct contribution to the overall objectives. By categorizing activities as value-added—those that directly contribute to the outcome—or non-value-added—those that do not add direct value but may be necessary or redundant—teams can better understand their workflow. This exercise highlights areas where improvements can be made and helps identify and eliminate unnecessary steps that might create bottlenecks or delays.
Implementing Lean principles is not a solitary task. It's an organizational philosophy and team effort that values everyone's insights. What one team member might consider waste, based on their role and perspective, could be crucial to other team members downstream. This approach ensures that everyone's contributions are considered, fostering a sense of inclusion and shared responsibility.
The primary benefit of this approach is its ability to enhance the visualization of task flow and process efficiency. This visualization helps all team members, including the project manager. By mapping out and analyzing the sequence of activities, teams can pinpoint where inefficiencies occur and streamline processes accordingly. This leads to more effective project management by reducing waste, accelerating timelines, and improving overall productivity. Focusing on value-added activities ensures that resources are allocated effectively, driving better project outcomes and delivering higher value to stakeholders.
Eliminate Waste
In project management, focusing on eliminating waste—whether in terms of time, resources, or effort—is essential for optimizing efficiency and productivity. Projects are constrained by cost and time; it seems time is always a constraint – how to put 6 pounds of work in a 2-pound bag. Removing inefficiencies to achieve the delivery date is a better solution than shortchanging essential tasks over a certain amount of time. For example, from product experience, product testing is often artificially truncated to meet the delivery date. Also, from experience, this shortcut often affects the quality of the product delivered to the customer.
This waste elimination approach involves addressing and minimizing common forms of waste such as overproduction, waiting times, excess inventory, unnecessary motion, over-processing, defects, and unused talent (the eight wastes). By systematically identifying these waste areas, teams can implement strategies to streamline processes, reduce redundancies, and improve resource utilization. For example, reducing waiting times and excess inventory lowers costs and accelerates project timelines by ensuring that resources are allocated effectively and processes flow smoothly.
This waste reduction strategy has two benefits: it directly cuts costs and speeds up project delivery. Projects can avoid unnecessary expenditures and delays by eliminating waste, leading to more predictable and efficient timelines. This streamlined approach enhances overall project performance and fosters a more agile and responsive work environment, ultimately contributing to greater satisfaction among stakeholders and more successful project outcomes.
Continuous Improvement (Kaizen)
Fostering a culture of continuous improvement involves regularly reviewing and refining processes to drive ongoing enhancement in project management. This approach requires consistent feedback collection from team members, stakeholders, and clients, alongside periodic assessments of current workflows and methodologies. By embracing a mindset of continuous incremental improvement, organizations can make minor, manageable adjustments that cumulatively lead to significant gains in efficiency and effectiveness. Regularly revisiting processes ensure they remain relevant and aligned with evolving project requirements and external conditions, allowing teams to stay agile and responsive.
The primary benefit of cultivating a culture of continuous improvement is its impact on efficiency and adaptability. Projects become better equipped to handle new challenges and opportunities as processes are refined and optimized based on real-time feedback and changing conditions. This adaptability enhances operational efficiency and positions the organization to respond swiftly to market shifts or unexpected issues, ultimately leading to more successful and resilient project outcomes.
Just-In-Time (JIT)
Larger builds of project work create opportunities for larger waste and rework. This is the reason behind JIT.
To optimize resource management, it's crucial to ensure that materials and deliverables are available precisely when needed and in the appropriate quantities. This approach involves careful planning and forecasting to align resource availability with project timelines and demand. By implementing just-in-time (JIT) inventory practices, organizations can streamline their supply chains, reducing the risk of overstocking or stockouts. This requires close collaboration with suppliers and the use of advanced inventory management systems that can track usage patterns and predict future needs. Additionally, organizations should establish clear protocols for monitoring resource levels, allowing for timely adjustments based on real-time data and changing project requirements.
The strategic management of resources directly contributes to lowering inventory costs and minimizing delays that can arise from either shortages or excess. Companies can significantly reduce the costs associated with storing excess inventory, such as warehousing fees and obsolescence risks by ensuring that supplies are maintained at optimal levels. Furthermore, this efficiency helps to eliminate the disruptions that occur when resources are unavailable, allowing teams to maintain their productivity and adhere to project deadlines. Overall, a well-executed resource management strategy fosters operational efficiency and enhances overall project success by ensuring that all necessary components are readily available when required.
Empower Teams
We have written considerably on team and individual learning and the positive impact on team morale, including a book by Shawn P. Quigley titled Continuous and Embedded Learning for Organizations. Expanding a team member's experience can be motivating and is truly a way of getting the biggest benefit to the project.
Standardize Processes
Developing and implementing standardized procedures for routine tasks and processes is essential for ensuring consistency and efficiency in project management. By establishing clear, repeatable methods for common activities, teams can reduce variability and create a structured approach to completing tasks. This standardization helps streamline workflows, minimize errors, and ensure that each team member follows the same best practices, which contributes to a more predictable and controlled project environment. Standardized procedures also facilitate easier training and onboarding, as new team members can quickly adapt to established protocols.
Standardization is a double-edged sword. While often helpful in achieving a measure of repeatability, it is true projects are not operations and require tailor fitting the approach to the situation at hand. As process manager at a company, when it came time to create the process documents for a product development department consisting of 6 departments, I took careful consideration of this fact. For each process, I added an objective statement, why are we undertaking this process step, and what does the successful conclusion of this process look like. I recognized that sometimes the inputs to the process are not ideal and other times a particular process step may not apply, and we can eliminate it. Still, the benefits of standardizing procedures are significant: it reduces variability, enhances quality, and accelerates project execution. Consistency in how tasks are performed ensures that outcomes meet quality standards and reduces the likelihood of errors, leading to more reliable results. Additionally, streamlined processes enable quicker execution of tasks and project phases, improving overall project timelines. By creating a uniform approach to routine tasks, teams can work more efficiently and deliver higher-quality results within shorter timeframes.
Ideally, we want to work from principles and not entirely dogmatic.
Visual Management
The use of visual tools such as charts, boards, and dashboards play a pivotal role in displaying project status, progress, and any emerging issues. These tools can transform complex data into easily digestible visuals, allowing team members and stakeholders to grasp key information. For instance, a project management dashboard can illustrate milestones achieved, upcoming deadlines, and current task assignments through colorful graphics and intuitive layouts. Similarly, Kanban boards can help visualize workflow and track task progress, making it clear where bottlenecks may be occurring. By incorporating these visual aids into regular team meetings and updates, organizations can ensure that everyone is aligned on project objectives and aware of any challenges that need to be addressed.
We once ran a project in a stage gate company, using lean (Scrum) methods. It was a mash up of Scrum and Stage Gate. We visually tracked the execution via burn up (opposite orientation of the scrum burndown chart). Contact us if you would like us to articulate in detail. The project ended up being a great success, going on to win awards at a large multinational OEM.
Visual tool integration significantly enhances team communication, keeping everyone informed and engaged throughout the project lifecycle. When team members have access to clear visuals, they can quickly comprehend project dynamics, which fosters a collaborative environment where ideas and feedback can be exchanged more freely. This transparency also facilitates quick identification of problems; when issues are visually represented, it becomes easier to spot discrepancies or delays and address them proactively. As a result, the likelihood of miscommunication decreases, and teams can respond to challenges swiftly, ultimately leading to a more efficient project execution and a greater chance of meeting objectives on time.
Focus on Customer Needs
Ensuring project outcomes align with customer requirements and expectations is critical for achieving success and delivering value. This involves actively gathering customer feedback throughout the project lifecycle and making necessary adjustments to meet their evolving needs. By engaging with customers regularly, project teams can gain valuable insights into their preferences and requirements, allowing for timely refinements and modifications. This iterative feedback loop helps tailor the project deliverables to meet or exceed customer expectations, ensuring that the outcome is relevant and impactful.
The primary benefit of this approach is a significant improvement in customer satisfaction. When projects are continuously adjusted based on customer feedback, they are more likely to meet the specific needs and expectations of the end users. This alignment enhances the project's perceived value and fosters a stronger relationship between the provider and the customer, leading to greater trust and potential for future collaboration. Ultimately, ensuring that project outcomes are customer-centric results in higher satisfaction levels and more successful, value-driven projects.
Conclusion
The point of lean is to control the workflow, taking chunks that can be accomplished quickly and monitoring the results so all can see using visuals. Short builds and constant iteration and looking for improvement opportunities, intelligent opportunities. By incorporating Lean manufacturing principles into project management, organizations can streamline processes, reduce waste, and deliver higher-quality outcomes more efficiently.