"Winner of the 2005 Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing Research"
Most lean initiatives conducted by manufacturers are focused mostly on shop-floor activities mapping the value stream of raw material to the shop-floor customer. Much of the untapped potential for productivity improvements lies, however, in non-production areas where the value stream is administrative (i.e., "order to cash"). These "office" value streams directly support the daily production needs of an enterprise.
Beau Keyte and Drew Locher's new book, The Complete Lean Enterprise: Value Stream Mapping for Administrative and Office Processes, offers a step-by-step approach to applying lean initiatives to the administrative and office environment. It's a must read for leaders looking to improve their production support activities within their order-to-cash value stream. The Complete Lean Enterprise is a valuable tool in applying value stream mapping (VSM) to non-production areas, identifying office wastes, establishing performance metrics, speeding up administrative workflow, and improving office efficiency.