Lean

Intro

Lean is a methodology focused on maximizing customer value while minimizing waste. In EA and BPM, it guides process design and continuous improvement.

Key points:

• Emphasizes value and flow.
• Removes non-value activities to reduce cost and time.
• Common use cases across EA/BPM/Data/App/Tech include value stream mapping, waste reduction, and service optimization.
• Pitfall: optimizing locally without end-to-end view.

Examples:

• Streamlining onboarding by eliminating redundant checks.
• Standardizing work to cut variation and defects.
• Reducing inventory via pull-based scheduling.

In practice:

Start with customer value; map the value stream and remove waste iteratively.

Related terms: Kaizen; Value Stream; Six Sigma

FAQs:

Q: Can Lean apply to IT and services?
A: Yes; Lean principles apply across domains.

Q: Is Lean the same as Agile?
A: No; they are complementary, with different practices.

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