Lean Kaizen Empowering the Team in Interesting Times 14 September 2010 Robin Armstrong Viner Cataloguing Manager Library & Historic Collections

Introduction Background Lean Kaizen The Process Planning The Team The Blitz Outcomes and Benefits Implementation Background Lean Kaizen The Process Planning The Team The Blitz Outcomes and Benefits Implementation

Background Declining operational budget Need to meet savings targets Rising staff costs Increasing customer expectations Gap between expectations and reality growing despite significant improvements University Secretary committed to maintaining front line services Funded three pathfinder projects using Lean Kaizen methodology Selected proposals from Estates, Library & Historic Collections and Registry Declining operational budget Need to meet savings targets Rising staff costs Annual contribution and promotion awards Unexpected rise in Consumer Price Index in September 2009 dramatically increase salaries Increasing customer expectations Gap between expectations and reality growing despite significant improvements University Secretary committed to maintaining front line services Funded three pathfinder projects using Lean Kaizen methodology Selected proposals from Estates, Library & Historic Collections and Registry

Lean Kaizen First developed by Toyota in the 1950s Widely used in manufacturing Increasingly adopted in service industries Involves Focusing on the customer Minimising waste Using the expertise in the team Building a culture of continuous improvement First developed by Toyota in the 1950s Emphasis on flexibility to meet need rises and falls in demand Contrast the American and Japanese car industries Widely used in manufacturing Increased efficiency for production Increasingly adopted in service industries Once you’re aware of Lean Kaizen it is amazing where you spot it in use Involves Focusing on the customer What the customer values Minimising waste Tim Wood Using the expertise in the team Capturing the creativity of the team involved in the process Building a culture of continuous improvement Bottom up rather than top down

What the Customer Values Identifying value The customer must be willing pay for the activity It must transform the item in some way It must be performed correctly the first time It’s not worth doing if the customer doesn’t value it Identifying value The customer be willing pay for the activity It must transform the item in some way It must be performed correctly the first time It’s not worth doing if the customer doesn’t value it

Tim Wood Seven key types of waste Transportation Inventory Motion Waiting Overproduction Over processing Defects Seven key types of waste Transportation Handling or moving things around unnecessarily Inventory Raw materials in stock Motion Not having the tools needed to complete the activity to hand Waiting Items waiting for approval or batched for the next activity Overproduction Producing more items than are needed Over processing Doing more than the customer needs or wants Defects Not completing the activity to the agreed standard

Capturing the Creativity Building on experience Talking to the experts Identifying practical solutions Sharing with colleagues Creating consensus Delivering improvement Building on experience Talking to the experts Identifying practical solutions Sharing with colleagues Creating consensus Delivering improvement

Bottom Up Demanding rather than imposing change Empowering individuals Supporting one another Sharing responsibility Creating a responsive service Demanding rather than imposing change Empowering individuals Supporting one another Sharing responsibility Creating a responsive service

The Process Acquisition, cataloguing and processing of print materials from identification and selection to shelf involving 24 members of the Library & Historic Collections team Six individual teams Four sites Based on customer feedback Acquisition, cataloguing and processing of print materials from identification and selection to shelf involving 24 members of the Library & Historic Collections team Six individual teams Four sites Based on customer feedback Easy to dismiss but if our customers don’t think our activities are adding value we shouldn’t be doing them

Planning Facilitated by Kaizen Lean specialist Indentifying the Project Sponsor Appointing the Project Lead Selecting the Project Team Raising Awareness of the Project Facilitated by Kaizen Lean specialist Indentifying the Project Sponsor University Librarian & Director Library & Historic Collections Appointing the Project Lead Cataloguing Manager Selecting the Project Team Raising Awareness of the Project Management meetings Site visits

Planning Agreeing the Project Scope University Librarian and six managers Assessing the suitability of the process Setting the aims of the Kaizen Blitz Agreeing the Project Scope University Librarian and six managers Cataloguing, IT, Monograph Acquisitions and Site Services First experience of Lean Kaizen Assessing the suitability of the process Setting the aims of the Kaizen Blitz

The Team Ten members Seven roles Four teams Two sites Ten members

The Blitz Five days Introduction Understanding the current process Identifying improvements Refining the new process Highlighting outcomes and planning implementation Five days Introduction Setting the rules Reviewing management goals Addressing concerns Understanding the current process Creating Supplier, Input, Process, Output and Customer (SIPOC) diagrams and value stream maps Consulting customers and colleagues Highlighting areas for improvement Identifying improvements Agreeing the new process Refining the new process Consulting customers and colleagues on the new process Quantifying benefits Highlighting outcomes and planning implementation Creating implementation plan Presenting findings

Management Goals Reduce time between a recommendation being made and the order being placed by 50% Ensure the item is available to the customer within one working day of receipt Reduce the time taken by Library & Historic Collections staff to support the above process by 30% Ensure that relevant tracking information is provided to the customer throughout the process Reduce time between a recommendation being made and the order being placed by 50% Ensure the item is available to the customer within one working day of receipt Reduce the time taken by Library & Historic Collections staff to support the above process by 30% Ensure that relevant tracking information is provided to the customer throughout the process

Team Goals Reduce the time between a authorized and accurate recommendations being made and the order being placed by 50% to one working day for urgent requests and two working days for all other requests Ensure the item is 100% of urgent items are available to the customer within one working day of receipt and all other items within three working days Reduce the time taken by Library & Historic Collections staff to support the above process by 30% 25% Ensure that relevant tracking information is provided to the customer throughout the process Reduce the time between a authorized and accurate recommendations being made and the order being placed by 50% to one working day for urgent requests and two working days for all other requests Ensure the item is 100% of urgent items are available to the customer within one working day of receipt and all other items within three working days Reduce the time taken by Library & Historic Collections staff to support the above process by 30% 25% Ensure that relevant tracking information is provided to the customer throughout the process

Understanding the Current Process

Identifying Improvements

Refining the New Process

Outcomes 18 action points identified Moving to online requests Getting more from our relationship with preferred suppliers Minimising urgent requests Eliminating double checking New label printing processes Minimising the number of times records are edited Creating a better working environment 18 action points identified Moving to online requests Getting more from our relationship with preferred suppliers Minimising urgent requests Eliminating double checking New label printing processes Minimising the number of times records are edited Creating a better working environment

Benefits Staff time taken to support the process Acquisitions 39% (51 staff hours a week) Cataloguing 20% (25.5 staff hours a week) Floors and sites 50% (65.5 staff hours a week) Acquisitions budget £7500 200 extra titles Staff time taken to support the process Acquisitions 39% (51 staff hours a week) Cataloguing 20% (25.5 staff hours a week) Floors and sites 50% (65.5 staff hours a week) Acquisitions budget £7500 200 extra titles

Implementation Some easy successes First changes implemented on Monday morning Changes to workflow implemented in first month Some requiring further work Spine labels provided by preferred suppliers within six months Some significant challenges Online requesting will be the subject of a further Kaizen event Some easy successes First changes implemented on Monday morning Changes to workflow implemented in first month Some requiring further work Spine labels provided by preferred suppliers within six months Some significant challenges Online requesting will be the subject of a further Kaizen event

Under a Cloud? Some frustrations Haven’t achieved all that had been identified Fewer benefits for the customer than planned Monograph Acquisitions have seen little benefit Lessons learned Keeping up the momentum Embedding Lean Kaizen in the organisational culture Some frustrations Haven’t achieved all that had been identified Fewer benefits for the customer than planned Monograph Acquisitions have seen little benefit Lessons learned Keeping up the momentum Embedding Lean Kaizen in the organisational culture

Silver Linings Empowering the team

Silver Linings Trusting the team

Silver Linings Growing the team

Questions r.armstrongviner@abdn.ac.uk

Thank you