1. BBC Spark : Lean at the BBC
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BBC Spark : Lean at the BBC
Gemma Tomkinson Manager, BBC Spark
Dolly Gulliford, Business Manager,
BBC South
Bournemouth University
7 April 2016

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The BBC’s Lean journey
Case Study
The Future
Q&A

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We create a spark…
Spark is an in-house team that brings resources, skills, ideas and methodologies to help other parts of the BBC think differently about the way they work and change for the better
A Spark project is the start of something much bigger; a change of attitude and way of working

5. To be a catalyst for cost-efficient creativity.
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Vision
To make the BBC the most efficient and effective public service broadcaster in the world, maximising value for audiences and creating capacity to meet new challenges.
Mission
To be a catalyst for cost-efficient creativity.

6. BBC Objectives 2015/16 Songs of Praise English Regions Newsround
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BBC Objectives 2015/16
Songs of Praise
English Regions
Newsround
Radio 1
BBC Digital
Platform

7. ? Tough 26% savings challenge
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Tough 26% savings challenge
Preparing for a digital future and for the next Charter period
We knew what we had to do…but not how we were going to do it

8. Pilot: “Efficiency Services Team” Building the Team Self-sufficient
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Pilot: “Efficiency Services Team”
Building the Team
Self-sufficient
BBC team of 20
Consolidating

9. The way we manage and measure
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Prepare
Diagnose
Design
Plan
Implement
Sustain
How we think and feel
The way we manage and measure
Our processes

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11. Combination of top-down and bottom-up
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Key lessons: What makes Spark unique?
Spark staff are a mixture from lean and broadcasting backgrounds.
Centrally-funded Spark staff work alongside local staff.
Adapt our language to our context.
With you, not to you
Create films to capture the changes.
Hear directly from past “clients” on their experiences.
Emphasise the ‘Change Story’ in all our projects.
Telling the story
Combination of top-down and bottom-up
Executive sponsorship.
Blend of pull and push projects.
Flexible approach.

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Each project is different and has its own objectives. We’ve worked with many parts of the BBC:

13. How have Lean tools made a difference?
1. Using standards to ensure quality and minimise waste

14. 2. Using data to solve difficult problems & improve performance
Number of instances approved by subs with minor or no changes
% of stories with an average word count of more than 300 words
Average minutes stories spent in the basket during day shifts.
Opportunity: Send story back rather than major rework
Opportunity: Basket prioritisation
Opportunity: Enforce story word counts
English Regions New Media
Gathering data can be a big problem at the BBC but it’s always worthwhile.
ERNM wanted to become Digital Excellence team but needed to find the time to create these skills. Suggestion was to devolve subbing to regions but had to look at data first to see if viable.

15. 3. Using visual management to track performance
Spotlight, BBC South West

16. 3. Using visual management to track performance
   
Challenge!
After
Before

17. 4. Use of templates and processes to nurture creativity
Ideas Walls
Programme Briefs

18. DOC ID
The BBC’s Lean journey
Case Study
The Future
Q&A

19. Deliver original journalism. Drive the digital transformation of News.
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Deliver original journalism.
Drive the digital transformation of News.
Make the BBC a better place to work.
The project began in the South of England and is part of a programme being rolled out across every region over an 18 month period.

20. What we did? 197 people have contributed 10 drop-ins, 10 workshops
896 suggestions and ideas
381 general comments
16,000 calories consumed in biscuits

21. Controller, English Regions
Project Governance
Governance
Collaborative approach
Requires dedicated local staff working full-time on the project
For 6 weeks
Head of Region
Controller, English Regions
Head of
Region
Local Project Team
Projects
Stories Editor
Digital
Berkshire Bureau
Tools & Tech
Skills & Training
Culture & People
Spark staff
Project Manager
Manager
Analyst
Local staff
Ass Editor BJ
SBJ/BJ
Full time for six weeks.
Responsibilities:
Methodology and coaching
‘Lean’ training
Facilitation
Sharing learnings from other regions
Full time for twelve weeks.
Responsibilities:
Own the project
Help management team implement changes
Ensure local engagement
The process
(slide 2 – resourcing)
BBC Spark works with each region for six weeks. They are a team in the BBC that helps departments deliver with change and work more efficiently. The process is based on rigorous data collection and wide-scale staff engagement; in every region more than 70% of staff have taken part.

22. ? Stories on more than one platform before and after Spark
TV only stories. Awaiting full data.
Stories from all platforms
South East ?
Achievements
25% of stories covered by BBC West Midlands are now original; pre-Spark it was 7%.
85% of stories covered by BBC South West are multi-platform; pre-Spark it was 42%.
BBC East redeployed 14 staff, some to a data-driven ‘story-hub’. It champions original journalism, from the large number of homeless people being ‘exported’ from London; to Health Care Assistants carrying out duties they weren’t trained for; to £10m of public money being lost at debt-ridden Northampton Town FC.
26 local radio stations now provide Local Live, with all 40 due by the summer.
Digital reach has increased significantly; since the introduction of a social media editor BBC Midlands Today’s Facebook reach has increased from 42,000 to 153,000.

24. DOC ID
The BBC’s Lean journey
Case Study
The Future
Q&A

25. New Priority Areas for BBC Spark
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New Priority Areas for BBC Spark
Alumni
Coaching
Training