2. Phill Beaumont FCIOB FCIHT Operations Delivery & Compliance Manager
Are we really too busy?
Deploying Lean techniques in highways to improve productivity of individuals
Phill Beaumont FCIOB FCIHT
Operations Delivery & Compliance Manager
Colas Highways

3. How lean was introduced At COLAs
“Through the deployment of Lean, we are committed to building a culture of continuous improvement to deliver efficiencies and customer value using various methods of performance review to drive process improvement.” Lee Rushbrooke - former CEO, Colas

4. Colas Highways Contracting business sits within the overall Colas UK business of around £285m turnover.
We deliver around £120m of work for Highways England (directly and indirectly).
We employ around 1,600 people.
Colas is a shareholder in Aone+.
In 2015 the Colas Executive Board recognised the need to embrace Lean - to identify waste in our processes and realise the efficiencies that could be shared with Highways England.
We established an internal business improvement team to take ownership of the delivery programme and demonstrate the Colas commitment to achieving efficiencies.

5. LEAN IS A KEY METHOD TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT
Lean thinking is a powerful way to eliminate waste. It provides a way to:
Specify value
Line up value-creating actions in the best sequence (value stream)
Conduct those activities without interuptions (flow)
Understand the requirements (need)
Meet the requirements more and more effectively (perfection)

6. Our first HELMA score of 1. 45 was awarded in May 2016
Our first HELMA score of 1.45 was awarded in May It recognised that we had just set off on our Lean journey.
We wanted to develop a strategy that was widely visible and understood by all employees. The strategy would be supported by workshops and Lean awareness training.
We engaged Renault Nissan to develop and deliver an initial Lean awareness training programme to all our staff and more focused Lean training to key process owners and users alike.
?? How many Tool Box Talks were delivered to blue collar site based operational resources to share the importance of Lean - to provide them with an understanding of how they can and should contribute to Continuous Improvement.
Far too often we were told: “I've not got time for this”, yet, following the review of what they were doing at work, we very quickly found waste in their activities to create the required time.

7. What were the issues?
Everybody offered “I'm too busy” as an excuse and not a reason for failing to effectively follow processes. Not a priority to them.
Staff unaware of ‘official’ processes or how to find them on the IBMS.
Staff developed their own processes and work-arounds.
Not aligning their work to their job descriptions and processes.
Attendance / input in meetings not always reliable, late notice cancellations and late apologies.
Appraisals every 12 months…little performance management.

11. Theme of the session
Use of “Gemba Go See” and simple “Kata” 4 step process review techniques, to map peoples’ time versus their processes.
Importantly, we studied their job descriptions to identify non value-adding activities which result in time pressures.

12. Exercise #1 Take 5 minutes to review When was THE LAST TIME YOU READ YOURs and your Direct Reports Job Descriptions & Processes?
0 - 3 months
4 - 6 months
6 - 9 months
months
12 months+

13. Exercise #2 Take 5 minutes to
List the typical activities you completed over the course of last week.
Not what you think you should have done but what you actually did.

14. How lean was deployed
Book out mins with individuals in meeting room, privately.
Talk about their role, understanding of & use of processes (Challenge)
List everyday tasks, what keeps them busy? (Challenge)
Allocate time against all tasks (Current condition)
Review and agree where waste / frustration is (Current condition)
Map out the process for the high % non value-adding tasks (Current condition)
Define the end product required (Set the target condition)
Summarise with action plan (Experiment)
‘Quick Wins’ and longer term adjustments (Experiment)

15. Exercise #3 Take 5 minutes to
Against the various activities, allocate the time spent.
Keep it simple, say multiples of an 1hr.
Total will be what you’re contracted to work, e.g / 40 / 45hrs.

16. Actual examples
Colas TM at Birmingham
Adjuvo
Portsmouth

17. Exercise #4 Take 5 minutes to
Now show the time spent against each activity as a %
Do you think your work activities are still aligned to your job description and processes?
Name the processes that are aligned to each activity. Are there gaps?

18. effectiveness
Some significant non cashable elements of non-value adding time identified.
Surfacing Contract Manager £65k (dropping down to micro manage)
TM Contracts Manger £45k (dropping down to micro manage)
Smaller, but significant cumulative non cashable elements of non value adding time also identified.
TM Supervisor (£3,375) (filling pickups with fuel)
TM Supervisor (£3,375) completing timesheets for Agencies* (what do the asterisks relate to?)
TM Admin Assistant (£3,375) completing timesheets for Agencies*

19. Plan the employees work in the Appraisal, ensure you run through their Job Description and associated processes / measures.
Do the employee “doing it” during their daily activities.
Check frequently on the performance of both the employee and their processes…Don’t wait for the annual Appraisal it will be too late.
Act with the employee to address any distractions from them doing their role Right First Time in line with their Job description and processes.

20. Conclusion
Colas found that by combining two Lean tools e.g. “Gemba” and the “kata 4 step process review” we successfully engaged with employees throughout the business at all levels, to identify why they are ‘too busy’ and what the value / cost to the business was in regards to “Non-Value Adding” time spent completing work outside their Job Descriptions and processes. We kept the mapping exercise simple, and provided an environment where employees felt at ease stating what they are doing and their frustrations in an open and friendly two way discussion…. Above all else…believe in it and see it through to the end of Step 4

21. Q&A