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Chapter 3. Implementing Lean Events

This chapter assumes that your agency has chosen a Lean project focus and outlines the three main phases for conducting a successful Lean event:

• Lean Event Planning,
• Lean Event Implementation, and
• Lean Event Follow Up

A Lean event is a highly structured, 2-5 day facilitated event involving a team of agency staff and stakeholders that is designed to rapidly make progress in identifying and implementing improvements to a process.

Lean Event Planning

Once you have decided to conduct a Lean event, effective planning and scoping are essential for success. There are three major phases of activity prior to conducting a successful Lean event. These phases are outlined below, along with key activities associated with each phase. It is important to note that some activities in each phase should occur concurrently, rather than in sequence. For example, it may be necessary to address some logistics, such as setting event dates or securing a conference room, well in advance of the pre-event meeting.

Phase 1: Initial Planning and Scoping

Secure a Lean Facilitator

The importance of securing an experienced Lean facilitator cannot be overstated. The Lean facilitator serves as a team’s guide throughout the Lean process, helping to scope the Lean event, facilitate the event, and advise on follow-up activities. Sometimes the Lean facilitator is referred to by the Japanese term sensei (SEN-SAY), meaning teacher or “one who has gone before.”

While it is possible to cultivate experienced Lean facilitators within an organization, most organizations seek the external consulting services of a Lean facilitator, at least for the first several years of Lean implementation. It should be noted, however, that even experienced Lean organizations retain outside senseis to bring fresh perspectives to their Lean implementation efforts and to push them to make more progress than they otherwise would.

Several helpful tips for securing a Lean facilitator include:

• Talk with representatives from other environmental agencies to ask for recommendations for potential Lean facilitators.
• Consider issuing a request for proposal to help with the selection of an experienced Lean facilitator. The sample Lean Facilitator Request for Proposal resource document in this Starter Kit should give you some ideas of the types of information to request.
• When evaluating potential Lean facilitators, take into consideration the facilitator’s past experience, areas of expertise (e.g., administrative Lean or Lean office), references, price, and availability.
• Remember that securing a talented facilitator is not the same as getting a talented facilitator who has experience running Lean events.

Scope the Event

Early on in the planning process, it is important to answer three key questions:

• What is the purpose of the event?
• What value stream or process will be targeted in the Lean event?
• What are the desired outcomes?

The answers to these questions will guide initial planning activities, such as making sure the right people participate in the pre-event meeting (Phase 2). During the pre-event meeting, the scope, goals, objectives, and boundaries for the event will be further refined and documented. Key planning and scoping tips include:

• Make sure the scale and scope of the Lean project is manageable and will allow for a successful event. In particular, managers should consider the breadth and complexity of the process and be realistic about how much of the process can be tackled in a 5-day event.

Identify the Lean Method to Use

Once the initial scope of the event has been determined, consider which Lean methods to use. As discussed in Chapter 2, there are a variety of methods to choose from for your event. Two common Lean methods are value stream mapping and kaizen events. Six Sigma is also used by some agencies to drive improvement projects, but organizations are increasingly viewing Six Sigma as a powerful collection of statistical analysis tools and methods that can be used during or in conjunction with a kaizen event. Your Lean facilitator can guide you in choosing the methods that are right for your agency and process.

Agencies just starting out with Lean often use kaizen events to quickly achieve the results that have interested many in Lean. Conducting one or a few kaizen events can help build momentum for a Lean initiative. Some agencies choose value stream mapping (or simplified process mapping) for their first event, since this method can help an agency clearly understand its process and identify areas of waste that can be targeted through future kaizen events. Other agencies have integrated value stream mapping and kaizen rapid implementation techniques in the same event.

Identify the Lean Event Sponsor and Team Leader

Event Sponsor

Identifying a Lean event sponsor is critical to success. Ideally, the sponsor is a director or leader of a division within which the Lean event is taking place. Having a sponsor for an event can also increase buy-in within the agency and among upper management, and assist with removing any obstacles in getting the event planned and implemented. This role is especially useful when trying to ensure that team members can get 3-5 days worth of time away from their regular duties and responsibilities to participate in the event. The sponsor participates at key times during the event and helps with follow up.

The sponsor should be enthusiastic, committed to the process, willing to take risks, and be open-minded and communicate this spirit to the team members. At times it can be difficult to sustain creative thinking and risk taking. The sponsor’s role is to help infuse the team with energy and direction, and to encourage openness to out of the box thinking. Specific responsibilities of the Lean event sponsor include:

• At the event kick off, communicate expectations to the team and set the direction of the Lean event.
• Clearly state that the process that the Lean team develops during the event will be the new process—the team is not making recommendations.
• State that the sponsor will do everything possible to support the new process developed by the team.
• Challenge the team to develop innovative solutions and ideas without introducing pre-conceived ideas.

• RESOURCES

  • Lean Event Sponsor Contract (MS Word, 48.0KB)
  Be visible during the event and provide enthusiastic support of the participants.
• Attend team leader meetings and daily management briefings and provide redirection if needed.
• Assist in removing obstacles.
• Be strategic: use the event to advance agency objectives by improving the performance of the targeted process while being aware of the impact to the total system.
• Attend the report-out session for the event to show support and congratulate team members on a job well done.
• Track the status of implementation efforts following the event to make sure the team continues to make progress and does not backtrack.

A Lean event sponsor contract document can be used to affirm a sponsor’s responsibilities and to demonstrate their commitment of support.

Team Leader

The team leader is usually determined after the event focus and scope have been decided. In general, the team leader and should not work in the area of the event’s focus. This ensures impartiality, thereby creating a more open and transparent environment for team members to be creative. It is also common for the team leader to have participated previously in one or more Lean events. The role can vary some, as some team leaders also facilitate the event and thus, are more involved in the early planning phases. Specific roles and expectations of the team leader include:

Support the team members in finding solutions. Facilitate an open exchange of ideas. Encourage creative thinking and problem-solving. Lead the team during event implementation. Ensure that all event objectives are met. Help prepare for the event.

Assist in selecting team members. Prepare the schedule and agenda. Gather needed materials and tools. Keep up to date on all aspects of the event. Assist with documentation and reporting.

Because the team leader is from outside the specific content area in which the event is occurring, good communication is crucial. Team leaders will need to know the goals and objectives of the event, any process requirements, and the expectations of the team members. Any contextual information, such as past problems encountered and gains achieved should be shared with the team leader.

Phase 2: Pre-event Meeting

The pre-event meeting occurs between three and six weeks prior to the Lean event. It is probably the most crucial step in planning and preparing for a successful Lean event. The pre-event meeting is commonly held in the venue in which the Lean event training will take place. The pre-event meeting should involve the Lean facilitator, the event sponsor, the team leader, and key managers and staff who oversee or are involved in the process to be targeted by the Lean event. Pre-event meetings typically last between two and four hours, depending on the complexity of the process and event and the Lean experience of the participants. The following topics should be addressed and finalized during the pre-event meeting:

• Refine the event scope and objectives
• Set clear boundaries for the event.
• Identify performance metrics and pre-work.
• Select participants and determine roles.

Document decisions made at the pre-event meeting in a team charter. The team charter sets out the scope of the process that will be addressed in the event, establishes the goals and objectives of the event, identifies any work that must be completed prior to the event, and identifies the team members.

Refine the Event Scope and Objectives

The sample team charter referenced above includes examples of how the event scope and key goals and objectives can be clearly and concisely documented. Key tips include:

• Once a production process, administrative process, or area is selected, choose the specific “waste elimination” problem within that area to focus the Lean event.
• It is important to select an event scale (breadth and complexity) that can be accomplished within the timeframe allotted for the event.
• Ask for help with the event scoping. Your Lean event facilitator will be able to assist you with appropriately scoping your Lean event. Another strategy is to talk with other environmental agencies that have targeted similar processes using Lean. Staff at these agencies may be able to offer suggestions for scoping and planning your Lean event.

Set Clear Boundaries for the Event

During the event scoping discussions, it is crucial that the event sponsor, possibly in coordination with other key agency managers, set clear boundaries for the Lean event. There are two key types of boundaries:

• Process-scope boundaries. It is important to clearly identify where the process starts and ends, at least insofar as which parts of the process will be discussed during the Lean event. It may also be necessary to draw clear lines where hand-offs are made to other processes. For example, it may be appropriate for a state Lean event to set an external review process (e.g., EPA review, public comment process) as a part of the broader value stream or process that is “out of bounds” during the Lean event.
• Solution-scope boundaries. It may also be important to set limits on the types of changes that are allowed as part of the Lean event. For example, it is typically appropriate to say that policy changes are off-limits.

Establishing clear boundary conditions for the Lean event can address potential concerns that some agency staff or stakeholders may have while also clarifying team expectations about aspects that are fair game for improvement. Key tips include:

• Clear boundary conditions ensure that agency objectives—such as environmental protection and public participation—are not undermined. For example, changes that would require rulemaking action are generally considered out of bounds during a Lean event, although these ideas could be held in a “parking lot” for future consideration.
• Boundary conditions can be helpful in addressing key stakeholder concerns up front. For example, when conducting a Lean event on a permitting process it may be necessary to clearly state that public comment and participation opportunities will not be lessened, or that the time for substantive analysis and review by permit engineers will not be lessened.
• Boundary conditions can help set clear expectations about the availability of resources. Lean events are designed to strongly encourage creativity over capital expenditures.
• Boundary conditions also may be identified during the course of the event. While it is okay to allow teams to set some boundary conditions during the event, it is important to identify which boundary conditions must be set in advance.

Identify Performance Metrics and Pre-Work Needed

Collecting data on the current state of a process enables a Lean team to understand the process, to identify areas for improvement, and to assess the effectiveness of potential changes to the process. Often, pulling together information at the sub-process level can help inform the team’s understanding of the current state of the targeted process. It is not enough to know the overall process performance, it is also necessary to understand how things work at the process step level.

Sometimes it can also be helpful to have information on how key “customers” or stakeholders perceive the targeted process and its outputs. Getting a sense of the “customer’s voice” prior to the Lean event can be helpful, particularly if key customer groups will not be represented on the Lean event team. It may take some lead time to get customer input, through interviews or surveys, so it can be helpful to plan for and collect this information in advance of the Lean event. It is useful to collect data in the metrics categories listed below, including measures of time, quality, and cost.

Performance Metrics

Current state performance metrics establish the baseline by which to measure the outcome of a Lean event. While the specific metrics will differ from process to process, key metrics are typically identified in each of the following categories:

• Time metrics. What is the total lead time for the process (e.g., start-to-finish time for a permit application review)? How much of that time is value-added time? How long does it take to complete a full cycle or transaction within the process? What backlogs exist in the process?

• RESOURCES

  • Pre-event Data Collection Guide (MS Word, 51.5KB)
  Quality metrics. How much rework is necessary? How often does the process lead to mistakes (e.g., incomplete forms) or compliance violations? How well are key parties able to understand and act on the information coming out of the process?
• Cost metrics. How much does the process cost to operate? What costs does the process incur to clients or stakeholder groups?
• Customer perception metrics. How do key stakeholders view the effectiveness and efficiency of the process? How frequently do customers complain about process? Metrics should be quantified both before and after a Lean event.

Consider these points when identifying key performance metrics:

• Do not choose too many performance metrics. One or two per category should suffice. Having too many metrics dilutes the focus of the event and can create unnecessary work.
• Metrics may not be appropriate in all of the categories above. Ask whether there is something important about the targeted process related to each category, and do not worry if the answer is “no.”

Pre-work

In many cases, it may be helpful to assign responsibility for some “pre-work” before the Lean event. Pre-work can also include collecting data prior to the event that is needed to establish baseline metrics, and gathering background documents that are likely to be useful during the Lean event, such as existing process maps, procedures, or examples of process outputs (e.g., recurring reports). Also, if it is not possible or appropriate to collect sufficient data to establish baseline metrics prior to the event, this can be done during the Lean event.

Select Participants and Determine Roles

Thoughtful participant selection can ensure a successful and productive event, making it important to carefully select external stakeholders and agency staff participants. Team members are expected to attend the entire event and fully participate by providing input and ideas. Team members are also expected to complete assignments identified during the meeting or tasks that may be defined after the event. Here are some things to consider when selecting participants and determining roles:

• Ensure the team has cross-functional representation. The “thirds rule” provides a good guide for structuring the Lean team composition (see textbox).
• It is often helpful to have a representative from the agency’s information technology group, since most processes have some important relationship to agency databases or information systems. It may also be useful to consider whether representatives from other support functions, such as accounting, legal, or human resources would be helpful to involve.
• Participant selection can help secure buy-in from all levels of an agency for the process improvement efforts. Most importantly, you should include staff and managers on the team that can continue implementation beyond the event itself. Consider involving informal as well as formal leaders on your Lean event team.
• Lean event teams are typically comprised of 12-18 members. However, some processes are extremely complex and it may take additional participants to get all the right players at the table. If additional participants are required, the largest size recommended is 20. Once the group size gets beyond the mid-twenties, it can become very challenging to manage, especially for the facilitator.

• RESOURCES

  • Kaizen Event Agenda (MS Word, 51.0KB)
  If you cannot pare down your list of critical participants for an event below 20, another option to consider is to convene off-site meetings on specific topics, such as holding a meeting that deals exclusively with a specific aspect of the process that some participants may care most about, such as legal review. This approach is suggested for highly complex processes or issues.
• One strategy for getting more people into the room during a Lean event is to distinguish between observers and participants. Observers should be limited in number and should not outnumber team members as too many observers may cause team members to be uncomfortable or hesitant to express their viewpoints. While observers are welcome, it is critical to communicate that they are observers only.
• Team members are expected to shed all of their operational responsibilities during the course of the event, thereby allowing them to completely focus on the event. It is highly disruptive and disrespectful to the team if a senior manager is routinely taking calls, checking email, or leaving the room for other meetings. Ensure that each team member’s responsibilities are delegated to other staff during the event and communicate the expectation that team members should not be doing other work during the event.
• If you are having trouble selecting team members, it may be useful to hold a pre-event meeting with a small group of staff to identify all the activities included in the event scope and which staff members are connected to these activities. In addition, the Lean facilitator can provide advice on how to select participants (e.g., qualities/characteristics to look for).

Phase 3: Event Preparation and Logistics

Prepare the Event Agenda

Prior to the Lean event, prepare an event agenda that clearly articulates the objectives and timing for the event. An effective agenda ensures that the objectives and goals of the event match the given timeframe. The Lean facilitator is typically responsible for preparing the agenda, or at least reviewing it prior to sharing it with participants. It is important to distribute the agenda to participants before the event.

Arrange Logistics

All events require a certain amount of logistical planning, such as selecting a date, reserving meeting space, re-distributing staff workloads, and securing meals during the event. Addressing these logistical questions before the event helps to ensure smooth implementation and create a comfortable, stress-free environment for participants.

• Schedule the event. The typical duration for a kaizen or value stream mapping event is 3-5 days. Thus, it is important to consider these timeframes when scheduling a Lean event, as holidays or staff vacations could interfere with event timing. If you have opted to hire a Lean facilitator, keep the same scheduling considerations in mind.
• Reserve sufficient meeting space. During some Lean events, participants may need to break out into smaller groups for part of the event, so it is important to ensure that there is space and materials available for breakout sessions and the group as a whole. Furthermore, it may be helpful to reserve additional space for the initial training session and/or final report-out presentation.

• RESOURCES

  • Lean Event Supplies List (MS Word, 64.5KB)
  • Lean Event Meal Coordinator Roles and Responsibilities (MS Word, 50.0KB)
  Designate an event coordinator who will not be participating in the event. When arranging the logistics, it can be useful to designate someone to coordinate event logistics, including securing the event space, arranging for meals, and purchasing supplies. It is often helpful to have someone tracking and managing these logistics who will not need to be actively involved as a participant.
• Finalize logistics and schedules. Logistical preparations such as setting aside space for the event team or meal orders and the finalization of the agenda should be addressed or completed prior to the event.
• Send reminder e-mail. It is helpful to send a reminder e-mail or calendar invitation to ensure that team members have the correct dates and times blocked on their calendars.

Collect needed data and information

Prior to the event, collect background materials and data about the current state of the process, based on the performance metrics and pre-work identified during the pre-event meeting.

Communicate About the Event

Communicating proactively is critical to building organizational buy-in to process improvement efforts. Transparent communications, particularly with employees whose work may be affected by the Lean event is vital to ensuring success.

• Schedule a briefing with senior management once the scope and objectives of the Lean event has been set. Top management support is crucial for a successful Lean event, in part because it can affect budget and staff availability. It is also important for senior management to approve many of the aspects of a Lean event, including:
  • The process that will be addressed;
  • The decision to hire an external Lean facilitator;
  • The anticipated timeframe, products, and results; and
  • How the event will affect staff availability and workload.

• RESOURCES

  • Frequently Asked Questions About Lean (MS Word, 52.0KB)
  Inform staff about the Lean event. Notifying internal staff that a Lean event will occur provides transparency to the process and is a great opportunity to solicit feedback and ideas on event scope or “areas of pain” in the targeted process. Communications with staff should include information on the Lean event as well as background information on Lean methods and how the Lean event could affect staff. It may be helpful to directly address potential concerns that some employees may have about Lean or the focus of a particular event. For example, it may be helpful to clearly indicate that no staff will lose their jobs as a result of improvements made from the Lean effort. The Frequently Asked Questions about Lean resource referenced in the box above contains information that is often helpful to communicate to others in the organization.

Lean Event Implementation

This section addresses key activities and steps involved in conducting a successful Lean event, including the following:

Lean Event Overview

The diagrams below lay out the main phases of a kaizen event and VSM event. Kaizen and VSM events often take place over a 5 day period. They can be shorter, however, if the scope of the process being addressed is more limited. Some organizations conduct one-day “point kaizen” events that focus on a very specific area for improvement. All events follow the steps outlined below. Lean leaders highly discourage efforts to short cut the kaizen or VSM process, since much of the power of Lean lies in following the methods closely.

Kaizen Event Overview

Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5
Training Day Lean training; begin mapping and measuring current work process	Discovery Day Measure and analyze current work process	Do Day Create and map new process	Do, Re-Do, Document Day Evaluate improvements, operate using new process, finalize	Celebration Day Present results and celebrate

Some Lean facilitators describe the flow of a kaizen event as (1) measure, (2) analyze, (3) improve, (4) control, and (5) report and celebrate. While the terminology may vary slightly, the steps and flow of a kaizen event tends to vary little whether it is being applied to a manufacturing workshop or an office administrative environment.

Value Stream Mapping Event Overview

Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5
Training Day Training on VSM tools and how to draw a VSM map	Current State Draw a map of the current-state and identify problems	Future State Map the shared vision of the new process	Planning Evaluate how to implement the future state map and create a plan	Celebration Day Present results and celebrate

One of the main differences between a VSM event and a kaizen event is that a VSM event typically focuses at a higher level, mapping the entire chain of processes that create and “flow a stream of value” to a customer. While the general flow of a VSM event is relatively similar to that of a kaizen event, the VSM event is typically designed to develop a roadmap to guide future kaizen events that target specific areas where improvement is needed.

The Detailed Event Agenda

In addition to the event agenda prepared prior to the Lean event (see section under Phase 1 above), it is also important to prepare a team leader daily agenda. This detailed agenda is essential for identifying the team leader’s responsibilities and actions throughout the event. This agenda also ensures that the flow between the main phases of a Lean event is smooth and that all activities are well executed.

Kick-Off a Lean Event

Planning for the kick-off of your Lean event is essential for success. The kick-off session is typically introduced by the Lean event sponsor and the Lean team leader, and then handed off to the Lean facilitator. The kick-off session should include the following activities.

• Introduce all team members and observers. Ask each team member to briefly address a few key questions:
  1. Who are you and where do you work?
  2. What are your goals for this event?
  3. What do you like to do when you are not at work?
• Capture team members’ goals on a flipchart and post them on the wall. By understanding participants’ goals, it is often possible to create improvements in a form and manner that meet diverse needs.
• Have the event sponsor say some opening words. This can be helpful to clearly articulate the event scope and boundaries, while encouraging (or even inspiring) team members to work towards the desired outcomes and event goals.

• EXAMPLE LEAN EVENT GROUND RULES

  1. Keep an open mind to change
  2. Maintain a positive attitude
  3. Never leave in silent disagreement
  4. Create a blameless environment
  5. Practice mutual respect everyday
  6. Treat others as you want to be treated
  7. One person–one voice, regardless of position or rank
  8. There is no such thing as a dumb question
  Set ground rules for the event. This helps ensure that all participants respect and hear all ideas and viewpoints expressed during the event. Ground rules also remind participants to keep an open mind and to “think outside of the box.” Ground rules are established during the pre-event meeting and are prominently posted for all participants to see. It is important to review the ground rules during the kick-off session. Sample ground rules are included in the adjacent resources box.
• Briefly review key performance data and background materials that have been assembled. This can help anchor the team around desired outcomes and key reasons for working creatively to improve the process.
• Set a tone for having fun! Team engagement is key to success. Make the event fun for everyone, including staff and support personnel. If the event facilitator and team leader are fully engaged and show enthusiasm, it will be contagious.

Training

Lean training is typically a core part of the first day of a Lean event. For many people this may be their first event and it is important that all participants be on the same page about how the Lean event will work. Think of this as just-in-time training—where participants learn about Lean immediately prior to implementation. Most organizations continue to have training as part of the kick-off for every Lean event, even if most or all team members have previously participated in a Lean event. Most organizations find that the just-in-time training provides invaluable reminders, gets everyone on the same page, and serves as a sort of icebreaker to get the team warmed up for several days of intensive activity.

Manage the Phases of a Lean Event

While much of the success of a Lean event rests on careful planning and preparation, managing the event phases is also a significant responsibility. During the Lean event it is easy for the process and participants to get off track. While your Lean facilitator will help keep discussions on track, it is important for the team leader to maintain the focus on the event’s objectives. A few tips include:

• Develop and adjust the agenda daily and post it in a high traffic area for all participants to see. The agenda should be accessible to all participants as a reminder of the day’s events.
• Ensure that the team members understand Lean terms conceptually and in practice. One of the underlying goals of an event is to identify waste or non-value added activity in a process. While some terminology can sound negative, waste in Lean terminology refers to anything that adds cost or time without adding value.
• Promote and encourage creative, problem-solving. It is critical to the success of Lean that the event foster creative thinking. Both kaizen and VSM events can be compared to navigating a river—the goal of both events is to create a process that is easy to navigate without sharp turns and obstacles, and to facilitate “smooth sailing.”
• End each day at a reasonable hour. Working late into the evening is not necessary and can hurt team morale. If the work is complete, don’t hesitate to end early. If longer hours are needed, all participants must agree to this schedule.
• Assign homework during the event to track actions and the work completed. Homework often includes ideas that participants did not have the time or resources to complete and can be used to track actions for event follow-up.

A few method-specific tips include:

• When doing process mapping in a Lean event, don’t assume that the process works as it is intended to work. Develop the current state map based on actual data and observations about how the process works in practice, even if that makes the map messy.

• RESOURCES

  • Lean Event Homework (MS Word, 54.5KB)
  Ask “why” five times to identify the root causes of problems in a process or value stream. This is a good way to identify waste and improvement opportunities. You may find that there no longer are good reasons why a process is implemented a certain way.

Manage Change During a Lean Event

Real change is difficult. There are often a thousand reasons to maintain the status quo. Yet it is vital to trust the insights and ideas that emerge during the Lean event. Lean methods are specifically designed to help people see processes in a new light, making it painfully clear where improvement is needed and opening paths for change that were not previously evident.

Diverse emotions are often stirred when individuals involved in the targeted process watch the Lean team rip into the work they do on a daily basis and highlight large amounts of non-value added activity. Be sensitive to this, remembering that the focus is on the process, not on the performance or accomplishments of individuals. The team goal is to forge a process that increases all participants’ ability to add value and to perform meaningful work. Note that these emotions can be magnified for those who are involved in the targeted process but who may not be participating on the Lean team. Give some thought to how to best reach out during and after the Lean event to others whose jobs may be directly affected by changes made during the event.

A few tips include:

• RESOURCES

  • Report-Out Summary (MS Word, 56.5KB)
  • Event Report-Out Presentation (PowerPoint, 2.74MB)
  • Event Evaluation Form (MS Word, 58.0KB)
  Brainstorm new ways to eliminate waste and/or to re-conceptualize a process or an entire value stream. Stay innovative. Don’t be limited by what has been tried before.
• Be flexible and willing to try new things. Keep testing new ideas during kaizen events but avoid the paralysis of over-analysis. Create value stream maps using sticky notes on white boards or butcher paper, so that they can be easily adjusted during the event. Expect to revisit and revise “future state” implementation plans.
• Test improvement ideas as much as possible in an event before changing the layout or order of a process. Afterwards, implement the new plan. Lean encourages testing new improvement ideas and utilizing creative thinking. In VSM events, it is common to develop several iterations of your future process map before settling on one that the team agrees on.
• Communicate with management. Immediate supervisors should to be kept informed about changes to the process. One way to do this is to hold a 15 to 20 minute daily briefing for the event sponsor and other key managers and supervisors each afternoon of the event. These brief meetings can help ensure management buy-in and tap help in removing any obstacles the team may be facing.
• Hold trainings for staff about process changes and future plans. Explain to workers not involved in the event how the new process will make their jobs easier and more rewarding. Let them know how to get involved in future process improvement efforts.

Identify Follow-up Action Items from the Event

While conducting your Lean event, you may discover other areas or processes that would benefit from Lean. While common, it is important to maintain the group’s concentration on the focus of the current Lean event. For tracking purposes, make note of these opportunity areas for future projects. On the final day of the event document action items your team was not able to complete in the event and assign responsibilities and due dates.

Report Out at the End of the Event

Participants give a report-out presentation at the end of the Lean event. The event sponsor and other senior managers who did not participate in the Lean event often attend the report-out presentation. The report-out serves as a forum for exchanging ideas and informing others of the team’s accomplishments. Generally, the presentation includes an overview of the event objectives, activities, and results. A few tips include:

• Assign individual team members with presenting part of the presentation. It is helpful to involve all team members if possible.
• Conduct a “dry run” presentation so team members are comfortable with their roles.
• Focus on the highlights of participants’ experience rather than presenting a verbatim recap of the entire event.
• Keep the presentation to less than 45 minutes, leaving approximately 10 minutes for questions and comments by the audience.
• Hand-out an event evaluation form prior to the presentation. This allows participants to share their experiences confidentially and can be used to identify possible process candidates for future Lean events.

Celebrate a Successful Event

Upon completing the Lean event, it is important to celebrate the achievements and hard work of the event. An event celebration is a great way to extend thanks to participants, planners, and managers, and to recognize the team’s contributions.

• Coordinate with the event sponsor or staff support to plan the celebration.
• Consider providing each team member with a certificate or a small token of appreciation to commemorate the event.
• Take a team photo and make copies for all team members
• Consider sharing the results of the event through an agency newsletter, a posting on a bulletin board, or in a press release. (See additional ideas in the next section).
• Give credit to support personnel, other staff in the area, and the team members for making the gains possible.

Lean Event Follow Up

Now that you have completed your Lean event, there are a number of follow-up actions that should be considered in the days and months following implementation.

Track Event Actions

Follow-up is necessary to reap the full benefit of your Lean event. One of the most important products of a value stream mapping event is the future state implementation plan, yet that only delivers value to the extent it results in future process improvements. In addition, while kaizen events encourage implementation of many process changes during the event, there is often a list of follow-up actions that the team was not able to make during the event.

Action items should be clearly documented and tracked carefully to ensure completion by target dates. In particular, make sure there is a person and deadline associated with each action item. Lean’s continual improvement focus means that process changes are never really done—continue to monitor the performance of the process over time, and be on the lookout for countermeasures needed to address problems as well as additional process improvement opportunities.

When tracking actions and results, keep in mind the following tips:

• Track follow-up actions in a centralized place. Consider using 30- and 60-day lean event follow up templates provided in the Starter Kit.
• Dedicate staff time and assign clear responsibility for each action. The team leader or event sponsor should be assigned responsibility for periodically checking to ensure that open actions are being addressed and closed.
• Create a schedule for reviewing follow-through. Most organizations conduct 30-, 60-, and 90-day and 6-month and 12-month event follow-up meetings. These meetings ensure that actions are effectively tracked and serve as an opportunity to evaluate the event’s success, identify countermeasures to adjust aspects of the new process that may not be working as desired, and remove barriers that may be preventing individuals from completing their follow-up actions.

Evaluate Performance

Regularly evaluating performance and analyzing results is a critical component of Lean. It is important to both evaluate performance based on the key metrics identified during the pre-event meeting and to track the extent to which the event achieved the goals and objectives set for the event.

• Use the event objectives as targets for monitoring the performance of the process. Referring back to the team charter and other early documents can help ground the results. It also may be useful to identify milestones that represent interim steps to reaching the final performance objectives.
• Consider using visual displays or dashboards to show progress towards the performance objectives and to motivate additional improvement efforts. Visual displays can be powerful communication and motivational tools.
• Consider adjusting key performance metrics to ensure that you have a clear dashboard to monitor the future performance of the process. For example, in VSM events, you should rely on the initial metrics identified in the current-map and future-maps as indicators of success. Having a few good measures can help identify potential backsliding and spur action to sustain momentum for improvement. This information can also help identify appropriate timing for a follow-up Lean event, if warranted.

Communicate Internally and Externally

Broadly communicating your agency’s results and experiences implementing Lean is often important for both securing internal agency and external stakeholder buy-in and for promoting broader diffusion of Lean within your agency. Establishing a communication plan related to the Lean event can help ensure that your agency proactively addresses any potential public and private-sector concerns that may arise around process changes. Common communication activities include:

• Send thank-you letters to all internal and external participants.
• Present event results at a department or division meeting or retreat.
• Post results on bulletin boards or “exhibit areas” in the agency lobby or common spaces.
• Acknowledge Lean event results or activity at an agency award ceremony.
• Write an article in your agency’s internal or public newsletter that outlines your Lean implementation experience.
• Post the results on the agency’s intranet or internet website.
• Reach out to your customers and key stakeholders to identify any changes to the process that affects their involvement.

Communication materials should include the following information:

• Brief description of the process and the problem (what was not working well)
• Basic information on the event (what, when, who)
• Key performance results related to time, quality/effectiveness, cost, customer satisfaction, and other outcomes
• Key differences between the old process and the new process (what has changed or will change? What types of improvements were made?)
• Brief statements on the significance of the improvements
• Outline of future improvement plans

[3] Example “In Scope, Out of Scope” list based on a presentation of the Delaware DNREC.

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