Using communication to make Lean transformations stick

Successful Lean transformations are characterized by the performance improvements they create and their staying power. Key to that is an integrated cultural-technical approach, of which communication plays a critical role. In an exclusive article for SCM, Jim Shaffer explores the topic further.

by Jim Shaffer, founder, Jim Shaffer Group.

Heather Sandoe is sitting in a large conference room explaining to 15 employees what "scrap" and "rework" are and how both affect operating income. Sandoe is the communication manager at ITT Corporation's Lancaster, Pennsylvania operation and she's building a learning process that will eventually enable the site's 200-plus employees to make more informed decisions that in turn will improve the engineering company's operating and financial performance. She's just one of the increasing number of communication practitioners who are playing lead roles in implementing Lean Six Sigma.

Lean is a cultural mindset and bundle of tools that focuses relentlessly on improving customer value with the fewest resources.

"At first I wondered what communication could bring to the Lean Six Sigma table," Sandoe tells me. "But the more I got into it, the more I realized that it's all about communication. And the make-it or break-it aspects of Lean are in the areas of culture, communication, reward, recognition and learning and development."

Dave Jackson, now manager of research and development communication at medical products manufacturer Alcon, echoes this. Prior to his current role, he worked to implement Lean practices at packaged foods company ConAgra Foods. "I've always known that communication was a lever to drive the business strategy," Jackson says. "But helping an organization shift to Lean validates that belief. I can go to leaders and say, 'here's the root cause of a business problem.' But more importantly I can say 'here's where the root cause is within the process and I can eliminate it.'"

What is Lean? What roles are communication people playing as organizations manage or shift to Lean? How do those roles differ from the more traditional news and distribution role? What's to be gained by participating in a Lean transformation? We'll look at each.

What is Lean?
In its simplest form, Lean is a cultural mindset and bundle of tools that focuses relentlessly on improving customer value with the fewest resources. To achieve this, Lean works to improve value streams - the flow of materials and information required to bring a product or service to a consumer. Eliminating waste across value streams enables the organization to create processes that need less human effort, space, capital and time to make products and services than traditional businesses. Because Lean can create huge opportunities for competitive advantage, many organizations have adopted the principles and methods of operation.

Eliminating waste means disposing of any activity or process that the customer isn't willing to pay for. For instance, scrap and rework are forms of waste.

"We drew on everyday things that people could relate to when we explained Lean concepts and the forms of waste," Sandoe explains. "For instance we explained scrap as: 'You bought more food at the grocery store than you can consume in a given period of time. Some goes bad and you have to throw it out. Scrap is waste. No business wants to throw out products because they're poorly made the first time. It's expensive and hurts profits and our ability to compete.'"

"You burn dinner and have to start over again," Sandoe continues. "You've created scrap (burned food) and rework (you have to start over again). Any product or service that isn't made or delivered right the first time is rework. There's a cost associated with having to rework anything," Sandoe explains to employees in the room.

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This article was originally published in Strategic Communication Management.