www.abdn.ac.uk/dit

Lean KaizenEmpowering the Team in Interesting

Times

14 September 2010

Robin Armstrong VinerCataloguing Manager

Library & Historic Collections

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Introduction

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

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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

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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

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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

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Tim Wood

Seven key types of waste Transportation Inventory Motion Waiting Overproduction Over processing Defects

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Capturing the Creativity

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

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Bottom Up

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

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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

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Planning

Facilitated by Kaizen Lean specialist

Indentifying the Project Sponsor

Appointing the Project Lead

Selecting the Project Team

Raising Awareness of the Project

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Planning

Agreeing the Project Scope University Librarian and six managers Assessing the suitability of the process Setting the aims of the Kaizen Blitz

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The Team

Ten members Seven roles Four teams Two sites

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The Blitz

Five days Introduction Understanding the current process Identifying improvements Refining the new process Highlighting outcomes and planning

implementation

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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

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Team Goals

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Understanding the Current Process

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Identifying Improvements

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Refining the New Process

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Silver Linings

Empowering the team

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Silver Linings

Trusting the team

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Silver Linings

Growing the team

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Questions

r.armstrongviner@abdn.ac.uk

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Thank you