Managing Change in a Lean Transformation Project

A lean transformation process provides many operational performance benefits: shorter delivery times, higher stock turnover ratios, better product quality, shorter time to market. These operational benefits sooner or later have a significant impact also on cash flow and profitability. But these are not the only benefits: perhaps the main result of a lean transformation is the change it brings about in people and their way to look at their job. The main aspects of this change in our experience are: a better sense of responsibility, a better orientation toward results, an improved sense of belonging to the organization, a better focus on common goals, a gradual disappearance of clans and bands. In particular the tension toward continuous improvement, which is one of the corner stones of lean transformation, is probably the most significant result because it creates a new style, a new mentality that encourages people to constantly pursue perfection. Starting a lean transformation process and getting the results shown above is by no means an easy task and it requires a proper approach based on a correct methodology without which projects often fail or get modest results. After working for more than ten years with medium sized companies we have developed a methodology that allows us to manage these projects with a high probability of success. Our approach is based on the assumption that the success of a lean transformation project depends not only on the competences of the consultants, but also on their ability to manage the human aspects of the project and to create the right team spirit. The decisive factor is the capacity to work as a team and to motivate all the people involved. The purpose of this article is that of clarifying the main problems we have to face in a lean transformation project and how our method handles them. This article has been written by Maria Cristina Rota, Alberto Canepari and Nicola Gianesin and is in Italian only.