PROCESS IMPROVEMENT
A mindset of process improvement is essential for a leader as a business or organization grows. As growth happens, it is more difficult for an organization to run efficiently if the leaders and team are not committed to a culture of continuous improvement. Strong processes not only help to build the capacity of your organization, but it helps to minimize the challenges and frustrations that your team may face and create a more enjoyable and predictable work environment.
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Think through the following questions:
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Do you have a mindset of continuous improvement? Do you look for ways to improve processes or are you happy with just the norm?
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Watch the Formula 1 Pit Stop video in "Additional Resources." What are the benefits of improving processes for your team, your business, and yourself? What could be the challenges if we fail to improve our processes as an organization over time?
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What keeps you or your team from looking for new ways to improve a process? Is it not having the right tools or resources to address issues or maybe not knowing where to begin?
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Sometimes knowing how to improve a process can be very clear, but others times it is isn't as obvious. Having a good system to help you navigate process improvement can help you not only create great ideas, but identify the right idea to move forward. At Chick-fil-A, we use a system called LEAN for process improvement. LEAN is simply delivering customer value through the elimination of waste. Waste is anything that doesn't add direct value to our guests or internal customers. An easy acronym to remember different forms of waste is TIM WOODY (Transportation Waste, Inventory Waste, Motion Waste, Waiting Waste, Over/Under Production, Over-complication, Defects, Your Team member's unused Ideas). Take some time to review each form of waste listed above and see if you can identify these forms of waste in our business.
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Think through the following questions:
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When thinking about the multiple forms of waste in TIM WOODY, are there certain forms of waste that you see more often in the business? Can you see how some form of wastes can have a domino effect? For example, if a sandwich is made wrong (defect), what additional wastes will there be (inventory, motion, waiting, etc.)?
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Does knowing the different forms of waste help you better identify issues within our business and improve processes to address those wastes?
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What methodology do you use to create solutions for process improvement in the business? Do you just try to think of solutions that make a process simpler? Do you think utilizing LEAN tools and resources could help you find more and better solutions to eliminate waste in the business?
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TAKE ACTION
Knowing and identifying forms of waste are just the first step of LEAN. Once you have identified particular wastes in the business, you have to create solutions and plans to eliminate that waste. There are many tools you can utilize in LEAN to help you find multiple solutions to process improvement. Not every method is right for every situation, so understanding what tools are available in your toolkit will help you better address waste within the business. Use some of the exercises below to practice and refine how you address process improvement over the next 30 days.
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Review- take some time to review the Chick-fil-A LEAN Website under "Additional Resources." Familiarize yourself with the various forms of waste and some of the tools in the toolkit to address waste in the business.
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Practice
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Exercise 1 - Review the "5S" exercises on the Lean Website. Think about how "5S" can help as you are organizing items in the business so they can be easily found. Take some time to identify areas of our business that could be better organized (i.e. inventory, drive thru equipment, equipment we use in business, etc?). How can the principles of "5S" help you create more organization in that area?
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Exercise 2 - Review the "Spaghetti Diagram" on the Lean Website. Pick a role in the business and observe someone in that role for 5 to 10 minutes. Use a Spaghetti Diagram to track that person's movements and note any movements that may disrupt flow (i.e. restocking, misplaced items/tools, communication, etc.). After observing motion in this role, think about how you can minimize motion in this position to "3 steps or 3 seconds". Is there a way that during peak hours this person could have access to everything they need within 3 steps or 3 seconds?
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Execute - Trying identifying forms of waste in the business over the next 30 days. Use the LEAN Website and Toolbox to see if you can find some additional solutions for improving processes in our business.
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CHARACTERISTICS OF MASTERY
Understands importance of finding new ways to improve process to bring value to guests and team; is able to use TIM WOODY to identify multiple forms of waste; demonstrates competency in utilizing LEAN toolbox to address process improvement opportunities; encourages a team culture of process improvement; seeks ideas from team members to ensure that all ideas are being considered.
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES​
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