Analytic Philosophy

Six Sigma and lean production technologies have helped drive a productivity revolution in manufacturing enterprises. The basic analytical methodology of DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve and Control) has proven itself remarkably versatile in its application to a wide range of engineering problems. More recently Six Sigma tools and concepts have been systematically applied to a wide variety of service and customer interface environments in the private and public sectors. There is a clear natural analogy between a factory floor and a modern call centre or a hospital – both involve stable and repetitive processes designed to deliver specified customer outcomes. Even where misapplied, for example to justify a pre-existing pet project, the rigorous nature of lean analytic approaches can hardly fail to yield some improvement.

Traditionally progress stalls the further away from manufacturing roots. In high-end creative and professional roles, processes are traditionally more bespoke and less quantifiable. How can the philosophies of lean production be applied to this kind of discontinuous, non-repetitive and sophisticated environment? In short, how can lean concepts be applied in a law firm, or in finance department, or in the creative industries? This article offers some ideas.

(1) Flow

The fundamental lean concept is one of flow – the seamless, uninterrupted progression of a product down the manufacturing line. The same concept of flow can apply to idea development, project-based work, corporate finance deals or indeed any set-up where intelligence is progressively applied to achieve an outcome. Here, even a partial adoption of lean techniques can yield substantial dividends. Read the rest of this entry »

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