Here is the last step in bringing efficiency to your process….5S:  Sort, Straighten, Shine, Standardize, Sustain. The following is what I did for our process we’ve been working on: Sort:  Sorted through packing materials, cupboards and drawers Straighten:  Rearranged things on shelves for easy reference Shine:  Repainted some scuffed spots Standardize:   Future process mapped and posted…

Mapping your future process is a promise of improvement. It will bring higher productivity with more efficiency. We are now ready to get rid of the steps that waste time, cause errors and cost money. Here is where we have to put on our thinking caps and think outside the box! Once again, here is…

Removing waste from your process allows you to be more productive. Higher productivity leads to higher profits. Below is the mapping of my intake process, from last week.  I’ll use italics to show where the wastes are and a plus sign to show a necessary step or one that adds value.  In the photo, I…

Mapping your process as it is now, is the most important step. It lays the groundwork for your improvements. As promised, I will be applying the Value Stream Mapping process to one of our processes in our business.  For us, I will start with the intake process.  This is the processing of items we buy…