The Scottish Government

Actual comments by respondents to this question included:

We are only just beginning Business Change projects and have not decided to take a "Lean only" approach. However we have used Lean methods (identifying failure / value demand) in a review of our Housing Repairs project.

We are using Kaizen principles and in particular facilitating Kaizen Blitz weeks to improve processes, which are critical business issues for the authority.

[We practice] continuous improvement and have adopted a number of approaches, implementing significant process streamlining in recent years. We have not as yet used the 'lean' approach however, a number of our staff are due to attend training on how to adopt it. It is likely therefore that we will trial the methodology in the near future.

Actual comments by respondents to this question included:

Business improvements as a result of streamlining processes, using some elements of management, have been delivered in Corporate Services, Housing, Social Work, Finance & IT, Education and Leisure, Planning and Transport, Environmental Services.

Community Care, Housing, Mental Health, Learning disabilities.

Pre-admission Unit, Emergency Gynaecological Triage Area and Pregnancy Assessment Service.

Actual comments by respondents to this question included:

We have a further 5 projects in the pipeline and have a vision that there are multiple opportunities for this method of improving what we do.

We will use the Lean methodology as part of the toolset on all Business Change projects.

Our techniques for improving service delivery are influenced by Lean as it is by various other methodologies. The department is not planning to specifically rollout Lean in the near future.

Actual comments by respondents to this question included:

This varies and it is true that although our aim would be to rapidly implement outcomes this is not always feasible.

Most projects were implemented within three months.

This has varied from as little as 3 months to certain projects such as service reviews to improve delivery channels that are still in progress. The latter involves using technologies to automate processes and eliminating waste and failure demand.

Actual comments by respondents to this question included:

7 out of 8 departments have been subject to Business Improvement projects.

All departments have been involved in varying extents.

So far to date very few. The plan for the future though is to increase this to involve every individual.

Actual comments by respondents to this question included:

Local Authority funding allocations create financial constraints that impinge on what can be achieved with developing and improving services. This also has a knock-on affect on having adequate staffing, training, resources and time to plan for successful developments/improvements.

Finance has not been a problem. Getting front line staff released from their normal duties to participate in group work can be problematic.

Where possible [the organisation] used internal resources for improvement projects, unless the project has necessitated the need for specialist knowledge. The [organisation] however has used external consultancy that deployed Lean to streamline our Housing repairs process.

Actual comments by respondents to this question included:

Regular reporting of service delivery and implementation to strategic level managers/partnerships identifying issues, gaps and needs. Staff Team meetings to monitor and evaluate these and individual project management to ensure workloads have tasks prioritised appropriately to meet targets.

Agency wide, staff have been consulted both through their managers, by using a business briefings road-show to encourage business improvement and by integrating [this] into the Corporate and Local Action Planning Process which cycles annually.

Staff have been engaged in a number of ways from initial research via surveys, focus groups etc., involvement in project teams, through to full training and development in the new process. In addition major improvement projects are always accompanied by a full communications plan, which will include newsletters, team briefing, information cascade etc.

Actual comments by respondents to this question included:

Taking it seriously. Having one person driving the project. Having total Management commitment from the top down. Learning from an expert and thereafter beginning to mould it into something else.

Careful planning and enthusiastic staff.

Probably the major factor has been demonstrating commitment though staff training and investment to release resources to undertake projects….. Supporting this has been the role of managers in encouraging staff to act and think differently and taking "risks" in adapting the manager's role to managing the system rather than….. managing through targets and budgets.

Actual comments by respondents to this question included:

A lack of understanding of which topics to pick in the early days. Less senior managers being uncomfortable with change, which they see as imposed by staff.

The 'work pressure' and 'volume of work' is ever present when trying to also look to making specific 'improvements'.

A fundamental change in working practices.

Culture - some managers are still very much "command and control".

Lack of management "Buy-In"

Actual comments by respondents to this question included:

A review in late Aug was put together to examine where we are with the Kaizen initiative and in each individual project. This was for Senior Managers and was shared with all past team leaders. It is recognised that in a large organisation like ours it is early days.

The majority of Business Process Reengineering projects undertaken are accompanied by a findings and recommendations report.

All projects undergo full evaluation as part of the project plan. In addition, a number of have internally and externally evaluated usually through Audit.

Actual comments by respondents to this question included:

We feel it is important to stress the difference between the proper application of 'lean' in the manufacturing and service sector. Processes in the service sector have a greater variety of demand and the customer is involved in production. The solution therefore is to design processes to absorb this variety and not 'standardise' as in manufacturing.

We are still at an early stage of development in terms of formal improvement methodology but can see the contribution that Lean tools and techniques can make.

It will be useful to have a "Lean working group" that coordinates the implementation of the technique across all the Scottish Local Authorities. This will no only ensure that we are pooling all our internal resources while deploying this technique but also ensure that the benefits are widely distributed.

I believe the use of advanced operations management methods can be transferred to the public sector and can help meet such challenges. We will continue to exploit every opportunity to improve our effectiveness and efficiency including, where appropriate the use of lean techniques.