Winner of the 2005 Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing Research" Most lean initiatives conducted by manufacturers are focused mostly on shop-floor activities
- mapping the value stream of raw material to the shop-floor customer. Much of the untapped potential for productivity improvements lies however in non-production areas
- where the value stream is administrative (i.e. "order to cash"). These "office" value streams directly support the daily production needs of an enterprise. Beau Keyte & Drew Lochers new book The Complete Lean Enterprise: value Stream Mapping for Administrative & Office Processes offers a step-by-step approach to applying lean initiatives to the administrative & office environment. Its a must read for leaders looking to improve their production support activities within their order-to-cash value stream. The Complete Lean Enterprise is a valuable tool in applying value stream mapping (VSM) to non-production areas identifying office wastes establishing performance metrics speeding up administrative workflow & improving office efficiency."