Our CEO, James Dwan joined Matt Sims on “The Ever-So-Lean Podcast” for a journey into the dynamic world of Agile. Full of humour, powerful stories and thought-provoking analogies, the podcast provides memorable takeaways, plus ‘Aha!’ moments which will leave you chuckling while learning the wonders of Business Agility.

You’ll discover a host of techniques that business leaders and managers can apply at the coal face to kickstart transformational thinking and promote organisational agility, so prepare to meet HiPPOs (no, not the animal), attend ‘funeral parties’ for bad ideas, revive Lazarus Projects, and halt Lemming Marches.

Jump into the Audio:

The Deeper Dive:

Fostering A Culture of Joy and Curiosity

Every thriving organisation has something in common – a culture brimming with joy, curiosity, and a passion for change. Agile achieves this by encouraging a “play to win” mindset, empowering teams to embrace feedback, learning, and adaptability. It’s all about creating an environment where questioning the norm is as routine as morning coffee!

Agile Training for a New Mindset

Agile is less about altering practices and more about transforming thinking. The age-old “HiPPO” culture (where the Highest Paid Person’s Opinion rules) is passé; in the Agile world, everyone gets a voice. It’s a land of constant learning, testing, questioning and adaptation; a whole new mindset based on adapting with ongoing feedback…and guess what? It’s a lot more fun too!

Agile thrives on delivering value fast and frequently. It breaks work into bite-sized pieces, takes regular ‘pulse checks’, and invites customer feedback like an eager party host. The result? Teams that move like a well-choreographed dance ensemble, always in sync and ready for change – crucial for delivering value.

Decoding Agile

Say hello to Scrum, the poster child of Agile frameworks. Think of it as a trusty toolbox, packed with useful techniques such as product backlogs, daily standups, sprint planning, and more. It’s all about team alignment and continuous improvement. In Agile, you don’t just go with the flow – you learn to make it better! It empowers self-organizing teams instead of silos. Key roles in Scrum, such as the Scrum Master and Product Owner are reflections of this mindset, working together to win.

The Great Agile Transformation

Implementing Agile is like embarking on a grand voyage; a journey that calls for a change in the organizational DNA – from leadership to the factory floor. It’s not always smooth sailing, but the end result – a thriving, innovative, customer-centric organization – is worth every storm.

In Agile organisations, collaborative behaviour is rewarded, like asking questions, learning fast, and celebrating lessons. Agile companies thrive, revel in experimentation and fast feedback loops, turning failures into lessons, to build a navigation map for future journeys.

Making ‘DMAgIC’ with Agile & Lean!

Agile and Lean might seem like distant cousins, but together, they make ‘DMAgIC’! happen.

At Catalyst Consulting, when Lean 6 Sigma’s DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, Control) meets Agile we call this “DMAgIC” – bringing additional layers of structure and problem-solving techniques to the flexible Agile mindset.

By combining the best of both worlds, organisations can build empowered, self-organising teams in constant pursuit of excellence. Respect for people, delivering value, and continuous improvement are paramount, while working towards a common goal.

Future-proof your Organisation – the Agile Journey

The Agile mindset isn’t just a trend; it’s a blueprint for building resilient, innovative, and adaptable organisations. As the world continues to evolve at breakneck speed, it’s the organisations that master adaptability which will be first ashore in the competitive destinations of the future – adaptability and innovation are essential navigation skills.

Agile and Continuous Improvement

Agile has a wealth of benefits for CEOs looking to boost innovation, for Managers eager to embrace and spearhead change, or Team Leaders hoping to cultivate an Agile mindset.

CEOs, Business Leaders, and C-Suite thinkers want to explore new directions and reduce the cost and time of organisational change. Team Leaders will reap the benefits of upgrading their own personal skills through recognised quality approved training and self-study. Continuous Improvement professionals can augment their skills, to add further value to their role.

Keen to start your Agile journey, use Lean to optimise existing systems, build individual or team skills through training, or just want a chat about change management?

Contact us [https://www.catalystconsulting.co.uk/contactus/], email us [info@catalystconsulting.co.uk], call us [+44 (0) 845 345 2282] or use our online chat [bottom right-hand corner of this page]

Right now, whatever your thoughts, you can wave your ‘DMAgIC’ wand, and tap into our passion for positive change here:

Agile Fundamentals: Begin your agile journey with our ICAgile accredited Fundamental training

https://lean-six-sigma.training/ic-agile-agile-fundamentals

Business Agility Foundations: Discover how to transform your business with the agile mindset with our ICAgile accredited Business Agility Foundations training

https://lean-six-sigma.training/ic-agile-business-agility-foundations

Lean Six Sigma Green Belt: Already an agile practitioner, or want to be more lean in your operations? Take a look at our BQF accredited Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Programme

https://lean-six-sigma.training/lean-six-sigma-green-belt

Business Black Belt: Become a continuous improvement sensei, skilled in both Lean and Agile techniques – enrol onto our Business Black Belt Programme

https://lean-six-sigma.training/business-black-belt

The post Embracing Agile: Key Takeaways from a Transformative Conversation appeared first on Catalyst Consulting.

In Full: In a recent presentation, Matt shared insights into his journey, from working as a postman in the Royal Mail to becoming a distribution manager and now a successful Lean Master. He emphasised the importance of continuous improvement, adaptability, resilience, and inspiring others to embrace this approach to success in any field. Matt’s experiences have taught him that being a leader and earning people’s trust is more important than being a senior-level employee.

One of the key takeaways from Matt’s presentation was the need to tailor continuous improvement to different cultures and generations. It cannot be a “one size fits all” approach and requires a culture that is self-sustaining. Matt’s special tips include inspiring people by loving what you do, making continuous improvement a part of daily work, and creating advocates for continuous improvement. He believes in creating different and exciting learning programs to engage people, exploring unexplored areas and taking risks, and creating a safe space for people to fail and learn from their mistakes.

Matt emphasised the importance of continuous improvement and how it can be applied to any field to achieve success. His experiences have taught him the importance of adaptability, resilience, and creating a culture of self-sustaining continuous improvement. He believes that good management skills are essential to the success of any organization, and that trust is earned and not given.

As a charismatic Lean Master Matt has a track record of success in inspiring, leading, coaching, executing, developing, and sustaining continuous improvement cultures that deliver significant benefits in safety, quality, and cost.  Matt’s passion for continuous improvement is evident in his podcast, “The Ever-So-Lean Podcast” which serves as an ultimate guide to creating a culture of Lean Excellence. Matt shares his expertise and interviews inspiring guests who have embarked on their own development journeys; it is a must-listen for anyone interested in learning about Lean methodology and creating a culture of self-sustaining continuous improvement.

Matt Sims is a content creator and Lean Master with over 15 years of experience in Continuous Improvement. He hosts a podcast called “The Ever-So-Lean Podcast” that aims to inspire business owners and program managers to embrace Continuous Improvement. The Ever So Lean Podcast is Sponsored by Catalyst Consulting.

Discover more from Matt: https://ever-so-lean.podbean.com/

Start your team on their journey to continuous improvement with our LCS accredited Lean training programmes:

https://lean-six-sigma.training/lean-training

https://lean-six-sigma.training/lean-awareness

https://lean-six-sigma.training/lean-practitioner.

The post From Postman to Podcast Master: How Matt Sims Inspires a Culture of Lean Excellence appeared first on Catalyst Consulting.

If you want similar insights, join our LinkedIn group:    https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12784667/

Solving Business Problems with ChatGPT

The full version: [Guess who helped us write this article? – answer at the end^*]

Are you looking for a new tool to help with problem-solving in your business? Look no further than ChatGPT! The Catalyst team recently had the opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities of Open AI’s technology for process improvement, at one of our client networking events, and let me tell you, it was a blast!

First off, let me say that this technology is bleeding edge and still being explored by us. We’re always excited to learn more about what it can do, and we’re constantly discovering new applications. That’s why we wanted to do a demo of the technology for you!

In this video presentation, you’ll see first-hand how ChatGPT can be used as a team member to help with process improvement in a fun and interactive way. The presenters will walk you through a pizza simulation case study, demonstrating how ChatGPT can be leveraged to identify and solve complex problems, generate insights, and enhance customer satisfaction. Whether you’re a business professional, a process improvement enthusiast, or just curious about the latest AI technology, this video is sure to provide you with valuable insights and inspiration. So, grab a slice of pizza and join us on this exciting journey of discovery and innovation!

Defining the Problem

The first step in process improvement is to define the problem, and we’ve got plenty of those! We gathered Post-it notes from a training session where we brainstormed issues related to the pizza simulation. We’re treating ChatGPT like a team member because that’s what it is – a language model capable of summarising text and refining its summaries based on feedback. ChatGPT can help speed up the process of analysing data, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.

We asked ChatGPT to provide an elevator pitch for the project, and it did not disappoint. But of course, we asked it to make the pitch even more exciting, because why settle for anything less? It’s important to note that ChatGPT can make mistakes, and that’s okay. We treat it as a fallible member of the team, just like we would with any other team member. We even compared ChatGPT to a mathematician and a calculator – it’s a powerful tool that can augment human capabilities.

Problem Solving From Data

Our demo then moves on to a bigger part of the problem; we want ChatGPT to analyse the data it has heard so far. As ChatGPT started to analyse the data, it quickly identified the root cause of the problem: issues with sequencing and cooking that led to delayed and unfulfilled orders. Our team was amazed at how quickly ChatGPT was able to identify the issue, but we knew that we needed to validate the results before moving forward. We talked about the importance of testing solutions before implementing them, and how ChatGPT could help in this process.

One of the most exciting aspects of ChatGPT is its ability to analyse feedback and identify areas for continuous improvement. Our team discussed how we could use ChatGPT to monitor progress, identify trends and patterns, and even forecast future problems. We also demonstrated how ChatGPT can be used to help businesses identify potential risks and opportunities in their business models and provide advice on how to address them. ChatGPT can even generate hypotheses and suggest experiments to test them, helping businesses identify potential revenue streams and cost structures.

Problem Solved!

Overall, the team was impressed by the capabilities of ChatGPT and its potential to revolutionise the way we approach problem solving and process improvement. We talked about how ChatGPT can help define a problem, suggest data to collect, analyse data and provide observations and deductions, identify the dominant root cause of a problem, provide advice on implementing changes, and even be used for cutting-edge business experiments. If you are a Lean Six Sigma practitioner you will really appreciate this kind of approach.

In conclusion, ChatGPT is a powerful tool that has the potential to augment human capabilities in a variety of ways. In Catalyst we are continuing to explore its potential and discovering new ways to use it to improve processes and solve problems. We encourage all professionals and those interested in agile, lean six sigma, and business process improvement to watch our presentation video and join us in this exciting journey. We feel it is so important that we are already upgrading our training courses to build the application of AI into our programmes.

Learn More about Business Problem Solving with ChatGPT

If you enjoyed this video and want to learn more about how ChatGPT can help you with problem-solving and process improvement, then join our LinkedIn group. We regularly post updates, case studies, and discussions related to agile, business process improvement, lean six sigma, kaizen, and more. Click the link below to join:

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12784667/

We also are planning to run a series of one day courses on how technology can enable  process improvement – please email us if you would like more details. info@catalystconsulting.co.uk

Thank you for watching, and we look forward to connecting with you on LinkedIn.

If you are interesting in learning more about any of the topics discussed here then please contact us at www.catalystconsulting.co.uk  or email us on info@catalystconsulting.co.uk .

^*This article was written by Martin Brenig-Jones with a lot of help from ChatGPT. Actually it would be more accurate to say this article was written by ChatGPT and then edited by Martin!

The post Revolutionising Business Process Improvement: Using ChatGPT as Your Secret Weapon appeared first on Catalyst Consulting.

In Catalyst, we had already started work to develop a ‘new’ course to sit alongside our traditional Lean Six Sigma Black Belt programme which has been popular for many years. Working with a small group of our clients, we developed a modular training programme which we christened the ‘Business Black Belt’. We wanted it to be as rigorous as the ‘traditional’ Black Belt but reflecting the essence of James’s article. It is now a recognised qualification for Business Change Leaders and Practitioners who want to know how to Run the Business AND Transform the Business by applying an extensive range of tools and techniques that have come from very different backgrounds, but which blend together brilliantly.

So, what are the keys to successfully running and transforming organisations in these turbulent times?

Many years ago, I did a post graduate qualification in management covering a wide range of subjects which at the time were new to me.  That management training proved to be the most useful and practical for my career, arguably outweighing my earlier engineering and scientific oriented education which preceded it, although that discipline and mathematical rigour has always been a brilliant foundation.

I remember studying the effect of a rapidly changing external environment on different kinds of organisations and reading ‘The Management of Innovation’ by Burns and Stalker who argued that organic rather than mechanistic organisational structures would enhance the ability of organisations to adapt quickly to changes in the environment.

This concept is even more evident now as we see the need to change happening at a much faster rate for a multitude of reasons caused by rapid changes in the external environment – technology, society, environmental as well as economic.

When we designed the Business Black Belt training programme, we wanted to equip managers in today’s world with a broad range of skills which they will find invaluable to know how to TRANSFORM businesses at speed BUT also … RUN current operations effectively and efficiently.

Feedback from delegates has been universally positive …

I had the pleasure to do my Business Black Belt with Catalyst. It’s an amazing program highly recommended. If you whether wondering what to do Lean Six Sigma or Agile? The Business Black Belt by Catalyst gives the opportunity to do both. You will have the chance to learn about RPA, Data analysis insights and decisions, Agile thinking and design, VSM, Change management. What makes this program a success story is that the trainers are experts with tremendous experience in the field. Thank you Catalyst for the BBB program!

Yosra Kurk, Ericsson

Really interesting to see Catalyst pioneering a new wave of blackbelt. Are organisations ready for these rock stars? I’m not sure but I am sure the new cohort is going to keep pushing. Great energy and personal touches throughout make them such a credible provider.

Gareth Scott, G4S

This is an operations-focussed toolset. You don’t need a degree in Applied Maths, Engineering or Science to understand the content. It’s Lean Six Sigma essentials mixed with Agile thinking. It’s not dry, it’s exciting. It’s fast to learn and fast to apply. It makes sense. You can relate to it.

Sophie Breslin, Athensis

Just completed my Business Black Belt programme with the team which was a superb wide ranging course. There are several subjects covered to a detailed level including Business agility, Change Management , Value stream mapping as well as the essential Data Driven insights ( bulk of the Black Belt Process Management ). The breadth of this course makes it so useful , understanding the process properly then tools to lead change effectively amongst many items covered. The pacing has been great and dealt with really well by Moore and the wider team via team video sessions. I will also add the support materials sent to us were invaluable. Overall an excellent learning experience which I will take into my operational process workplace.

Rob Harley, Barclays

So, whatever background you have, whether you are coming from the world of Agile or Lean or Managing Change or IT – take a look at the Business Black Belt, there are a number of different entry points depending on your training to date. It could have the same effect on your career as that management training programme did on mine. It opened my eyes to new ways of thinking about things.

Take a look at the Business Black Belt here

and for more details

and James’s article from April 2019

The post Run the Business AND Transform the Business – the necessary double act for managers today appeared first on Catalyst Consulting.

The post Gareth Southgate, Lean Six Sigma, Xs Ys, introducing the Wishbone Diagram …and Football appeared first on Catalyst Consulting.

www.lean-six-sigma.training

We are launching this site on the anniversary of John Morgan’s sad death. As a lover of design and visual presentation we think he’d approve, indeed he lives on in the style of many of our training courses and materials. John excelled at making what can be regarded as a complex subject accessible to everyone in an enlightening, engaging style using innovation and creativity.

We want to continue this drive to help people in all manner of organisations, in all sectors, from the smallest ‘one man bands’ to the largest multi nationals to improve the way they work.

Catalyst has always had the strap line ‘enabling results’ and we will continue to carry on our mission to accelerate the pace of change by encouraging the use of best practice approaches.

I hope you like the new site and as a special introduction we are offering a 20% reduction on online and open training course bookings taken up to 31st March.

The post Launch of new Six Sigma Training Website appeared first on Catalyst Consulting.

Martin’s article has been featured in the following publications:

Hotel Business – 22 November 2016
HRM Guide – 9 January 2017

What does the future hold for the UK’s hotel industry? This year’s PwC UK hotel forecast predicts that UK hotels will continue to see further RevPAR growth in 2016, but at a much slower pace.

So, what can hoteliers do to overcome this slowdown?

Although PwC’s forecast is positive, and the UK’s economic performance has been strong throughout the year, there have been a number of external factors causing the slowdown. A lack of large events for UK hoteliers to leverage rates over the summer, coupled with a weak pre-Brexit euro challenged London’s competitiveness for Europeans seeking a city break.

[box style=”rounded”]approaching the EU referendum RevPAR growth was recorded at a high of 2%[/box]

Furthermore, since the Brexit decision, although the hotel sector will face opportunities, the industry must also be prepared for long-term alterations that will arise once the direction of Brexit becomes more apparent. Fluctuation in the market is already evident; European security concerns in 2016 caused UK hotel performance to decline, yet approaching the EU referendum RevPAR growth was recorded at a high of 2%.

Opportunities for the UK hotel sector could also be created as a result of Brexit. Most significantly, a weak pound – dropping to a 31-year low against the Euro, Dollar and other world currencies – has made Britain a more attractive destination for foreign visitors. Hotels outside of London, have also benefited through a resurgence of the ‘staycation’ – British people holidaying in the UK, rather than opting for foreign travel due to the poor exchange rate. The decreased value of the pound also provides the opportunity for increased long-term overseas investment in the UK hotel industry.

[box style=”rounded”]During times of uncertainty it is vital that every organisation define its goals and streamline the processes required to achieve them[/box]

Ultimately, much uncertainty lies around the future of the UK hotel industry, one of the consequences of this is that problems dealt with on a daily basis in ‘fire-fighting mode’ are never tackled at the root-cause. During times of uncertainty it is vital that every organisation define its goals and streamline the processes required to achieve them. When budgets are tight, it is the perfect time to reduce internal waste and improve customer satisfaction.

It is key to continue to offer an outstanding service to ensure that rates, reviews, and re-bookings do not decline.

Process Improvement

As little as 10-15% of process steps actually add value in an organisation. Conduct a performance review of internal processes to serve as a baseline to measure future improvements against.

An Improvement Charter is  a great starting point to document the purpose and goals of the improvement project, creating an understandable framework that everyone can follow, outlining clear roles and responsibilities.

[box style=”rounded”]It is important to complete this project with a team, enabling key staff to voice their opinion in an open forum[/box]

Three key questions must be asked:

1. What needs to be achieved?
2. What needs to be resolved?
3. How does this affect the customer?

It is important to complete this project within a team, enabling key staff to voice their opinion in an open forum. This document must be concise and simple, providing a helpful template to reference throughout the process.

Once the Charter is agreed, formulate how the work will be deployed, completed, and how the success will be measured. Thinking about how the process links to the customer and their needs will help to determine this.

Heading in the right direction

Develop a ‘storyboard’ summary of the key decisions and outputs to review progress, capturing outputs and findings from the improvement journey to communicate progress within the business.

The what and the why

Data collected throughout the project is crucial in helping hotels to improve processes, generating ideas for possible solutions and then implementing and testing these. Weekly reviews are important to measure progress; hoteliers should evaluate themselves with the following questions:

1. What is going well and what is not?
2. Will the project achieve its initial goals?
3. Is value being added for the customer?
4. What conclusions can be drawn?

Take this time to re-evaluate and improve processes that underperform. Do the customers notice an improvement? Can these new improvements be applied elsewhere in the business?

Regard the slowdown in growth being predicted as an opportunity to act now ; improvements made at this time are key to foster and encourage growth. Additionally, with the uncertainty caused by Brexit and the potential implications of the decision being far-reaching for the UK hotel sector; there is a greater incentive for hotels to act efficiently and effectively to ensure competitiveness within the market.

Read our luxury hotel industry case study here.

The post What hoteliers must do to avoid a post-Brexit slump appeared first on Catalyst Consulting.

ILM, 12th July 2016
Growth Business, 18th July 2016
HRM Guide, 11th August 2016
Fresh Business Thinking, 16th August 2016[/box]

The result of the recent Brexit referendum in the UK came as a complete shock for many people who had been expecting ‘Remain’ to win which of course would have meant ‘No change’, carry on as before.

Several people who voted ‘Remain’ have commented to me about their feelings of anger and despair. This triggered a reminder of the value of understanding the stages that people go through when coping with change in their lives. The Kübler-Ross model is a well-known model developed by Dr Elisabeth Kübler-Ross who pioneered methods in the support and counselling associated with death and dying. The principles behind this model also apply to situations where people are coping with the trauma brought on by change in general, for example being made redundant, or change in the workplace, or maybe by a shock Brexit result!

You may find it helpful in work environments to use a slightly adapted model to include the following stages: shock, denial, awareness, acceptance, experimentation, search and integration as illustrated.

Right now in the UK, with the referendum only a few days ago, you can sense that many people are still in the shock or maybe the denial phases. People feel numbness and despair, they may be dazed and perplexed.

Different people will be at different stages and they will transition through the phases at different speeds. They may oscillate between phases too. It is helpful when supporting people through this kind of change to recognise the signs of each phase and adjust how you help and support people depending on their phase.

For example, when people are still in the ‘shock’ phase, they will certainly need empathy ‘I can see why you feel like that’ but they are unlikely to respond well to ‘logical’ argument about the ‘pros and cons’. They may want to vent their anger. Do let them and listen, but don’t get into a ‘logical’ argument. Equally, when they are in the ‘denial’ phase, it’s best not to raise false hopes that it might not happen, but do confront the issue and get them talking.

There are other strategies that can be used as they move through the different phases, for example when they enter the ‘experimentation’ phase, support them and let them discover the ‘new world’ and start to think out of the box. Don’t knock down their ideas.

There are many change management approaches beside the Kübler-Ross model and I have found these tools and techniques as important, if not more important than the traditional quality tools and techniques needed for effective business improvement. I described several of these in Lean Six Sigma for Dummies, but I would be the first to admit that it is a lot harder to put these tools into practice than just read about them (or even write about them) but seeing the reactions to the Brexit vote reminded me of how useful these techniques can be in supporting people who are going through ‘change’.

The post Brexit: The challenge of accepting change appeared first on Catalyst Consulting.

How to process map

Process maps can take a number of different forms and, depending on complexity, involve numerous sub-processes. Commonly used forms include swimlane diagrams, value stream maps, organisational process structures and the more comprehensive ‘SIPOC’ models (which details the interplay between Suppliers, Inputs, Process steps, Outputs and Customers).

Regardless of the type of map deployed (and it is usually beneficial to deploy more than one), it is important to start by mapping the current contract process, ‘warts and all’. As tempting as it is to sketch out the ideal state, it is vital to understand the current state and set the baseline to get the most out of the exercise.

Getting off a blank page

One popular method used by Lean Six Sigma (LSS) practitioners to get off a blank page and start to understand the current state is called ‘process stapling’. To do this, simply imagine yourself being stapled to the thing that goes through the process and follow it each step all the way through to the end.

Martin Brenig-Jones

In the context of producing and reviewing commercial contracts, the first major step in the process is likely to be intake; how, and by whom, is the legal team instructed? For many legal departments, the form of instructions varies wildly depending on who is leading the deal for the company, which may be a contract from the sales, procurement or other business team.

Does the legal team receive all of the instructions it needs to begin the process in one fell swoop, or are the background and business requirements relayed over a series of disjointed calls and e-mails attaching out-dated or incomplete documentation? After the matter has landed in the legal department, how is the work triaged so that it is undertaken by the right level of resource?

Next, examine how the work gets done. Likely sub-processes include:

• Selecting the correct contract template / playbook and completing the first draft;
• Marking-up and negotiating the terms (multiple drafts);
• Capturing and escalating outstanding issues; and
• Proofing the final wording and tidying the contract.

When the content and wording or the contract are settled, there will likely by further sub-processes including:

• Internal approvals, signature and exchange of executed versions;
• Extraction of contract data for management reporting; and
• Uploading the contract to contract management system and related administrative efforts (such as filing related e-mails)

Each of these steps must be documented.

Focusing on value

Jason McQuillen

Once you have mapped out the steps in your current process, turn your focus to the qualitative aspects of those steps. Which actually add value? As stated earlier, this is typically only 10-15% of steps, and these may represent as little as 1% of the total process time (taking into account delays and the time where the product or service is static).

LSS practitioners use various acronyms to remember the categories of waste in a process, such as ‘TIM WOODS’ or ‘DOWNTIME’. In the context of production and review of contracts, waste may commonly include:

• Transport: movement of contract parts between stakeholders (eg, for input or approval);
• Inventory: WIP and completing contract parts ahead of time;
• Motion: looking for information (eg, due to a poor contract management system or contract template library);
• Waiting: waiting for stakeholder inputs and approvals;
• Over-production: too much volume and detail beyond that required;
• Over-processing: too many turns of the contract and double checking;
• Defects: use of inappropriate contract template, unclear drafting or invalid sign-off; and
• Skills: using senior lawyers when talented juniors (or non-lawyers) could deliver to requirements.

It is not the case that every step in a process that is does not add value should be automatically deemed to be ‘waste’ and discarded. There will be some steps which, although not value add according to the strict LSS definition, are nevertheless essential. This may be for regulatory, policy, health and safety, or similar reasons. For these steps, consider if they can be moved to a separate process, or at least how to complete them in the most efficient way.

Remember that it is the customer’s perception of value that is important. Will the customer care (or even notice) if a step is undertaken by a different resource, is automated, or is removed altogether?

Getting the most from your map 

Process mapping will often draw out areas of ambiguity and misunderstandings around handoffs and dependencies between various business functions and stakeholders. For example:

• When is the legal team involved in drafting the services description and service levels?
• Is it the responsibility of the legal team or the business team to obtain necessary approvals from the IT security team?
• Who is accountable for getting the contract signed?

Use your better understanding of the process to not only remove waste, but also to build more transparent and sustainable working relationships. It may be useful to develop a RACI chart (outlining roles and responsibilities) to sit alongside the new process.

The process map can also serve as a data point for making investment decisions aimed at minimising defects and improving overall quality. For example, should the legal department be spending more on its contract template library, both in terms of content and accessibility?

Final word

Process mapping is one tool in the LSS toolkit for process improvement. Its power lies in the benefit for the user in having a visual depiction of a process, end to end. Whilst individual steps may seem sensible on their own, this holistic view quickly demonstrates how waste, rework and unnecessary movement can so easily creep into any process over time, resulting in inefficiency and unnecessary cost as well as increasing the likelihood of defects.

In the production and review of commercial contracts, a process in which quality of output and quick turnaround are at the heart of client needs, it seems only too right that Lean Six Sigma methodologies and process mapping is now ‘on the map’.

Jason McQuillen is head of managed legal services at Radiant Law and a commercial law specialist, and Martin Brenig-Jones is Managing Director at Catalyst Consulting, an expert in Lean Six Sigma, and co-author of Lean Six Sigma for Dummies.

The post Efficiency improvements in the Legal profession : making it real appeared first on Catalyst Consulting.

Why map process flow?

Not many lawyers would consider themselves masters of process. When lawyers talk about their work, they typically focus on ‘high-value’ activities such as advocacy and counselling. But the truth is process is a massive part of what lawyers actually do on a day-to-day basis.

Process in the practice of law, stated simply, comprises collating information, packaging it and delivering it to the client as a legal product. It’s obvious that good process is critical to the effective practice of law – it just seems that lawyers don’t think about it so much.

Jason McQuillen

Historically, lawyers have been accused of resisting change and being slow to adopt initiatives and ideas from outside the profession. Efficiency and standardisation is looked upon with suspicion, with a perception that it is some kind of trade-off between efficiency and quality, and that the law is somehow ‘too complicated’ to be standardised. Hardly fertile ground for introducing Lean Six Sigma, one might think.

A deeper consideration of the principles and motivations behind Lean Six Sigma demonstrate that it has a natural synergy with law and, applied with thought, can deliver significant benefits to clients.

The relevance of Lean Six Sigma and process mapping

Lean Six Sigma is the coming together of two methods with a combined focus on:

• Understanding the customer’s perception of value;
• Improving process flow to reduce defects and waste; and
• Using data to fuel continuous improvement in a systematic way.

It can be said that ‘Lean’ is about identifying and removing unnecessary process steps and reducing delays and ‘Six Sigma’ is about consistently getting products and services right for the customer. It provides a toolkit for analysing and improving any process, whether that be production of automobiles, financial transactions, customer service centres, sales and marketing campaigns, HR processes such as recruitment – or production and review of a contract.

Process mapping is one tool for understanding how work actually gets done. It provides a visual representation of every step, task, input and resource used to complete a business process. Production and review of a contract is just a process with a beginning (taking instructions and understanding objectives), a middle (exchange of contract drafts) and an end (finalisation and sign-off).

Benefits of process mapping

Process mapping leads to better resource management through:

• Identifying duplication and wasted effort;
• Providing opportunities for disaggregation of tasks to ensure that the right level of legal resource is used at each stage; and
• Better understanding and clarifying handoffs and internal/external relationships and interfaces.

Martin Brenig-Jones

Law firms are sometimes scorned for cracking an egg with a sledgehammer. Clients are often left wondering whether it is really necessary for the highly paid (and expensive) partner to complete a given task, or whether a more junior lawyer could do it just as well. Pursuing that line of argument further, is a lawyer actually needed? In fact, does the task even need to be done? Process mapping flushes out this type of inefficiency and over-resourcing.

The opportunities for law firms to gain efficiencies through a more transparent process are clear. The elephant in the room, however, is that sometimes law firms are incentivised to duplicate effort (eg, have multiple lawyers attend a meeting) or aggregate tasks (have the lawyers proof-read) as they charge their clients by the hour.

In addition to better resource management, process improvements in contracting also leads to more consistent outputs, taking the ‘art’ out of contract reviews. This in turn reduces risks as process becomes standardised with clarity of steps.

William Edwards Deming, the father of quality evolution, placed enormous emphasis on the importance of process. He said: “Eighty-five percent of the reasons for failure to meet customer expectations are related to deficiencies in the systems and process… rather than the employee. The role of management is to change the process rather than badgering individuals to do better.”

Finally, process mapping assists in identifying where the value lies. Typically only 10-15% of the steps in a process add value, and usually these steps represent as little as 1% of the total process time (taking into account delays and the time where the product or service is static).

Lean Six Sigma provides a definition of a value-added step:

• The customer would be interested and care about the step; AND
• The step must change the product or service in some way, or be an ‘essential pre-requisite’ (more generously, ‘does it move the matter forward?’); AND
• The step must be actioned right first time and is not being carried out as a result of an earlier failure.

This is an interesting test for lawyers – how many steps in the typical contract drafting and review process add value according to this definition?

When to process map

Process mapping will challenge the status quo, and ‘that’s the way we’ve always done it’. When done well, it will illustrate new and innovative ways of working. It is ideal for long-term relationships.

When lawyers (whether internal or external) map with clients, it allows them to work more closely and enter into true collaboration. The client’s steps and the lawyer’s steps can be mapped together so that there are clearly defined roles and hand offs.

According to Deming: “The result of long-term relationships is better and better quality, and lower and lower costs.”

If you add faster turnaround to that, you get closer to the holy trinity of products and services delivered at the right quality, time and price. For in-house departments, mapping facilitates onboarding of new staff more quickly as they can see and understand how work gets done. For law firms, it also assist in pricing matters more accurately due to the certainty it provides.

• In our next article, we will provide guidance and tips on how to map the contracting process.

Jason McQuillen is head of managed legal services at Radiant Law and a commercial law specialist, and Martin Brenig-Jones is Catalyst’s Managing Director 

In part two we will get down to the practicalities of creating the process maps and understanding what to do with them.

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