Lean East was founded in 2010 with a mission to bring out the best in organizations by bringing out the best in people. We focus on introducing proven Lean Six Sigma improvement methods to service organizations in Maine and New England. This includes industries such as healthcare, government, insurance, construction, and finance. Many of the clients we have partnered with have a common goal: to improve their culture and performance and provide better customer service. Thus, developing high performing organizations (HPOs).
Some client organizations want to improve their processes and provide more customer value with less waste. Others focus on changing work culture, training their leaders and staff, and improving teamwork. One client wanted to improve in multiple dimensions and move the company from good to great. A common theme with all of our clients is a desire to improve overall performance and see results.
High Performing Organizations (HPOs)
Lean East develops high performing organizations (HPOs) that thrive in today’s interdependent, fast-paced and complex world. High Performing Organizations (HPOs) understand their purpose and vision. They also ensure that every member of the team is advancing together towards a common goal.
Our team uses Lean Six Sigma methods and tools to improve service organizations in three key focus areas: People, Processes, and Performance.
People First
HPOs create a culture of trust by demonstrating respect while also caring for every team member. Senior Leadership establishes the direction and ensures alignment toward a common vision. Communication with team members is purposeful and must define clear, measurable goals to ensure accountability to results. Open dialogue, differing opinions, and conflict are encouraged to minimize politics and avoid groupthink.
Lean East offers a PERFORMANCE process™ evaluation tool to help leaders assess their organization and set expectations that align and empower all employees. We are also pleased to begin offering a training course on Change Management and a one-day workshop for Emerging Lean Leaders.
Process Improvement Focused
HPOs deliver customer value with high quality, cost-effective processes. They use Lean Six Sigma or related process improvement tools and concepts to understand the value of each process step, eliminate waste, and support alignment. Every member of the team is encouraged to take the time to solve problems by addressing the root cause. The silos and bureaucracy that doom agility are challenged and reduced, while outcomes are improved.
Lean East leads process improvement methods and helps client teams apply them during team-based operational improvement projects. Our goal is action that achieves results, beyond making recommendations. Clients have consistently rehired our team for additional process improvement projects in new areas. Learn more about our process improvement methods by signing up for our next “Introduction to Lean Thinking” workshop. You can also contact us for a discussion of your need.
Performance Driven
HPOs have a bias to action and measure essential results. The focus is on execution, thus, getting things done. We help HPOs establish a balanced scorecard of SMART goals and stretch goals. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are used to assess processes and address issues before targets are missed. This ensures that the entire team is aligned and is measuring what is most important.
Even the best strategies and processes never work quite as intended. This is why our team prefers engagements where we can coach teams during an improvement project that achieves the intended savings. Lean East improvement projects typically have at least a 10x ROI (return on investment) for the organization. We also provide project management services for large projects that need to meet schedule and budget and were awarded a 5-year Maine State contract for Project Management training.
Developing High Performing Organizations (HPOs)
At Lean East, we challenge our clients to think differently about their processes and what their customers value. We are driven by a deep understanding of business improvement tools and also the opportunities they represent. We know how to get results, and want to help every client we work with to become a high performing organization. Our experienced leaders and process improvement experts offer project support, training, coaching, and strategic consulting. We would love to work with you. Let’s talk.