The term "Lean" has become synonymous with the successful elimination of wasteful practices in mass production environments and claimed increases in productivity approaching 50%.  More recently it is being applied, and with similar success, to the challenges of specific service industries, such as healthcare and local government. 

However, service business are realizing its not just about waste, and improvements must place at their core the outcomes and overall service experience of consumers.

This program of workshops and education reminds attendees of the other two key elements of Lean Thinking, customer outcomes and satisfaction levels, and explains how to integrate Lean Thinking and methods into a service management program that provides a continuous improvement approach for transforming an organization and its practices to be more customer centric, and lean.

The basic principles of 'Lean' have evolved through a series of publications by James Womack and Daniel Jones from Lean Thinking, to Lean Solutions, with its roots embeddeed in the pioneering practices of Henry Ford and Toyota.  Lean Thinking places consumer satisfaction at the heart of every decision, whilst maintaining a healthy respect for the interests of the producer.  Lean Solutions begins to consider the fundamental value-based perspectives of the consumer and producer.  Together they discuss how to:

• Provide the value actually desired by each customer
• Identify the value stream (value-add activities) involved in the fulfillment of each product
• Make value flow continuously without interruption through alignment of consumption and production processes
• Let the customer pull value from the producer
• Pursue perfection in all aspects of provision by eliminating waste and wasteful activities

Throughout, the Lean Service Management™ (LSM) program uses the Universal Service Management Body of Knowledge (USMBOK) as the over-arching specification for a service management framework, system, organization, and continuous improvement initiative.