Overview

One of the jobs involved in having a really Lean Maintenance program is preparing the ground for change. Like any transplant, the business system will reject any program for which there is no structural change in the business processes. Lean is no different. Of course a manager, or even a supervisor, can initiate Lean Projects within their areas without much upper management support (or knowledge for that matter), because the managers themselves become the structure to keep things going. But a Lean project does not a Lean program make.

Did you ever notice how many efforts are personally driven by an individual? When that person leaves, the program often dies out. But if the management structures (things like incentives, reports, meeting agendas, speeches, etc) of the company are changed, and the change is bedded down, the champion can leave and the program can stay in place.

Getting your ducks in line is important. One of the ducks is, what are you trying to accomplish? Are you just doing some projects for fun and departmental gain, or would you like this effort to morph into a full-blown corporate initiative? Either is fine, so long as you know what you are doing.

Many firms have systems whereby improvement projects are assigned to coaches or champions. Can you have champions or coaches, given your business and attitudes at home? Coaches are senior people who have agreed to be sounding boards, devil's advocates, teachers, and obtainers of resources. Having some coaches supporting the...