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TechTrends e-Newsletter I January 2004 Page 5 of 5 can attest, inefficiency is often the scourge of the typical white-collar environment. By some estimates, administrative tasks make up to 80 percent of the typical • company's cost of doing business. Eliminating wastefulness from administrative and office functions can also boost profit margins and help transform a company into a total lean-and highly efficient-operation. While the subject areas of lean manufacturing and lean office are different, the underlying fundamentals are similar. "In the factory, we talk about inventory. In the office, it's the paper, the information," says Dick Pedersen, an MTI business consultant. "We track it the same way. We look at each process and the time it takes to do each one of the steps. When it's sitting around, it's not adding value." Pederson adds that one area in which companies see immediate results is with custom orders. "When a company needs to get quotes, designs, schedules, and budgets together on a custom project, there tends to be more down-time," he notes. "Lean office helps tighten up those systems." For all of their potential value, however, lean initiatives are not without challenges. Companies often report resistance from employees. And as with any cultural change, implementation is an ongoing process; results won't happen overnight. To make the jump to lean, management support is critical. There also must be a company-wide understanding of the process-what lean is, why it's needed, and precisely how it will work-along with detailed steps for implementation and specific ways to measure progress. 411 Lean resources A quick Internet search will provide a wealth of information-perhaps too much-on lean office basics. Finding objective information can be a difficult task. That said, one site that offers solid information is the Lean Enterprise Institute (www.lean.org). Founded by James Womack, one of the top thinkers on lean practices, the Lean Enterprise Institute is a nonprofit organization that provides research and workshops on lean topics. MTI also offers a variety of customized lean consulting services. For more information on them, go to http://www.minnesotatechnology.orgibusinessilean.asp, or call 612-373-2900, 800-325-3073. Nj;s*1 Nei work MEP •Affiliate Home I Contact Us I Site Map I Privacy Policy I Terms of Use © 1994-2004, Minnesota Technology, Inc., All rights reserved I webmaster@ m ntech.org PHONE: 612-373-2900 FAX: 612-373-2901 http://www.minnesotatechnology.org/publications/techtrends/2004/January/printVersion.asp 3/2/2004