Whether you’re employed in a service organisation or work in a manufacturing environment, in practice there will - to a greater or lesser extent – be waste. Waste can be found in the business processes needed to meet customer demands. Examples include unnecessary waiting times, sluggish processes or mediocre results. It goes without saying that no customer will be willing to pay for this waste, let alone view it in a positive light. Yet, it’s still a very common phenomenon.

Lean ensures not only that waste is brought to light, tackled and improved, but also that a new standard is set. This isn’t something that can be rushed: it requires a real change in the culture of an organisation. It’s a way of thinking and acting, a smarter way of working and a strategy for every single employee. Only motivated members of staff can ensure the success of Lean and, with it, the organization.

There’s no set board design. Every improvement board is different. Experiment with the board layout until you end up with the tool that offers the best visualisation for your team or department. Ask your team for input and adapt where necessary if the set-up created isn’t working.

Products that can help you in this include wipeable markers for creating headings, divider tape (useful for creating columns) or magnets which allow you to attach additional information and so provide a complete overview.

An improvement board can be based on whiteboards or glassboards. What’s more, depending on the room in question, they may be placed on a stand or can be used as a mobile tool. The dimensions of the board can also vary.