LEAN, the innovation killer

Bas Bonnier - MSc Mech. Eng. EMFC

It is interesting to see how consultants sometimes hype value destruction. This is for sure the case in the Western approach of LEAN management. Look to a website of a Process Improvement Consultant and he fills his site with LEAN this, LEAN that, LEAN everywhere. Was LEAN in the last decades mainly focused on production processes, nowadays also all supporting processes have to be LEAN. And oh, oh, oh, what are we modern! The fact is that we are back to the start of the 2^nd Industrial Revolution. The founder of modern process management is Frederick Taylor (1856-1915). In 1911 he wrote his famous book The Principles of Scientific Management. He approached the business from a scientific process point of view enforcing the standardization of methods, enforcing adaption of best implements and enforcing waste reduction. Although the increases in productivity, efficiency and wealth were significant, they were overshadowed by criticism that the workers alienated from their jobs and were condensed to machines. Taylor believed workers were supposed to be incapable of understanding what they are doing. Is LEAN so much different? Different names, modern tools, but the same objectives. When you want to destroy all innovation in your organization than LEAN is your answer. Most consultants I have spoken have no idea what LEAN means. They read a book, went to training and are ready to bleat, so they can invoice their customers. Let me awake all process improvers: LEAN is no process stage but a philosophy. LEAN is a culture and should not be implemented by process science, but by behavior science. LEAN will not work in Western society where the idea-box on the work floor is not emptied. LEAN will not work when all process improvements are organized and initiated by staff members or external consultants. LEAN will not work if you don’t believe in a bottom-up approach in which all small continuous improvements on the work floor lead to a result (Kaizen) instead of the Western top-down approach were the result evolved into a target. LEAN will not work in an individualistic society were nobody cares what the impact is of his or her activity on others. LEAN is a mindset and not a process improvement tool. Real LEAN organizations believe in the strength of their workforce. Real LEAN organizations don’t need innovation processes because they are continuously innovating at all places, at all levels in the organization. LEAN implementation solely from a process point of view without simultaneously changing culture is nothing else as Taylorism in the beginning of the 20^th century. Short sighted, and in the long run, value destructive. But look to the bright sight of it. Changing culture is much more difficult and takes much longer than changing a process. Excellent business opportunities for these LEAN guru’s!