Evaluating Methods of Change Nancy Kress Head, Bookstacks Department University of Chicago Library

The Challenge Users expect books to be on the shelf at all times Bookstacks Mission: The Stacks Department serves library patrons through quick, accurate re- shelving of library materials.

Methodologies for Change present Process mapping – Continuous process improvement –2004-present Lean Manufacturing –present

What wasn’t solved? Peak book returns –4 quarterly due dates –Normal weekly book returns avg. 8,000 –Peak weekly returns avg. 35,000

Best Practice Models Other Libraries Similar process organizations –U.S. Post Office –Library Bindery

Heckman Plant Tour View lean manufacturing process Improve Bookstacks efficiencies at Regenstein

What is “Lean Manufacturing?” Lean manufacturing is aimed at elimination of waste Organize processes to add value to the customer Deliver goods “just-in-time” Service organizations also using lean

History of Lean “The Machine That Changed the World” Toyota auto manufacturing “Value chain”

Basic Lean Principles Add nothing but value –Eliminate “muda” – waste Do it right the first time People doing the work add value –Team oriented Deliver on demand –“Pull” instead of push

Lean learned from Heckman Key Principle #1: Pull… –…means work isn’t done until a downstream process requires it –Make only what the next process needs – when it needs it

“Pull” becomes “Immediate Shelving” The Process: –Only full shelves pulled to cart –One shelf = 30 minutes

Lean learned from Heckman Key Principle #2: Batching –Key to rapid delivery is small batch sizes

“The Goal” by Eliyahu M. Goldratt & Jeff Cox “This book is about progress. It’s about the creation and acceptance of improvements – change for the better.”

More from “The Goal”… What is the Bookstacks Department’s ONE goal? –Quick, accurate reshelving –All books on the shelf in correct order, ALL THE TIME

Are we meeting the Goal? ThroughputBooks coming IN Inventory Books WAITING to be shelved Operational ExpensePayroll COST

Our Challenge for Lean Peak Book Returns 4 Quarterly Due Dates –Normal weekly returns: 6,000 –Peak returns: 35,000

Brainstorming Session Book knowledge can only go so far… –Best way to learn is by DOING Begin where the greatest need exists

Creating “level pull” “Level pull” is basically a replenishment model –Replenish Bookstacks shelves Create a “level” daily schedule of work –Use inventory to buffer against large swings in work

Keys to level pull Create inventory –“supermarket” Organize how inventory is stored –Consolidate similar types

Optimize the Bottlenecks Reduce batch sizes –Eliminate uneven amounts of work Put the best people on the bottlenecks –They set the pace

The Lean Solution OLDNEW Bottlenecks go to overflow shelving Only non-bottlenecks go to overflow No “immediate shelving” Bottlenecks are “immediate shelving” Everything goes through same process 2 processes – bottleneck and non

Future Outcomes? GOAL: measurable results VALUE: high use books are on shelf

Actual Outcomes Winter 2005Winter 2006 Reserve books turnaround 4 days Reserve books turnaround 2 days Search requests found in pre-shelving: 14% Search requests found in pre-shelving: 7% High use books stored in overflow unavailable to users High use books carted, sent to stacks available to users

Future Goals Bionic Bookstacks –Better –Stronger –Faster

Exercise: Identifying Waste What activities add no value to library users?

Waste Categories Overproducing Inventory Waiting Extra Processing Correction Excess Motion Transportation Underutilized People

References Goldratt, E. M. & Cox, J. (1992). The goal: A process of ongoing improvement 2 nd rev. ed.). Great Barrington, MA: North River Press. Keyte, B., & Locher, D. (2004) The complete lean enterprise: Value stream mapping for administrative and office processes. New York: Productivity Press. Madison, D. (2005). Process mapping, process improvement, and process management: A practical guide for enhancing work and information flow. Chico, Calif: Paton Press. Nalicheri, N., Baily, C., & Cade, S. The lean, green service machine. Poppendick, M. (2002). Principles of lean thinking. Rother, M., Shook, J., & Lean Enterprise Institute. (2003). Learning to see: Value stream mapping to create value and eliminate muda (Version 1.3 ed.). Brookline, MA: Lean Enterprise Institute.