1. Getting Started with Flow

2. Outline Take an ‘outside in’ approach to flow
Learn about the what and why of flow
Identify value and waste in the system
Principles of flow mapping
Tips – do’s and don’ts

3. Where would you shop? Department Store A
Can’t change floors carrying unpaid for goods
Can only pay at the relevant till in each section
Department Store B
Browse whole store
Move around floors with goods
Pay at any till

4. Customer Frustrations
Increased time spent at till
Queues at tills in each section
Can’t compare products which go together
May need to return items more often
May need to spend more time moving around the store
Store A becomes harder to interact with as a customer

5. Importance of Customer Perspective
DEMAND: Let me purchase my goods
Inside-Out Approach (Store A)
Easier to manage department budget, stock control monitoring, security reasons, manage sales targets, franchising
Outside-in Approach (Store B)
Only want customer to pay once, allow customer to buy range of items, choice of till

6. Flow and Functions
All work is a process that flows through departments, teams and even organisations
Customer doesn’t think in functions
Stop us seeing what is currently happening from a customer perspective
Therefore, we can’t see the predictability of our response to demand and why the system responded as it did

7. What is flow Picture or diagram of a process
A process to be viewed “end to end” and from a customer perspective
It starts with customer demand
It ends with the customer being given a response/outcome that responds to original demand
It ignores internal structures and functions

8. Ask ourselves…how well do we respond to demand?
Build a picture of the flow of work:
What are all of the steps in the flow?
How much waste is in the flow?
What is the value work?
Remember “outside-in” perspective: stay in the customer’s shoes

9. “Make me a member of…” Capability data:
Typically 21 days end to end, but could be up to 30 days, 20% declined
Flow:
INPUT – take initial demand and process
THROUGHPUT – all the work to process the demand
OUTPUT – customer receives membership/declined membership

10. Capability data tells you the ‘what’ of performance
Flow tells you the ‘why’

11. CAPABILITY = VALUE WORK + WASTE
Why study flow?
CAPABILITY = VALUE WORK + WASTE
We can only start to improve the service for customers with knowledge of the current system – end to end
To make the real process visible and see how the work really works
To understand the value work and identify waste in the system
Understand the causes of ‘failure’ demand in our system
Understand the impact of waste on the customer
Improved flow will improve service and efficiency

12. Value and Waste There are two types of work in a flow:
Value work = work that directly achieves purpose from the customer’s point of view
Waste = everything else

13. Examples of Waste
Correction/ re-work/ checking
Over-processing
Bureaucracy
Waiting
Anything that does not directly relate to purpose from the customer’s perspective
Layers of authorisation
Duplication
Batching
Something we have always done, but is now irrelevant
Transportation
Hand-offs

14. Exercise Flow maps on walls
Purpose: Register members against set criteria
Demand: ‘Make me a member of…’
In green highlight the value work (from customer perspective)
In red highlight waste in the system and type
10 minutes

15. Value:
Capturing the customer demand
Confirming eligibility
Confirming Direct Debit
Receiving membership
Waste:
Duplication/multiple entry
Hand-off
Layers of authorisation
Checking
Logging
Manual work
Delays
Batching

16. Types of waste
Type 1: things that we can remove immediately which won’t impact on service; no consequences
Type 2: has been designed into the system; stopping would be noticed so need to design it out
Type 3: things which always need to remain for survival of organisation; need to design in cleanly with least impact

17. Walk the flow
Always follow the process end to end - ‘pin the demand to you’
Physically visit all the places it flows through
Talk to the people that do the work and validate what you write down
Always fully map the flow, then fully map the waste, then fully map the impact

18. Principles of flow No jargon – anyone should understand it
Get a balance between detail and key points
Obtain and validate data – how much, how often, how long does it take?
Show where failure demand is generated
Include examples, screenshots to aid understanding

19. Lets you understand the steps in the flow
Process Mapping
Flow
Waste
Impact
When the value demand comes in what is the first thing you do?
Then what do you do? (to end of flow)
Volumes?
If flow ‘splits’ – what is the percentage split?
Lets you understand the steps in the flow 19

20. Identify the Waste (where and what)
Flow
Waste
Impact
When the value demand comes in what is the first thing you do?
Then what do you do? (to end of flow)
Volumes?
If flow ‘splits’ – what is the percentage split?
Do you always have the information you need to do your job? If not, what is missing and how often? Out of 10.
What else can go wrong? How often? Out of 10.
Look out for checking, authorisation, duplication, prioritisation, batching, rework, IT not fit for purpose
Lets you establish the type and frequency of problems
Lets you understand the steps in the flow 20

21. Impact – case for change
Flow
Waste
Impact
When the value demand comes in what is the first thing you do?
Then what do you do? (to end of flow)
Volumes?
If flow ‘splits’ – what is the percentage split?
Do you always have the information you need to do your job? If not, what is missing and how often? Out of 10.
What else can go wrong? How often? Out of 10.
Look out for checking, authorisation, duplication, prioritisation, batching, rework, IT not fit for purpose
How does this impact you?
The customer?
University?
Helps you build the case for change
Lets you understand the steps in the flow
Lets you establish the type and frequency of problems 21

22. Things to avoid Never judge or pass comment on the way the work works
Don’t try and fix it or offer solutions: you’re just trying to understand at this point
Don’t be restricted by functions, or map sat in a room
Resist looking at process manuals: this only shows how it should be done, not how it is done
Not getting data (Type +Frequency, how much, how often…) to explain flow
Telling someone their work is “waste”: it’s not, the system generates waste!

23. Acknowledgements
This is a presentation which was developed by Tara Chakraborti