1. www.abdn.ac.uk/dit Lean Kaizen Empowering the Team in Interesting Times 14 September 2010 Robin Armstrong Viner Cataloguing Manager Library & Historic Collections

2. Page 2 Introduction Background Lean Kaizen The Process Planning The Team The Blitz Outcomes and Benefits Implementation

3. Library & Historic CollectionsPage 3 Background Declining operational budget Need to meet savings targets Rising staff costs Increasing customer expectations Gap between expectations and reality growing despite significant improvements University Secretary committed to maintaining front line services Funded three pathfinder projects using Lean Kaizen methodology Selected proposals from Estates, Library & Historic Collections and Registry

4. Library & Historic CollectionsPage 4 Lean Kaizen First developed by Toyota in the 1950s Widely used in manufacturing Increasingly adopted in service industries Involves Focusing on the customer Minimising waste Using the expertise in the team Building a culture of continuous improvement

5. Library & Historic CollectionsPage 5 What the Customer Values Identifying value The customer must be willing pay for the activity It must transform the item in some way It must be performed correctly the first time Its not worth doing if the customer doesnt value it

6. Library & Historic CollectionsPage 6 Tim Wood Seven key types of waste Transportation Inventory Motion Waiting Overproduction Over processing Defects

7. Library & Historic CollectionsPage 7 Capturing the Creativity Building on experience Talking to the experts Identifying practical solutions Sharing with colleagues Creating consensus Delivering improvement

8. Library & Historic CollectionsPage 8 Bottom Up Demanding rather than imposing change Empowering individuals Supporting one another Sharing responsibility Creating a responsive service

9. Library & Historic CollectionsPage 9 The Process Acquisition, cataloguing and processing of print materials from identification and selection to shelf involving 24 members of the Library & Historic Collections team Six individual teams Four sites Based on customer feedback

10. Library & Historic CollectionsPage 10 Planning Facilitated by Kaizen Lean specialist Indentifying the Project Sponsor Appointing the Project Lead Selecting the Project Team Raising Awareness of the Project

11. Library & Historic CollectionsPage 11 Planning Agreeing the Project Scope University Librarian and six managers Assessing the suitability of the process Setting the aims of the Kaizen Blitz

12. Library & Historic CollectionsPage 12 The Team Ten members Seven roles Four teams Two sites

13. Library & Historic CollectionsPage 13 The Blitz Five days Introduction Understanding the current process Identifying improvements Refining the new process Highlighting outcomes and planning implementation

14. Library & Historic CollectionsPage 14 Management Goals Reduce time between a recommendation being made and the order being placed by 50% Ensure the item is available to the customer within one working day of receipt Reduce the time taken by Library & Historic Collections staff to support the above process by 30% Ensure that relevant tracking information is provided to the customer throughout the process

15. Library & Historic CollectionsPage 15 Team Goals Reduce the time between a authorized and accurate recommendations being made and the order being placed by 50% to one working day for urgent requests and two working days for all other requests Ensure the item is 100% of urgent items are available to the customer within one working day of receipt and all other items within three working days Reduce the time taken by Library & Historic Collections staff to support the above process by 30% 25% Ensure that relevant tracking information is provided to the customer throughout the process

16. Library & Historic CollectionsPage 16 Understanding the Current Process

17. Library & Historic CollectionsPage 17 Identifying Improvements

18. Library & Historic CollectionsPage 18 Refining the New Process

19. Library & Historic CollectionsPage 19 Outcomes 18 action points identified Moving to online requests Getting more from our relationship with preferred suppliers Minimising urgent requests Eliminating double checking New label printing processes Minimising the number of times records are edited Creating a better working environment

20. Library & Historic CollectionsPage 20 Benefits Staff time taken to support the process Acquisitions 39% (51 staff hours a week) Cataloguing 20% (25.5 staff hours a week) Floors and sites 50% (65.5 staff hours a week) Acquisitions budget £7500 200 extra titles

21. Library & Historic CollectionsPage 21 Implementation Some easy successes First changes implemented on Monday morning Changes to workflow implemented in first month Some requiring further work Spine labels provided by preferred suppliers within six months Some significant challenges Online requesting will be the subject of a further Kaizen event

22. Library & Historic CollectionsPage 22 Under a Cloud? Some frustrations Havent achieved all that had been identified Fewer benefits for the customer than planned Monograph Acquisitions have seen little benefit Lessons learned Keeping up the momentum Embedding Lean Kaizen in the organisational culture

23. Library & Historic CollectionsPage 23 Silver Linings Empowering the team

24. Library & Historic CollectionsPage 24 Silver Linings Trusting the team

25. Library & Historic CollectionsPage 25 Silver Linings Growing the team

26. Library & Historic CollectionsPage 26 Questions r.armstrongviner@abdn.ac.uk

27. Library & Historic CollectionsPage 27 Thank you