8607-523 Preparing to Apply Lean Production and Improvement Methodologies to Operational Problems in Service Delivery

Introduction

8607-523 Preparing to Apply Lean Production and Improvement Methodologies to Operational Problems in Service Delivery is a unit within the ILM Level 5 qualification in leadership and management that builds an understanding of operational strategies. The contemporary corporate sector is characterised by the need to identify and implement efficient and relevant approaches to operation. This includes being able to adapt cost and time-efficient methods of production and service delivery which makes the organisation achieve a level of competitiveness that is required to succeed within the existing markets both in terms of customers and in the labour markets. Lean production is one of the approaches that can be implemented within the workplace to improve the ability of the organisation to achieve the desired levels of performance in service delivery. 8607-523 Preparing to Apply Lean Production and Improvement Methodologies to Operational Problems in Service Delivery is a unit that focuses on improving the understanding of the stakeholders within the organisation on the need to adapt improved operational methodologies. This unit aims at enabling the learners to be able to prepare service improvement using lean production and improvement methodologies. The unit is therefore versatile as it improves the professional and personal capabilities to contribute to the organisational goals and objectives in different ways. The unit is taught in 8 hours of guided learning and has a credit value of 8 which contributes to awards for the completion of the module.

Who is this unit suitable for?

Leaders within the organisation must be able to adapt effective operational strategies that contribute towards the success of the organisation. This involves being able to select operational methodologies based on lean production and improvement methodologies to solve problems and address the expectations about service delivery. The leaders must also be able to conduct an effective benchmark and evaluation to determine the efficiency of the approaches within the organisation. 8607-523 Preparing to apply lean production and improvement methodologies to operational problems in service delivery is a unit that is highly suitable for leaders within the organisational context.

This unit helps them to understand the need for using such approaches as lean production and improvement techniques in operational approaches and meet the service delivery goals and objectives hence making the organisation highly competitive within the market. The unit is designed to meet the learning needs of middle managers. It helps this manager to create an effective project that utilises lean production and improvement techniques within the workplace.

This also helps them to evaluate the performance of these approaches in accomplishing the desired goals using different key performance indicators such as service delivery and customer satisfaction. The unit helps the managers to identify strategies and techniques that support the use of these technologies within their areas of responsibility. However, the unit is not limited to middle managers. Executive managers and junior managers also have a responsibility to develop methodologies for operational problems and improve service delivery. The content of this unit can help to improve their capabilities in handling these responsibilities effectively. Employees can also pursue the unit to prepare them for leadership positions within their organisations.

What are the learning outcomes of this unit?

After finishing this unit, the learner should be able to:

• Know various effective lean production and improvement methods for measuring and analysing service delivery issues.
• Compare and contrast the lean production and improvement methods used in the organisation to find the most beneficial ones.
• Explain an aspect of service delivery that needs improvement.
• Create a recommendation, presented as a project proposal, that uses lean production and improvement methods to enhance service within their area of responsibility.

What are the key learning areas of this unit?

Unit 8607-523 Preparing to Apply Lean Production and Improvement Methodologies to Operational Problems in Service Delivery, is all about enhancing strategies for better service delivery. It covers two main areas:

1. Lean Production and Improvement Methods within the Workplace:

• This learning area introduces fundamental principles of lean production and improvement techniques.
• It covers key concepts like Six Sigma, kaizen/continuous improvement, and related models.
• Learners are guided on identifying, defining, and analysing problems, emphasising finding root causes for comprehensive solutions.
• The process of developing a project proposal for recommending lean production and improvement techniques to address service delivery is also explored.
• Organisational drives related to improvement projects and their impact on successful delivery within the workplace are discussed.

2. Developing Recommendations Based on Lean Production and Improvement Methodologies:

• This learning area focuses on improving leaders’ ability to apply learned concepts in their professional practice.
• Learners learn problem measurement techniques and data analysis methods to understand service delivery issues.
• Lessons include analysing and presenting data in diagrammatic forms for interpretation.
• The distinction between trivial many and significant few variations is explained, crucial for understanding the causes of variations.

Overall, the unit equips learners with practical insights to apply lean production and improvement methodologies for more effective service delivery in their professional roles.

How is the unit evaluated?

After finishing this unit, learners need to show they’ve mastered both theoretical and practical skills useful for organisations. To evaluate this mastery, we use various methods like written assessments, supervised practice, and simulated exercises. These assessment techniques are used throughout the learning process, both as part of ongoing learning (formative) and at the end (summative), to make sure learning goals are achieved and outcomes are successful.

References

Books:

• Shah, R. V., and Ward, P. T. (2020). Lean service: a research agenda. Journal of Operations Management, 48(1), 94-112.

Academic Articles:

• Hines, P., and Rich, N. (2019). The Seven Value Stream Mapping Tools. Lean Enterprise Institute.
• Aung, S., and Liker, K. (2019). The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles from the World’s Greatest Manufacturer. McGraw-Hill.
• Bicheno, J. (2014). The Lean 10: Building a Lean Culture. Productivity Press.
• Rother, M., and Shook, J. (2018). Learning to See: Value Stream Mapping to Create Value and Eliminate Waste. Lean Enterprise Institute.

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• ILM Level 5