Page 239 - The Design Thinking Playbook

EXPERT TIP

Expansion to lean management

As soon as we have reached an initial scaling, lean management
helps us to keep the structures lean and make the most of our poten-
tial. It is therefore an important element to keep our innovations alive
and a sort of fuel for the scaling.
From our experience, it is useful to expand the mindset of design
thinking with its customer orientation by the following principles for
existing products and services. Especially in fast-growing companies, Problem Solution Develop Manage-
the entire value creation chain must be mastered. business ment

• We focus on our own strengths.
• We optimize our business processes constantly.
• We bank on continuous improvement. Lean management
• We live internal customer orientation. Business growth and scaling
• We rely on the responsibility of the teams for the fulfillment of Lean canvas
their mission.
• We act in decentralized and customer-oriented organizational Design thinking
structures.
• We offer the best support in the leadership of our employees.
• We exercise open and direct communication.
• We conserve resources and avoid waste.
In addition, design thinking offers the methods needed to redesign
Lean management supports the implementation of the ideas in the processes and procedures by means of iterations. From our experi-
business model at various levels. For example, fixed costs can be ence, it is of great value to make the process tangible, to shift process
reduced by outsourcing or hierarchy levels can be reconsidered by the steps physically and scrutinize them. In this way, various activities
expansion of competencies. along the entire value creation chain of the company were already
Typical tools of lean management are value stream design, continuous improved. Ultimately, there are two levers: optimizing structures and
improvement process (CIP), 5S, TPM, kanban, and Makigami. processes, and scaling the excellence of teams. This requires at least
T-shaped people, positive energy, and leadership.

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