Lean Case Study - Government Backed Financial Institution

Between 2002 and 2005 we worked with this client’s back office staff to increase efficiency and eliminate waste from existing processes. Bourton Group’s lean techniques have developed internal competence in problem-solving and team working to create an efficient, stream-lined Lean Enterprise, both at an intact work group level and in their E2E processes.

 

Lean techniques in an office environment provide each leader with a Lean toolkit of tools and techniques.   A key element of the approach was to construct Learning Families that can cascade the learning, with Bourton Group training the trainers so that 80% of the training delivery was done by in-house people.  By the end of 2003 we had helped train over 1,400 of the staff and progressed onto running E2E events to dramatically reduce lead times, reduce costs and improve customer service levels.  Typical savings from the initial training during 2003 were: floor space (over 15,000 square feet), postage £55,000, Infrastructure/maintenance savings £151,000, and 23 full-time equivalent employees.

 

The roll-out moved into the support areas such HR, Finance, IT and Programme Management where similar improvements have been realised in non transactional processes and has been embraced by the client on the Treasury side of the business.

 

The client’s own comprehensive cost-benefit model demonstrated the programme was ‘in credit’ (taking account of all fees and internal resource) mid-way through the training phase due to improved team performance and quick wins emerging from initial roll-out.

 

Recognition of the work we have done with this client resulted in winning a National Training Award 2004, the Institute of Financial Services Most Effective Back Office Initiative Award and the overall Grand Prix winner at the Financial Innovation awards.