01926 633333Operational Improvement Programme – Piloting Lean to Identify Opportunities for Performance Improvement
The Problem
Background
This Operational Improvement Programme demonstrates how Bourton Group helped a multinational provider of technology-enabled language, content and intellectual property services simplify complex processes, improve operational performance and reduce organisational risk. Through a series of Lean Transformation workshops and Rapid Improvement Events (RIEs), the organisation identified significant opportunities for business process improvement, strengthened governance and performance management, and built the foundations for a sustainable Continuous Improvement culture. The programme also created a clear roadmap for Operational Excellence and future automation opportunities.
Across both IP and translation processes, several systemic issues were identified:
Process Complexity & Inefficiency
- End-to-end processes contained 450–480 steps with over 90 decision points
- Significant duplication of checks, with multiple rework loops
- Approximately 20% of work passed unnecessarily through the full process.
Ineffective System Design
- Processes had been transferred from paper to digital without simplification or optimisation
- Systems were inflexible and reliant on workarounds
Data & Information Gaps
- Performance data was lagging, overly complex, and not actionable
- No single source of truth, with multiple inconsistent documents in use.
- High reliance on individual memory due to poor information accessibility
People & Cultural Challenges
- Critical knowledge concentrated in individuals, creating operational risk
- Resistance to change within key roles
- Limited understanding of Continuous Improvement principles among leadership teams.
- In some areas, low trust and poor collaboration between teams
Operational Risk
- Despite extensive checking, the only legally required check was being missed
The Solution
The Approach
A series of targeted Rapid Improvement Events (RIEs) were conducted across IP and translation operations to:
- Map current-state processes in detail
- Identify and eliminate waste
- Develop simplified future-state processes
- Identify opportunities for automation and AI
- Build collaboration and trust between teams
- Introduce sustainable Continuous Improvement practices
Workshops were delivered with cross-functional teams and leaders to solve operational challenges whilst simultaneously building internal Lean capability.
Alongside the RIEs, the organisation began implementing a Lean Daily Management System (LDMS) to support ongoing performance management and continuous improvement at team level.
The Benefits
Results and Impact
Process Transformation
- End-to-end processes were reduced from approximately 480 steps to 90.
- Removal of redundant checks and duplication
- Identification and implementation of the critical legal control point
Operational Improvements
- Reduced unnecessary processing through improved work segmentation.
- Improved “right-first-time” data handling within workflows
- Identified multiple AI and automation opportunities
Data & Performance Management
- Introduced daily performance management routines (stand-ups)
- Defined operational metrics aligned to business performance
- Highlighted the need for improved data infrastructure, prompting further investment.
Knowledge & Governance
- Consolidated information into a single source of truth.
- Introduced a structured document review and governance processes
- Reduced reliance on individual knowledge
People & Culture
- Improved collaboration and trust between teams
- Lean leadership capability developed across operational leaders
- Increased understanding and adoption of Continuous Improvement practices
Strategic Impact
- Provided a clear business case to support investment in an Operational Excellence function.
- Identified risks and challenges in integrating processes across merged entities
- Enabled development of action plans aligned to broader transformation strategy
Key Takeaways
- Legacy processes digitised without redesign created significant inefficiency.
- Lean methods reduced process complexity by approximately 80%.
- Improved data, governance and performance management were critical enablers of sustainable improvement.
- Developing capability and culture was as important as redesigning processes.
- Rapid Improvement Events delivered both immediate operational gains and long-term transformation capability.
What Specialist IP & Language Services Business said about us
Building Continuous Improvement Capability
The Lean pilot, delivered through RIEs, successfully demonstrated the scale of opportunity to simplify processes, improve performance and reduce operational risk.
Beyond immediate operational gains, the programme established the foundations for a sustainable Continuous Improvement culture, equipping internal teams with the skills, tools, and confidence to lead ongoing change.
This work created a compelling business case for Operational Excellence, alongside a practical roadmap for embedding Lean across the organisation.