Evan Carmichael Top Header about About About facebook Twitter YouTube Google+

How much Planning is enough - Use Lean and Standardize


Guest post by: Joe Dager
Become an Author

Free PDF Download
Evaluate your Customer Needs - By Joe Dager

Name: Email:


When you listen to consultants and so called experts, all they talk about is planning. The reason they exist is for the planning stages. Where are these guys at when it is time to get the work done anyway? Many companies will just take the attitude of let's just get it done - there is not time for all this planning. If something happens, we will just have to deal with it anyway, plan or no plan. So let's get started, right?

Slow down Cowboy! How much time does it really take to plan? From my experience you should use a baseline of around 5% of your projects time in planning. So if you have a project that will consume 400 hours that would be 20 hours. Do you think that is unreasonable? Do you believe that a plan would produce fewer negative consequences or less than 20 hours of non-productive fire fighting?

Now, what happens if planning takes longer? You need to treat your planning process like any other process. Using a standard methodology such as lean and the toolset that it employs will allow you the opportunity to get the most out of your planning cycle. It will allow improving your planning process removing the waste that you have accumulated in it. I have found most companies actually enjoy planning, the collaboration and decision-making that take place during it. What everyone doesn't like is the waste in planning, so get rid of it!

The first thing you can do is plan the planning process. Take 5% of your planning time to improve your planning. Set objectives, milestones, create key performance indicators and most of all create a standard work plan. You could even have a Kaizen to 5S your planning process. After doing this a few times, planning will become very easy, intuitive and more productive. Consider that if you significantly improve your planning process, you will create considerable down-flow opportunities of greater savings. Try it!


Related Articles

  5S Applied to the CEO Role
  Building a Lean Healthcare Value Stream
  It takes guts, to start with lean training in a turnaround!
  6 step process to Lean Marketing
  Start your Visual Thinking Process with Mind Mapping
  Why do The Pillars of the Lean Marketing House™ crumble?
  Value, Value Stream, Flow, Pull, Perfection
  There Are No Silver Bullets
  How do you determine value?
  Making Lean Part of the Business Strategy
  Basic steps to normalize recipes
  Lean Marketing House - the Pillars
  DO YOU KNOW MUCH VALUE YOU PROVIDE? IF NOT, HOW CAN YOU BE MORE EFFECTIVE?
  Lean Marketing
  Working at Warp Speed in a Lean Turnaround!
  Concepts of TQM and Lean
  The Gemba Walk
  Three Keys to Finding Gold in Your Business
  What are the 3 biggest challenges faced by supply chain/purchasing professionals today? (Survey Result 3)
  The Basics in Lean Manufacturing Tools

Home > Retail > Joe Dager > How much Planning is enough Use Lean and Standardize >

Free PDF Download
Evaluate your Customer Needs - By Joe Dager

Name: Email:

About the Author: Joe Dager

RSS for Joe's articles - Visit Joe's website
Joe Dager is President of Business901, a progressive coaching company providing no-nonsense direction in areas such as Lean Six Sigma Marketing and organized referral marketing. What others say: In the past 20 years, Joe and I have collaborated on many difficult issues. Joe’s ability to combine his expertise with “out of the box” thinking is unsurpassed. He has always delivered quickly, cost effectively and with ingenuity. A brilliant mind that is always a pleasure to work with.” - James R. If you want to learn more about Business901, start a conversation with us. We can be found @
Web/Blog: Business901.com
Web/Blog: LinkedIn Profile
Follow me on Twitter
Click here to visit Joe's website.
Dashed Line

Business901
More from Joe Dager
Can you satisfy these customer segments or who wants You
EMail Marketing Suppliers can you do this
Speed may be the biggest Determent to your Marketing Success
Using DMAIC for your A3 Report in the Lean Marketing House
Kaizen Kaizen Kaizen Why so many

Related Forum Posts

Re: How do you make the most of your day? Re: How do you make the most of your day?
Re: What are your June Goals? Re: What are your June Goals?
Re: What are your July goals? Re: What are your July goals?
Re: Success Re: Success
Re: Quote of the Day - "If you hesitate, some bolder hand will s Re: Quote of the Day - "If you hesitate, some bolder hand will s

Share this article. Fund someone's dream.

Share this post and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.
Share for a Cause



Worksheets
By: Evan Carmichael

Do you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur?

8 Powerful Steps to Finding Your Passion

Does your pitch suck?

Create a plan of attach to launch your new business.

8-Cover

Like this page? PLEASE +1 it! Evan Signature
Bottom Footer



Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!
Name:
Email:
Popular Articles

The 13 Most Powerful Words in Marketing

6 SEO Factors to Consider in Web Site Planning

The Best Internet Marketing Techniques

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.