In this blog series, we explored Lean and Sustainability – how they can work together, ways they overlap, etc. To close our writing collaboration, we (Adriana and Colleen) are going to share some tips to use Lean methodologies to make your business more sustainability just like the restaurant we wrote about in article one.  

Become familiar with both sustainability and Lean. System value, stakeholder engagement, data reporting and usage, etc. Train your employees in both areas.

• Become familiar with the 5 Lean Principles:
  • Define Value: Value is what The Customer is willing to pay for.
• • Map the Value Stream: How this Value, and Waste are created throughout the operation.
• • Create Flow: Avoid interruptions and delays.
• • Establish a Pull System: Design the operation that creates exactly what customers want; no more, no less, at the right time, in the right place.
  • Pursue Perfection: Make Continuous Improvement and Lean Thinking the Culture of the organization.

When these 5 principles are practiced, sustainability efforts provide the most effective results.

Conduct an audit of your company. See where waste exists. Keep in mind not only business priorities of cost and revenue, but also stakeholder priorities – how can the environment be supported by business actions? How can customers, community, and employees? Use the Lean process to build relationships with stakeholders so that they are confident in bringing problems and opportunities to you.

A Lean Process is a process that works for the people who are creating and receiving the Value, not the other way around.

An example: At the restaurant in the first article of the series, we applied Lean and Sustainability focused efforts to eliminate food waste. As this waste means that part of the time, energy and money used in creating the food will be wasted in the end, the owner of the restaurant, the employees, and ultimately the customers are facing the negative consequences of that waste. The cost of the operation remains high, which could mean that the owner cannot realize more profit, the employees cannot reap more benefit from their effort, and the customer might face higher prices to offset the cost. With the waste present, people are working in function of a process that does not serve them well. Once this waste is reduced, the profits can increase, which allows the owner to increase the salary of the employees, and to keep the prices lower and more competitive, benefiting the customers. Everybody wins!

Granted, food waste is not the only waste that can exist in a restaurant business, or any other industry. There are many different wastes that permeate the operations of organizations and corporations in all industries and settings.

The Lean process is also guided by The Voice of the Customer. In other words, organizations stay tuned in to the changing needs of their customers to align their products and services to those needs. As the Value changes, the Lean process reorients to that Value.

Remember that Lean and sustainability are not one-time projects. You should explore how Lean can be incorporated into your company so it is permanent and supportive of sustainability efforts.

If you are in a workplace that doesn’t use Lean, you can still use the methodology for your own work systems as well as your personal life. Organization, efficiency, and intentional processes can bring a sense of awareness, responsibility, and calm to the scattered reality that life naturally brings. This overlaps with becoming more sustainable as well. Reducing food waste, not over-purchasing, repurposing things, choosing low-impact transportation, etc. can all make an impact both on your wellbeing and that of the planet and people around you.

It is not only more responsible to create Lean and sustainable processes, and systems in your operation, it is also smarter living.

If you are interested in exploring Lean or Sustainability or both further, please reach out to us, Adriana and Colleen. We would love to hear about your experience and see if we can help you apply Lean and become more sustainable.