Understand, design, implement, sustain.

Stage 1

Understand

Establish the current situation, a baseline and the constraint that limits the whole system. We walk the workflow with the people who run it, and we measure what we can before deciding anything.

Output: a current-state overview and a short list of constraints.

Typical questions
Where does work wait? Who decides what happens next? Which step sets the pace?

Stage 2

Design

Simplify the workflow, remove the steps that add no value, clarify ownership at each handoff and define the changes worth making. Options are compared on effort and expected effect before anything is committed.

Output: a future-state workflow, owners and a prioritised set of changes.

Typical questions
Which steps can go? Who owns each decision? What must the system support?

Stage 3

Implement

Put the processes, systems and working practices into use, together with the team. Configuration, testing and training happen against real work, and the change is introduced in steps the organisation can absorb.

Output: a working process in use, tested and adopted by the people who run it.

Typical questions
Does it work with real volumes? Who needs training? What is the fallback?

Stage 4

Sustain

Track the agreed measures, develop ownership and establish the review routines that keep improvement going after the project ends. The aim is a team that can run the change without outside help.

Output: a measure set, review routines and an improvement backlog the team maintains.

Typical questions
Is the measure still reviewed? Who acts on a deviation? Did the gain last?

Lean thinking

Removing waste, such as waiting, rework and unnecessary movement, so value reaches the customer with less effort.

Theory of Constraints

Finding the single step that limits the whole flow, and focusing improvement effort there first.

Process modelling

Drawing the workflow, its decisions, handoffs and data, so that everyone works from the same picture.