Working in Lean Teams
Lean teams are now a common feature in all industries through the concept emanated from the manufacturing sector. The core idea is to provide more value for your customers using the least resources. Like all new ideas, implementing the lean concept in your company can be tricky. Lean teams are highly effective, but at the same time, you have to consider how it affects the entire structure of your business.
For a lean team to be effective, you have to appreciate that the concept is not just about cost reduction. Every member of your team must inculcate a new way of thinking. While your project is custom-designed, applying lean principles will still help to attain your goals. However, you will have to appreciate the challenges individuals will face in implementing the concept.
Benefits of working in lean teams
How does working in a lean team affect productivity?
1. Improved efficiency
For a lean team to work effectively, every member must work towards continuous improvement and reducing wastage. As a team member, you will enjoy more productivity over time as you will consciously work towards improving your output.
2. Better resource management
While working in a remote team can be challenging socially, you should also appreciate the improved use of available resources. For instance, your internet costs and other resources you are using will come down gradually and you will cut down on your operational costs.
3. Better working relations
A lean team operates through a transparent platform. Your teammates know what you are doing and you also understand what they are working on. This improves working relations even when you are working remotely.
Challenges of working in lean teams
While a lean team is beneficial to the entire team, it is important to appreciate the challenges you will face in the course of adopting the lean concept. As an individual working in a lean team, you have to change your way of thinking in order to help the cause of the lean team. Here are a few challenges you should expect:
1. Increased supervision
In a lean team, transparency is a major requirement and you must appreciate that the entire team will have to know what you are doing on your end. In the beginning, this will be challenging especially if you are used to working independently. The issue of resource management will also be challenging as more scrutiny is required to reduce wastage.
2. More input
Lean teams are geared towards improving value to the customer while reducing wastage. This means more input with zero wastage, which can be a challenge to any individual. Your employer will develop stringent supervision systems to ensure maximum efficiency and this will definitely affect you initially.
Working in a lean team can be difficult at first, but eventually, the benefits outweigh the challenges. It becomes easier to interact with the team and the performance of the entire company grows with time. More importantly, improved customer satisfaction boosts the morale of the team.
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