Lean Thinking for Better Business Operations

Even without a big R&D budget, small businesses can conduct market research and gain a better understanding of what their customers value the most.

Businesses of all sizes and types are now embracing the lean business models that revolutionized the manufacturing industry in the 20th century.

Lean operational philosophies focus on the ongoing improvement of activities across the value stream to reduce inefficiencies and deliver maximum value to the customer. By continually optimizing practices that are effective and eliminating those that aren’t, small businesses can also save on operating costs, increase team productivity and morale, and provide better project visibility for stakeholders.

Here are some ways that you can introduce lean principles into your enterprise to achieve smart, sustainable growth:

1. Make Quality a Priority

The total quality management (TQM) movement became popular among manufacturing firms in the 1980s, and it continues to influence organizational thinking today. We’ve long known that implementing rigorous quality control standards can reduce waste, improve customer satisfaction, and save companies money in the long run. Now, many firms are looking to develop ways of “building quality in” – ensuring quality throughout the entire process rather than simply checking the end result.

2. Develop a Customer-Based Philosophy

Though most companies would claim that they always put their customers first, many neglect to integrate customer experience and opinion across the entire product cycle. Even without a big R&D budget, small businesses can conduct market research and gain a better understanding of what their customers value the most. Being attentive to customer opinion is all the more important in today’s media-driven world, where prospects put as much weight on public online reviews as on personal recommendations.

3. Reevaluate Business Processes

Business practices – especially those that are devised and implemented through top-down approaches – can easily become ineffective as your enterprise grows and evolves. One lesson that the automotive industry learned and leveraged was that frontline employees must be included in the decision-making mix. Since they’re involved in production and service on a daily basis, they’re ideally suited to suggest changes that will reduce waste and redundancies and maximize customer satisfaction.

4. Focus on Forecasting

One major challenge for small businesses is being ready to meet market demand by managing inventory and capability. A low supply can leave money and customer satisfaction on the table. On the other hand, businesses often waste money on maintaining an overabundance of inventory or idle staff members. The solution, of course, is better forecasting – but it’s so easy for entrepreneurs to get sucked into day-to-day operations and fail to see what’s coming. Fortunately, some low-cost technologies can facilitate forward thinking.

A Team Effort

Adopting a lean business model dedicated to continual improvement can take time and effort, but it doesn’t have to happen all at once ­– and you don’t have to do it alone. Learn more about WesBanco’s Business Services or meet with us at a banking center near you.

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