Participants engage in open and constructive discussions, sharing their experiences, insights, and potential solutions to the identified issues.

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Key characteristics of Lean Circle sessions include:

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1. Small Group Discussions: Participants are divided into groups to ensure everyone has the opportunity to participate actively and contribute.

2. Structured Conversations: Each group is given a specific topic or question to discuss, providing focus and direction to the conversations. This could range from brainstorming ideas for improvement to identifying the root causes of problems.

3. Timeboxing: Discussions are time-limited to ensure that conversations stay focused and productive. Timeboxing encourages participants to prioritise key points and maximise the allocated time.

4. Rotation: Participants may rotate to different groups to discuss topics or questions after a set period. This allows for cross-pollination of ideas and perspectives.

5. Facilitation: A facilitator guides the discussions, ensures that the conversation remains productive, and helps to capture key insights and action items.

 

We encourage all participants to share a topic ahead of the Lean Circle; we will select several topics from those shared with the wider Lean Circle as the topic guide for that specific session.

Here are some examples of problems and challenges related to process improvement, waste reduction, and enhancing efficiency to help guide your thinking when submitting your topic. 

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• Inventory Management Issues: Participants may discuss problems related to excessive inventory, stockouts, or inefficient inventory handling processes. They might brainstorm solutions to optimise inventory levels, implement just-in-time (JIT) inventory practices, or streamline the replenishment process.

• Overproduction: Overproduction is a common source of waste in many industries. Participants might discuss ways to identify and eliminate overproduction, such as adjusting production schedules, implementing pull systems, or improving demand forecasting accuracy.

• Waiting Times: Waiting times in processes can lead to delays, bottlenecks, and decreased customer satisfaction. Participants might explore strategies to reduce waiting times, such as redesigning workflows, reallocating resources, or implementing parallel processing.

• Defects and Rework: Defects and rework can result in increased costs, reduced quality, and decreased efficiency. Participants might discuss the root causes of defects, such as equipment malfunctions or human errors, and develop solutions to prevent defects from occurring or detect them earlier in the process.

• Transportation Waste: Excessive movement of materials or products between workstations or facilities can lead to waste and inefficiency. Participants might brainstorm ways to minimise transportation waste, such as rearranging workstations for better flow, consolidating shipments, or optimising transportation routes.

• Underutilised Talent: Participants might discuss challenges regarding under-utilising employee skills and expertise. They might explore ways to empower employees, foster a culture of continuous improvement, and create opportunities for skill development and cross-training.

• Inefficient Communication: Inefficient communication processes can lead to misunderstandings, delays, and errors. Participants might discuss communication challenges within their organisation and propose solutions to improve communication channels, clarify responsibilities, and enhance collaboration.