Work-time analysis: one to two days alongside daily work, showing which activities create no value
lean admin
Lean Admin: order, standards and less searching in the office
Lean Admin
Lean works in the office too, just differently from production. The same tools apply, but they are used differently: here, 5S concerns drives and inboxes rather than tool cabinets. In production, you see a pile in front of the machine. In the office, the same pile sits inside systems where nobody notices it.
That is why we first make visible what is being worked on and what is being left behind. Then we create order in filing systems and drives, establish standards for recurring tasks and ensure that cases keep moving even when someone is absent.
Sound familiar?
Office waste is quiet, but it costs time every day.
What you get
Tangible relief in administration:
Overview of work in progress: what is open, what is being left behind and what genuinely comes first
5S for the office and digital filing: drives, inboxes and templates organised so everyone finds what they need
Standards for recurring tasks so that everyone does not follow their own route
Clear responsibilities and cover arrangements: cases continue even when someone is absent
Fewer interruptions from questions because information is available where it is needed
A way of working the team can continue independently
Frequently asked questions
Lean Admin: frequently asked questions
What does Lean Admin mean?
Lean principles applied to office work. At its core, it makes invisible work visible: how many cases are open, where they wait and how often a case moves back and forth between people. Only once this is visible can it be improved.
Why does lean work differently in the office than in production?
In production, you see a pile in front of the machine. In the office, the same pile sits in inboxes and systems where nobody notices it. That is why the first step is to make work visible, followed by order and standards.
How does Lean Admin differ from process optimisation?
Process optimisation maps a workflow and redesigns it. Lean Admin works on how office work is organised: order, standards, work in progress, priorities and cover arrangements. The two complement each other but address different points.
What is waste in office work?
Searching, waiting for approvals, questions caused by missing information, entering the same data more than once and cases moving between departments. Each instance may seem harmless, but together they consume a significant part of the working day.
What is 5S in the office?
Sort, set in order, shine, standardise and sustain. Anyone can complete the first four steps in a day. The fifth determines whether anything remains after six months. The point is therefore less the tidy-up itself than the habit behind it.
How does a work-time analysis work, and is performance assessed?
Where necessary, I look closely. I accompany daily work for one to two days and record what is actually done. This shows in black and white which activities create no value. The activities are assessed, not the people. I involve employee representatives beforehand.
Does this mean more rules and less freedom?
No. Standards cover recurring tasks so they do not have to be reconsidered every time. This creates time for work that genuinely requires judgement.
Does this require new software?
No. I start with analogue methods because they reveal most quickly how work is actually done. Only once the process and standards are established can we assess whether software will genuinely help. If you want it, we can discuss it.
Is Lean Admin the same as Lean Office or Lean Administration?
Yes, the terms mean the same thing: lean principles in the office, administration and order processing. I use “Lean Admin” because that is what it is most often called in the plant.