Long waits, dissatisfied customers, inefficient processes, overworked staff and quality problems are examples of real challenges facing Swedish companies and organizations today. This is Lean argues that the root cause of the problems is sub-optimised operations. The authors Pär Åhlström and Niklas Modig present the idea of the efficiency paradox, which suggests that we have a false view of efficiency.
In sub-optimised operations we focus on the efficiency of the various parts instead of seeing the big picture. This leads to what we often refer to as tunnel vision, and which the book describes as the efficiency paradox. When companies and organizations become more streamlined, we feel that we are efficient, even though we are in fact extremely inefficient. It creates what the book describes as “effective islands”, and many of the problems that companies and organizations experience is created between these islands. If we do not see the big picture we do not understand what real efficiency is.
This is lean presents a new form of efficiency: flow efficiency. Instead of focusing on individual business functions, the focus is on the flow efficiency of customer needs. Seeing the big picture means that many problems can be avoided and eliminated. Customer experience is improved by shortening queues, freeing up capacity, creating more efficient processes and improving quality. There are huge gains to be realized by looking at efficiency in a new way.
This is lean is now translated into English, Norwegian and Danish and has since its launch in October 2011, sold over 50,000 copies (including the first edition of What is Lean?).
