ABSTRACT
Yellow is non-value-added to the customer, but necessary for the operation of the institution. Examples include issuing payroll, maintaining an appropriate amount of record keeping, writing grants and reporting to funders. The Department of Environmental Services issues administrative orders to cease activities that are polluting the environment. Improving the efficient dispatch of the order is unlikely to be valued by the person or business receiving that order. Lean management perspective: Both the restaurant owner and the public may agree that the regulation has value. Responsible restaurant owners may appreciate a level playing field. Lean teams with administrative staff, end-user customers, and stakeholders may come to agreement about the value of each step in the process. The differentiation between “green” and “orange” may not be necessary if the end-user customers and the stakeholders are both represented on the Lean team, and both see value in health and safety regulations.
